Choral Evensong featuring the Tudor Rose Ensemble

The Tudor Rose Ensemble is a choir of 28 singers, including singers from the Chancel Choirs of First Presbyterian Church and Christ Episcopal Church, the Choir School of East Texas and the Tyler Civic Chorale. Donald Duncan will be conducting and Jeffrey Ford will be at the organ. The ensemble will be traveling to perform in England and Scotland this summer.  

About the trip...

The choral group departs on July 10 where they will spend three days touring and enjoying the sights of London before heading to Ripon Cathedral. The choir will spend four days as the resident choir singing daily Choral Evensong and Sunday Morning Choral Eucharist. Ripon Cathedral is the Cathedral of the Diocese of West Yorkshire and The Dales and home of the cathedra (throne) of the Bishop of Leeds. The Cathedral was founded by St. Wilfrid (c. 634-709) with the first structure dedicated in 672. The present structure dates back to the late 1100’s and includes several architectural styles. The only part remaining from the original building is the Saxon crypt which can still be seen.

The group will then travel to Edinburgh where they will sing Choral Evensong for the next three days at the Cathedral Church of St. Mary in Edinburgh. St. Mary is part of the Episcopal Church of Scotland. Sir George Gilbert Scott was the architect chosen to build the Cathedral. The foundation stone was laid in 1874 and the consecration took place five years later. It is Gothic in style and was inspired by the early Gothic churches and abbeys of Scotland.

During their time in Edinburgh, the choir will perform a noontime concert at St. Giles’ Cathedral the Mother Church of Presbyterianism and contains the Chapel of the Order of the Thistle.

The Service of Choral Evensong dates back to the time of the Reformation in the 1500’s. It uses elements of the Monastic offices of Vespers and Compline. The church uses the same service that was laid out by Archbishop Cranmer’s Book of Common Prayer whose first edition was in 1549. Music was added a few decades later, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth l, by great composers as Byrd and Tallis. It has been an unbroken tradition since then of presenting fine music with the establishment of Choir Schools all across Great Britain to ensure this tradition of great music for the service. In each decade there are composers that add to the wealth of great music for the service of Choral Evensong.