Where did Evensong begin? With the Book of Common Prayer. 

The Church of England has used that book since the time of the Reformation, when that body separated itself from the Roman Catholic Church. 

The Protestant Reformation started in 1517. Back then, most English-speaking Christians had never read the Bible in their own language. Catholic churches used Latin. 

What’s in the Book of Common Prayer? Mostly biblical passages. It also contains prayers, orders for church services, and Christian creeds. The book brought the English language into church services. A few decades before, the movable type printing press was invented. In the 1520s, William Tyndale published English Bibles—lots of them. Enough for regular folks to read them, not just church officials. 

Some churches still use the Book of Common Prayer. Their goal: Let this Bible-soaked prayer book form worship. 

What do Evensong singers sing?

• Psalms. Sometimes they sing the entire book of Psalms each month!
• The Magnificat. That’s the song Mary sings after the angel tells her she will give birth to Jesus. (You can read it in Luke 1:46-55.)
• The Nunc Dimitis. Simeon sings this after he holds baby Jesus in the temple. (See Luke 2:27-32.)

The Evensong service has been performed from 1549 to the present day. At first, only boys could sing in Evensong choirs. Now many choirs take girls too. English choral services like these happen at fancy occasions. (Think royal weddings.) But choirs also perform every day in much more humble settings.