Anniversary Choral Evensong broadcast from Abbey
Thursday, 29th September 2016
BBC Radio 3 Choral Evensong celebrated its 90th anniversary this autumn with a live broadcast from the Abbey on Wednesday 28th September on the Eve of the Feast of St Michael and All Angels.
The service was sung by the Choir of Westminster Abbey conducted by Organist & Master of the Choristers, James O’Donnell and music included two 'angelic' favourites - Michael Tippett's 'Plebs Angelica' and William Harris's 'Faire is the heaven'.
Apart from a brief blip in 1970, Choral Evensong has been broadcast every week since the very first transmission. That service was live on the National Programme from Westminster Abbey on Thursday 7th October 1926.
Even during the war years Choral Evensong maintained its position in the schedules, although for two years from 1940 to 1942 the venues were not revealed by Radio Times - simply from 'a Public School Chapel' or 'a Western or Northern Cathedral'. Over 80 different cathedrals, churches and chapels have since been visited.
The broadcast from the Abbey is repeated on Sunday 2nd October at 3.00pm and available for 30 days on iPlayer.
