The Music of Evensong

There are various musical items in a Choral Evensong service. These are, typically:

Introit (sometimes); Preces; Psalm; Magnificat; Nunc Dimittis; Responses; Anthem; Hymn(s); Organ Voluntary.

The links below (highlighted in red) demonstrate some of the greatest manifestations of these musical forms.

And here is a Gramophone article listing some choice recordings of the Choral Evensong repertoire - by Michael White

Introit

In basic terms, if there is an introit, this is the first thing that is sung by the choir, and nowadays can take various forms, most usually a hymn or a metrical psalm.

‘Lift thine eyes’ from Elijah, Fx. Mendelssohn.  St Catherine’s Girls’ Choir, St Pancras Church, London

Preces and Responses

These are short petitions that are sung alternately as versicle (by the precentor) and response (by the choir, and sometimes congregation). This form of prayer is one of the oldest in Christianity, finding its source in the pre-Christian Hebrew prayers of the Psalms in Temple Worship. The 'Preces' and 'Responses' are separated within the Evensong service, with the Psalm, Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis happening in between them (see order of service above).

Particularly recommended are Smith, Leighton, Shephard and Williams.  But if you can't find those, try these:

1.  John Reading:
(a) Pearce Singers, Preces & Responses.
(b) St Andrew's Episcopal Church, St Andrews (all-in-one)
2.  Bernard Rose: 
(a) Combined Choirs of the 7 Scottish Episcopal Cathedrals, all-in-one.  Recorded choral evensong, St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral, Edinburgh (1986).  Choirs from St Mary’s Cathedral (Edinburgh), St Ninian’s Cathedral (Perth), St Paul’s Cathedral (Dundee), St Andrew’s Cathedral (Aberdeen), St Mary’s Cathedral (Glasgow), St Andrew’s Cathedral (Inverness) and St John’s Cathedral (Oban)
(b) Trinity Chamber Singers (Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, Cleveland, Ohio), all-in-one.  Recorded choral evensong, Trinity Cathedral (December, 2015)
3.  Tallis ‘festal responses’ (all-in-one).  The choir of St John’s Episcopal Church, Greenock.  Recorded choral evensong (2014)

Psalms

The Old Testament Judaic book of 150 songs of praise, lamentation and thanksgiving - many of which are linked to King David.

Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis

Magnificat: This is the joyful song of praise by the young woman, Mary, rejoicing at the prospect of the birth of her child, Jesus.

Nunc Dimittis: This is the song of an old man, Simeon, praying to God to let him depart in peace now his life has been fulfilled by meeting Jesus.

Particularly recommended are Byrd's Second Service; Stanford in G; Howell's St Paul's Service; Leighton's Second Service; Holst's Nunc Dimittis and Sheppard's Second Service.  If you can't find them, you could trying listening to these:

1.  Byrd fauxbourdons.  Magnificat only.  St Edmondsbury Cathedral Choir.
‘Magnificat (Fauxbourdons)’ from Byrd Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis Vol. 11, St Edmunsbury Cathedral Choir/Mervyn Cousins.  ℗ 1995 Priory Records Released December 1995.
2. Evening Service in G, Henry Purcell.  Guildford Cathedral Choir/Barry Rose
3.  Howells ‘Collegium Regale’.  Guildford Cathedral Choir/Barry Rose
4.  Noble in B minor.  Choir of Somerville College, Oxford. 
Magnificat & Nunc dimittis Recorded choral evensongs, Somerville College Chapel (February, 2013 & October 2012 respectively).
5.  Stanford in C.  Magnificat only.  Exeter Cathedral Choir.  Recorded choral evensong in Wakefield Cathedral (2017?).
6. Walmisley in D minor.  The Kampden Boys’ Choir, Martinikerk, Doesburg, NL
Dutch robed choir, singing in English.  Recorded in Martinikerk, March 2014.

Anthem

This is a choral composition set either to a text from the Bible, or another religious text.  Often in practice, the material for anthems and introits are interchangeable.

 
In addition, you might like to listen to these:
 
1. ‘If ye love me’, Thomas Tallis.  The lay clerks of Ely Cathedral
‘Jubilate in C’, Benjamin Britten.  Trinity Chamber Singers (Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, Cleveland, Ohio).  Recorded choral Matins, Chichester Cathedral, West Sussex (July 2016)
2. ‘Cantate Domino’, Giuseppe Ottavio Pitoni.  Choir of Somerville College, Oxford
3. ‘Evening Hymn’, Balfour Gardner.  Choir of Somerville College, Oxford
4. ‘Greater love hath no man’, John Ireland.  The Whitgift Chamber Choir and the Choirs of Croydon Minster
5. ‘Justorum anime’, from Three Latin Motets, C.V. Stanford.  Stanford Chamber Chorale and the Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge, dir. Stephen M. Sano.  (UK concert tour, 2007)
6. ‘Magnum mysterium’, Tomás Luis de Victoria.  The Cambridge Singers/John Rutter
7. ‘O Lorde, the maker of al thing’, John Joubert.  Cathedral Singers, Wakefield Cathedral.  Recorded choral evensong, Wakefield Cathedral (July 2016)
8. ‘Remember, Lord, not our offences’, Henry Purcell.  Vox Luminis.  Recording session, St. Appolinaire in Beaufays (BE) for a CD released in 2012
      9.  ‘Wash me throughly’, S. S. Wesley.  Choir of King’s College, Cambridge.  From a television broadcast of ‘Easter from King’s’, 2018
 

Organ

Organ voluntaries are many and varied, from Bach to Leighton, with almost everything in between, and there are many recordings of lots of organ music available in the public domain, for example this rendition of Bach's Piece d'Orgue in G major BWV572.  So, here is a couple of brief, but delightful, videos about the King of Instruments:
 
 

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