Lichfield Cathedral
The worship of the Anglican Church is based on from 1571 The Book of Common Prayer by Thomas Cranmer Depending on which faction of the Anglican Church belongs, worship is also appropriate.
The high church service is most reminiscent of the Catholic Mass: the processions of the bishop, priests, deacons with their fine festive garments at the beginning and end of the service, bell ringing, incense.
If the service does not include the Lord’s Supper, it is called matinee. Evening services are called evening songs. In these, it is customary to read psalms in dialogue with the priest and the congregation, or the choir and priest take turns. For a long time, only boys were accepted to the choirs, but today there are also a few girls involved as sopranos.
The opening procession of the fair
The Church does not have a common hymnbook, due to many different trends. There are about 6-7 hymnals and several can be used in worship services simultaneously.
Photo: Kirsti Suonsyrjä
Evening Song at Worcester College Oxford.
Page photos: Kirsti Suonsyrjä