Choral Evensong Tradition Revived with Patronal Festival in Brighton
The Patronal Festival at the church of the Annunciation in Brighton will be marked by a special Choral Evensong supported by a grant from the Choral Evensong Trust.
The Patronal Festival at the Church of the Annunciation in Brighton will be celebrated with a special Choral Evensong service on March 23 at 3:00 PM, preceded by a free curry lunch at 1:30 PM. This event marks the first of fifteen Choral Evensong services supported by grants from the Choral Evensong Trust across the diocese this year.
The Choral Evensong Trust, a registered charity dedicated to preserving this unique British tradition, offers grants to churches that have not previously held such services. The initiative aims to bring free music to local communities while providing training and performance opportunities for young singers. The Trust's Patronal Festival Grants program for 2025 has seen remarkable success, awarding £32,000 in grants to dozens of churches nationwide. The Diocese of Chichester recorded the highest uptake of these grants, demonstrating strong enthusiasm for celebrating this tradition.
Fr Anthony Murley, Vicar of the Annunciation said: “We are very excited about this event as it’s not something we’ve done for many years. We applied for and received a grant from the Choral Evensong Trust which means we can pay a professional choir, something we’d like to offer every month. We would be delighted to welcome people to come and share in this event with us, and to join us for lunch beforehand.”
Rupert Sheldrake, a trustee of the Choral Evensong Trust, expressed delight at the response from churches and donors alike, "This project builds on successful trial runs last year, including a festival at St Peter-ad-Vincula in Folkington, which will host its patronal festival again this year, welcoming the Bishop of Lewes on June 29."
Choral Evensong combines scripture and music in a contemplative service deeply rooted in English heritage. It requires minimal participation from attendees, making it accessible to newcomers while enriching spiritual life for regular worshippers. The Trust hopes to continue supporting all applications for future festivals but relies on donations to sustain its work.
For more information about upcoming Patronal Festivals and how to support this initiative, visit the Choral Evensong website here.