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Alternative to Evensong

Hi all,

Feeling a bit disappointed and hoping ya'll have some ideas.

We were planning to go to Evensong at St. Paul's on Wednesday, April 20th, but now see that the schedule has changed and it's no longer happening. We have tickets to Sky Garden at 1, planning to tour St. Paul's at 2, Evensong was at 5, followed by dinner and then sunset on the rooftop terrace at One New Change.
Most of our other days are booked so I don't have a ton of flexibility on other dates. The only other dates that could work would be Easter Sunday at Westminster Abbey at 3, but it would be pushing it to get there after our markets in Shoreditch that day and we don't like to be rushed. Tues the 12th and Wed the 13th also have some room but those are our first two days and we're expecting jetlag. That, combined with it not being efficient to go to SP twice in one trip makes me think I need to give it up...

Any ideas?

Any other special experiences near St. Paul's around that time of day that would make up for it? We are hoping to see a service (not evensong) at Kings in Cambridge but as it can't be booked until the day before I'd like to make sure we have something else in case that's booked up.

We're pretty open. Looking for something memorable.

Thank you

Posted by
13800 posts

Besides London and Cambridge, are you going to be in other cities in England? I've enjoyed Evensong multiple times at Salisbury Cathedral and also have been to one service at Canterbury Cathedral.

There also looks to be a Sunday and Wednesday Choral Evensong at St-Martin-in-the-Fields which is on Trafalgar Square. I've not been to one there but it is a church that has many concerts so it's probably very good.

https://www.stmartin-in-the-fields.org/about-our-music/music-in-worship/

Posted by
553 posts

Several years ago we attended Evensong service at St George’s Chapel at Windsor. It was wonderful! I don’t think they have the service every day.

Posted by
2347 posts

We stopped in at St..Martins and just happened to be able to listen to a practice session with six or seven musicians and it was incredible so am sure based on that imagine their Evensong would be good as well. Honestly the only down side was a young tourist who rushed in to the altar turned and took a selfie and rushed out. What a shame to put that in a scrapbook and to have missed a wonderful opportunity! Good luck and hope you find something.

Posted by
202 posts

We will be in Windsor but will not be there late enough for Evensong. The rest of our days are in London.

Doesn't necessarily have to be music, or church based even..just something memorable in that area around 5pm?

Posted by
7277 posts

Don’t know if Modern Art’s your thing, but at 5:00 PM, you’ve got an hour to stroll across the pedestrian Millenium Bridge across the Thames, and pop into the Tate Modern Museum. The recreated Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre’s over there, too, to see from the outside.

Posted by
8565 posts

Check St Bride’s schedule for evensong. Its maybe a 10 minute walk from St Paul’s.

Or visit London Mithraeum. Or climb the 311 steps of the Monument to the Great fire, visit St Dustans in the East.