Lighten Our Darkness

Illuminating Choral Evensong

A major new
crowdfunded project
exploring and celebrating a 500 year old tradition

Delving into one of the oldest forms of Christian worship anywhere in the world, this documentary meets the people who are passionate about the words and music that form the liturgy and asks why Choral Evensong continues to be the mainstay of Anglican worship in cathedrals,
collegiate chapels and churches.

Rent, stream or buy a DVD of over 4½ hours of music, interviews, graphics, history, reflection and analysis of some of the world’s most glorious choral music.

Watch the trailer…

Your 2 minute introduction to almost 5 hours of the best church music from all over the the British Isles and beyond…

Simply the best.

You can hear unique recordings of evensong in the cathedrals of Salisbury, Lincoln, Chester, Winchester, Truro, Dublin, Guildford as well as collegiate chapels, schools and parish churches in the UK and overseas

A person with curly blonde hair and glasses playing a piano in a church or chapel. Music sheets are on the music stand, and there are church pews and stained glass windows in the background.
Music sheet with musical notes, lyrics, and performance instructions, including 'Energetic', 'poco rit.', and 'praise'.
Chorus of people in blue choir robes singing and conducting in a church with stained glass windows and wooden altar.
Person reviewing a document or ticket, wearing glasses, pink shirt, and a gold watch.
Night photo of a tall, illuminated Gothic-style church tower with intricate architectural details, set against a dark sky with a faint horizon and city lights.
A woman with short blonde hair and glasses wearing headphones speaks into a BBC Radio 3 microphone in a recording studio with sound equipment and computer screens.
A group of students standing behind desks in a classroom, with a teacher at a desk to the right, and bookshelves and framed photos on the wall in the background.
Interior of a Gothic church with stained glass windows, tall vaulted ceilings, and clergy members in white robes gathered near the altar for a religious service.
A choir of young girls dressed in white robes with red accents, standing in a line inside a church with tall stained glass windows and stone columns.
A close-up of a printed document showing some text and part of a decorated musical manuscript with black notes on red-lined staves, and ornate initials.
A woman with light skin and reddish-brown hair singing into a professional microphone in a recording studio, wearing over-ear headphones.
A woman wearing glasses and a black jacket plays an organ, with sheet music, books, and a small computer on top of the organ in a church or cathedral interior.
A Gothic-style cathedral showing the intricate front entrance and twin towers against a blue sky with some clouds.
Aerial view of an ancient, partially ruined stone structure with grass and pathways inside. A group of people are gathered on the grass below, and the structure features large arches and moss-covered stonework.

Hear from…

composers, organists, singers, conductors and publishers who are working hard to maintain this musical heritage. Listen to their story and hear about the passion that motivates them.

Andrew Nethsingha St John's College Cambridge

Andrew Nethsingha

Elizabeth Stratford Arundel Cathedral

Elizabeth Stratford

Joanna Forbes L'Estrange Responses

Joanna Forbes
L’ Estrange

Chris Gray Truro Cathedral St Johnn's College Cambridge

Chris Gray

Barry Rose Guildford Cathedral

Barry Rose

Sir John Rutter composer conductor Clare College Cambridge

John Rutter

David Hill London Bach Choir Winchester Cathedral

David Hill

Bob Chilcott composer conductor

Bob Chilcott

Katherine Dienes-Williams Guildford Cathedral

Katherine Dienes-Williams

Stephen Layton Trinity College Cambridge Polyphony

Stephen Layton

Andrew Lumsden Winchester Cathedral

Andrew Lumsden

Philip Stopford Composer arranger Do Not Be Afraid

Philip Stopford

Listen to Classic FM and formerly BBC Radio 4’s Zeb Soanes’ mellifuous tone balancing authority and warmth* in this unique exploration of a much-loved tradition.

* Gramophone Magazine

But, best of all, enjoy hours of glorious singing…

5.1

Two young girls sing from a music sheet during a choir performance, wearing white choir robes with blue details, with others in similar robes in the background.

All services encoded in 5.1 Dolby Surround Sound

It’s as if you were there

Music by Tallis, Byrd, Willan, Gardiner, Parry, Allegri, Rutter, Purcell, Noble, Walmisley, Goss, Caesar, Ayleward, Britten, Stopford, Morris, Gibbons, Stanford, Howells…

St Paul's Service HOWELLS
Lighten Our Darkness L' ESTRANGE

What the critics say…

GRAMOPHONE Magazine

“A new epic odyssey… 3 years in the making”

“The sheer scope and symbolism of this (film) production… should inspire much future great music-making.”

The OLDIE

“A glorious new documentary… a quite remarkable film”

The AMERICAN RECORD GUIDE

“Picture and sound quality are state-of-the-art.”

“ …what I found most important was the testimony to Choral Evensong’s meaning and value by some of the most distinguished choral directors.”

CHOIR & ORGAN

“… a deeply affectionate and wide-ranging study… a fantastic addition to to the archives of church music.”

“ A church without a choir is like a body without a soul.”

John Rutter