Virtual Evensong from Rodolfus Foundation, Friends of Cathedral Music, ChoralEvensong.org, and many more

On Tuesday 19 May 2020, the Rodolfus Foundation, musical director Ralph Allwood, is presenting a Virtual Choral Evensong, a service of Evensong presented on-line and collated from more than 900 video and audio submissions. Participants include Stephen Fry, Alexander Armstrong, Simon Russell Beale and the Rev’d Richard Coles, plus members of the Rodolfus Choir, members of VOCES8 and of course the many people who have submitted videos.

This ambitious project brings together video and audio submissions from around the world for various parts of evensong including an introit, responses, psalms, the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis, a hymn, anthem, readings, organ voluntaries and prayers. It is bookended by Cosmo Sheldrake’s Evening Chorus, an improvisation using endangered British birds’ songs recorded in Dorset woodland.

The project, in association with ChoralEvensong.org, is in aid of the Cathedral Choirs’ Emergency Fund, set up by the Friends of Cathedral Music and the Ouseley Church Music Trust. The fund aims to raise £1million to support choirs that might not survive the Covid-19 lockdown. Donations can be made at the project's JustGiving page.

Further information from the Rodolfus Foundation website.