Inspired by Robert Sharpe, the Director of Music at York Minster, we are recommending that before Evensong starts churches start to make the service more “newcomer-friendly” by making spoken announcements. The intention here is clarify details of the service so that newcomers feel as comfortable as possible, and in so doing the service can continue with the uninterrupted flow that makes it so special. Robert was speaking at the National Cathedrals Conference about how York Minster already does this.

Here is a template suggestion for the words that can be said a few minutes before Evensong starts:

“We welcome you to this service of Evensong. For those of you unfamiliar with how things work during the service, you’ll find an order in front of you which indicates where you should stand or sit. [You may like to find the hymn in the hymn book in your place, and today it is xxx]. You may find some of the language very beautiful, but unfamiliar to the ear- this is because it is written in 16th-century English; however, we hope it will make sense. We now keep a few moments silence before the service begins.”