The lyricism and aesthetic qualities of the Anglo-Catholic tradition, as seen in song and prayer alike, were on glorious display at the Church of St. Barnabas during Evensong on Sunday, October 19. Evensong — and the Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament that followed — was an immersive experience at this downtown Ottawa church. The sense of sight, hearing, smell, and touch were all engaged through the beauty of the sacred space, as well as the music from St. Barnabas’ exceptional choir, the scent of incense rising, and kneeling at various times throughout the liturgy.
Organist and Choirmaster Shawn Potter was preparing for the liturgy with his choir when I arrived at 20 James Street a few minutes before 7:00 pm. The evening included an Organ Prelude composed by Ernest Bloch, Psalms, Scripture readings, hymns, a homily and prayers. Both the Apostles’ Creed and the Our Father were sung. Psalm 150 served as the evening’s anthem and it was an original piece composed by York University Professor of Music Stephanie Martin, who had been commissioned by St. Barnabas to write a piece on the occasion of Music Director Wesley Warren’s retirement earlier this year. In contrast to the organ prelude, postlude and hymns, this piece had a lighter, even a vibrant flare. Professor Martin described it aptly as having “Renaissance gestures — lively music…to bring the words to life.”
The most stirring and memorable hymn for this writer was “The Day Thou Gavest, Lord, is Ended,” by John Ellerton. It encapsulates so fully the knowledge that the Church never sleeps. Even as darkness and sleep fall over our part of the earth, day breaks elsewhere across land and water. The prayers of the faithful to God never cease. We read and sang:
The day thou gavest, Lord, is ended,
The darkness falls at thy behest;
To thee our morning hymns ascended,
Thy praise shall sanctify our rest.We thank thee that thy Church unsleeping,
While earth rolls onward into light,
Through all the world her watch is keeping,
And rests not now by day or night.
In his sermon, Father George Kwari shared of the church’s history. The current church at the corner of Kent and James was built in 1931 and at the time of its dedication, the nave was filled to capacity with many attendees standing throughout the liturgy. Fr. Kwari noted that the dedication of church is a tradition that dates back to the Old Testament and it’s a practice intertwined with the conviction that the faithful ought to set aside a sacred space for worship and prayer.
As we read in 1 Kings 8:22-30, the first lesson of the liturgy, it was in one of these sacred spaces that Solomon stood before the altar and prayed one of the most beautiful prayers recorded: “Lord God of Israel, there is no God in heaven above or on earth below like You, who keep Your covenant and mercy with Your servants who walk before You with all their hearts…But will God indeed dwell on earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this temple which I have built! Yet regard the prayer of Your servant and his supplication, O Lord my God, and listen to the cry and the prayer which Your servant is praying before You today…”
It was abundantly clear at the Evensong that the St. Barnabas community takes great care to preserve the beauty of their sacred space, which generations before have built. That care is reflected in the quality of the liturgies they celebrate in this church.
Thank you so much, for such a beautiful article.