by Richard Gray, Director of Music, and Ebby Watkins
Compline (Night Prayer) is the last of the daily offices (prayers that mark a particular time of day). It is a meditative service featuring chant, plainsong, short anthems, and seasonal hymns. In keeping with the earliest practices of the monastic communities, Compline is offered by candlelight every Thursday at 7pm in the Church and on YouTube: a time when the work of the day is finished and the quietness of evening begins to settle over the hearts and minds of those gathered in prayer.
Why do we strive to offer Compline week after week (September through May), year after year? This is a special and important offering for a number of reasons:
It offers a space of quiet, beauty, and spiritual rest at the day’s end.
It engages parish musicians in an intimate and meaningful setting.
It draws new people into the life of the church through this liturgy.
This program year, each liturgical season will carry a certain theme and seasonal arch. During the Fall through November 20, our Compline services’ theme will be Night, Light, Beginning. There will be a special service of All Saints’ Compline on October 30.
We invite you to gather on Thursday evenings in the chancel—in person or via livestream—a candlelit peaceful setting ideal for the liturgy. Incense is used at this service. Come and experience beautiful sacred music, and ancient prayers that still speak clearly to us today.
Do you play an instrument or sing? We inviting parish musicians to share their gifts during our Thursday night Compline services. If you’d like to offer your music, please reach out to Richard Gray.
A generous gift from the late parishioner John Graham provided the seed money to begin offering Compline as a weekly service. To sustain it on an ongoing basis, the fund does need continued financial support. Click here if you would like to make a donation (choose “John Graham Compline Fund” from the fund dropdown).
