One of the treasures of the Anglican tradition, evensong is a service of sung evening prayer. Lasting a little less than an hour, this service is a wonderful way to end the day or begin the week.
Evensong is a completely sung Vespers service preserved through the centuries in English cathedrals and college chapels. A vast amount of literature was written for this daily service, and we are privileged to share some of it with you. We are the only church in this area outside of major cities (New York, Philadelphia, Washington) to sing regular Evensong, and we invite you to experience this with us.
In addition to our Evensong services, we also offer regular concerts of outstanding local, regional, and national artists, most of which are free, and all of which are open to the public.
St. Luke’s is proud to announce the second year of our “Friends of Music” initiative. Click here to read more; click here to donate.
Recordings of our Evensongs and many of our concert offerings are available on our YouTube Channel.
Schedule of Evensong Services for 2025-2026
Sunday, October 19, at 4:00 PM—Choral Evensong and Organ Recital by Nicholas Halbert for the Feast of Saint Luke (Main Church) The St. Luke’s Festival Choir offers Festal Evensong in celebration of the patronal saint of the parish. An organ recital by Nicholas Halbert, organist at Nativity Cathedral in Bethlehem, will follow.
Sunday, November 9 at 4:00 PM—Choral Requiem for All Faithful Departed Celebrating All Saints’ Day (Main Church) St. Luke’s offers a Requiem Mass in recognition of the communion of saints. The St. Luke’s Schola Cantorum will sing the requiem setting Officium Defunctorum á 6 Voces of Tomás Luis de Victoria for the service.
Sunday, November 30 at 4:00 PM—Lessons and Carols for the First Sunday of Advent (Main Church) We celebrate the start of the season of anticipation with this classic Anglican liturgy presented by the St. Luke’s Festival Choir.
Sunday, January 11 at 4:00 PM—Choral Evensong and Organ Recital by Abbie Wood for the Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord (Main Church) We observe a principal manifestation of Jesus as “the Word made Flesh” dwelling among us as our Festival Choir offers choral evensong. An organ recital by Abbie Wood, star of the Pipe Organ Encounter at St. Luke’s in June, will follow.
Sunday, February 8 at 4:00 PM—Choral Evensong for Epiphany (Main Church) Choral Evensong. A jazz concert by Lebanon Valley College students will follow.
Sunday, March 8 at 4:00 PM—Contemplative Evensong for Lent (Parish Hall Auditorium) During this season of reflection and renewal, join us for Contemplative Evensong for Lent sung by the St. Luke’s Schola Cantorum, an ensemble of professional singers.
Sunday, April 12 at 4:00 PM—Festal Evensong for Eastertide featuring the Combined Choirs of St. Luke’s and St. Stephen’s (Main Church) The St. Luke’s Festival Choir partners with the Choir of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Cathedral in Harrisburg for Choral Evensong for the Second Sunday of Easter. A recital by the organists of both churches will follow.
Sunday, May 10 at 4:00 PM—Contemplative Evensong for Eastertide (Parish Hall Auditorium) We continue to experience the joy of the risen Lord with a more pensive Evensong sung by the St. Luke’s Festival Choir.
June 7 at 4:00 PM—Choral Evensong and Solemn Benediction for Corpus Christi (Main Church) The Festival Choir offers our last Evensong of the season in celebration of the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist.
Schedule of Concerts for 2025 – 2026
Sunday, October 19 at 5:00 PM—Organ Recital by Nicholas Halbert (Main Church)
organist at Nativity Episcopal Cathedral in Bethlehem. No admission cost. Freewill offerings accepted.
Sunday, January 11 at 5:00 PM—Organ Recital by Abbie Wood (Main Church)
star of last summer’s Pipe Organ Encounter at St. Luke’s
No admission cost. Freewill offerings accepted.
Sunday, February 22, at 3:00 PM—Concert by Sirotin-Chang Duo (Main Church)
Peter Sirotin, violinist and concertmaster of the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra, and Ya-Ting Chang, pianist
No admission cost. Freewill offerings accepted.
Saturday, April 25, at 7:00 PM—Traditional Irish Session (Parish Hall Auditorium)
an informal performance of Irish musicians from around the region, led by fiddle player Charles Kadyk
No admission cost. Freewill offerings accepted.
Friday, May 1, at 6:00 PM—Lebanon County Choral Society Youth Chorus Concert (Main Church)
a chorus made up of singers in grades three through eight performing their spring concert. No admission cost. Freewill offerings accepted.
Also planned for Spring of 2026: Concerts by the Central PA Womyn’s Chorus, Lebanon Valley College jazz students, and the Lebanon County Choral Society Youth Chorus.