Michaelmas Choral Evensong

St Michael and All Angels Church in East Coker was filled with glorious music and joyful parishioners on the evening of Sunday 28^th September for a magnificent service of Choral Evensong capping of the celebration of Michaelmas – our patronal festival.  The music was provided the superb Sherborne Chamber Choir, accompanied on the organ by Stephen Taylor-Davies.

Anton Brucker’s Locus Iste was sung as an introit.  The Preces and Responses were sung to the setting by Julian Dams (erstwhile Director of Music at Sherborne Abbey) and the canticles were taken from the ‘Short Service' by Orlando Gibbons.  The anthem was Verleih uns Frieden by Felix Mendelssohn.

The 20 strong choir overflowed the choir stalls and the congregation, numbering about 120, made for a decidedly bustling and lively reception where a dizzying array of canapés prepared by friends of the church were enjoyed with affordable supermarket wine!

The occasion was a truly memorable way to conclude our patronal festival and we are enormously grateful to the Choral Evensong Trust both for their financial help and the inspiration that led to the event.