Main content

The parish church

John Telfer, who plays Reverend Alan Franks in Radio 4's The Archers, and Debbie Korley are the readers in an episode marking the hundredth anniversary of Choral Evensong.

From church mice to murder at evensong, Thomas Gray's Elegy written in a Country Churchyard to The Great Sermon Handicap featuring Jeeves: today's Words and Music takes inspiration from the parish church.

Choral Evensong is the BBC's longest-running outside broadcast programme and first aired on 7 October 1926. Words and Music marks this anniversary with a selection of settings of psalms and favourite hymns like The Lord's My Shepherd and Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring. We feature Howard Goodall's theme music for the TV series The Vicar of Dibley and recordings by Oxford Camerata and the Sacconi Quartet.
A number of guides to church visiting have been published in recent years, and you'll hear extracts from some of those alongside poems by Philip Larkin, Walter de la Mare and RS Thomas; writing by Dorothy L Sayers, Barbara Pym and Bill Feaver and modern novels including Catherine Lacey’s Pew, Richard Coles’ Murder Before Evensong and Chibundu Onuzo’s Sankofa.

Our readers are Debbie Korley and John Telfer, who plays Reverend Alan Franks in Radio 4's The Archers

Readings:
R.S. Thomas – Kneeling
Here is the Church – trad.
Rachel Morley – Church Crawling
Walter De La Mare – Frescoes in an Old Church
Thomas Gray – Elegy written in a Country Churchyard
Graham Oakley – The Church Mouse
John Betjeman – Diary of a Church Mouse
Thomas Hardy – In Church
Dorothy Sayers – The Nine Tailors
Nicholas Orme – Going to Church in Medieval England
Rev’d Richard Coles – Murder Before Evensong
Barbara Pym – Some Tame Gazelle
PG Wodehouse – The Inimitable Jeeves: The Great Sermon Handicap
The Diary of Samuel Pepys
Simon Jenkins – England’s Thousand Best Churches
Philip Larkin – Church Going
Lamorna Ash – Don’t forget we’re here forever
Bijan Omrani – God is an Englishman
Zadie Smith – NW
Lis Howell – The Chorister at the Abbey
Jill Paton Walsh – A Parcel of Patterns
Catherine Lacey – Pew
Chibundu Onuzo – Sankofa
William Feaver – Piperism
Cesca Weekes – A Church on the Edge of the World

Produced by Ruth Watts

29 days left to listen

1 hour, 14 minutes

Last on

Yesterday19:45
BBC Radio 3

More episodes

Previous

The number 10

Next

Fathers and Daughters

See all episodes from Words and Music

Music Played

Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes

  • 00:00

    John Tavener

    The Protecting Veil: I. The Protecting Veil

    Ensemble: UNCG Wind Ensemble. Conductor: John Locke.
    • The Protecting Veil.
    • Signum Classics SIGCD585.
    • Tr2.

  • RS Thomas

    Kneeling read by John Telfer

  • Traditional rhyme

    Here is the Church read by Debbie Korley

  • Rachel Morley

    Church Crawling read by John Telfer

  • Walter de la Mare

    Frescoes in an Old Church read by Debbie Korley

  • 00:06

    Thomas Tallis

    Spem in alium

    Choir: Oxford Camerata. Conductor: Jeremy Summerly.
    • The Essential Oxford Camerata.
    • Naxos Special Projects 9.00698.
    • Tr36.

  • Thomas Gray

    Elegy written in a Country Churchyard read by John Telfer

  • 00:10

    Johan Landqvist

    Sanctuary

    Performer: Johan Landqvist.
    • Relaxing Contemporary Classical.
    • Naxos Special Projects 9.00849.
    • Tr24.

  • Graham Oakley

    The Church Mouse read by Debbie Korley

  • John Betjeman

    Diary of a Church Mouse read by John Telfer

  • 00:13

    Ludwig van Beethoven

    String Quartet in A Minor, Op. 132: IV. Alla marcia, assai vivace

    Performer: Sacconi Quartet.
    • Beethoven and Mendelssohn String Quartets.
    • Sacconi Records 5051078945521.
    • Tr. 4.

  • Thomas Hardy

    In Church read by Debbie Korley

  • 00:16

    Ralph Vaughan Williams

    3 Preludes on Welsh Hymn Tunes: No. 2. Rhosymedre

    Performer: Joseph Wicks.
    • Vaughan Williams: Mass in G Minor.
    • Signum Classics SIGCD541.
    • Tr5.

  • Dorothy L Sayers

    The Nine Tailors read by John Telfer

  • Nicholas Orme

    Going to Church in Medieval England read by Debbie Korley

  • 00:20

    Howard Goodall

    The Lord is my shepherd - Psalm 23 (theme from The Vicar of Dibley)

    Choir: Enchanted Voices. Ensemble: Tippett Quartet.
    • Pelican In The Wilderness (Songs from the Psalms).
    • Decca (UMO).
    • Tr3.

  • The Rev'd Richard Coles

    Murder Before Evensong read by John Telfer

  • 00:24

    JS Bach

    Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring

    Performer: Felix Roach (piano).
    • Improvising the Classics.
    • Faluma 1377252815122_fd183.
    • Tr7.

  • Barbara Pym

    Some Tame Gazelle read by Debbie Korley

  • by PG Wodehouse

    The Great Sermon Handicap, from The Inimitable Jeeves read by John Telfer

  • 00:28

    George Frideric Handel

    See the conqu'ring hero comes

    Ensemble: Capella Istropolitana. Composer: Richard Edlinger.
    • The Essential Handel.
    • Naxos Special Projects 9.00886.
    • Tr.7.

  • Samuel Pepys

    The Diaries of Samuel Pepys read by John Telfer

  • 00:32

    George Frideric Handel

    Water Music No. 1 in F Major, HWV 348: II. Adagio e staccato

    Orchestra: Academy of St Martin in the Fields. Conductor: Neville Marriner.
    • Best of Händel.
    • Haenssler CLASSIC HC21614.
    • Tr10.

  • Simon Jenkins

    England's Thousand Best Churches read by Debbie Korley

  • 00:36

    John Rutter

    Five Meditations for Orchestra: III. Candlelight

    Orchestra: Britten Sinfonia. Conductor: Daniel Hyde.
    • All the Stars Looked Down: A John Rutter Celebration.
    • King’s College, Cambridge 2816528.
    • Tr. 107.

  • Church Going by Philip Larkin

    Church Going read by John Telfer

  • 00:41

    Errollyn Wallen

    Peace on Earth

    Performer: Delia Stevens. Choir: SANSARA.
    • Wallen: Peace on Earth.
    • Platoon PLAT25209.
    • Tr1.

  • Lamorna Ash

    Don’t Forget We’re Here Forever read by Debbie Korley

  • 00:45

    The Beatles

    Let It Be

    • The Beatles: Past Masters Vols I & 2.
    • EMI Catalogue.
    • 13.

  • Bijan Omrani

    Giod is an Englishman read by John Telfer

  • 00:47

    Henry Purcell

    Rejoice in the Lord Alway, Z. 49

    Choir: The Sixteen. Conductor: Harry Christophers.
    • Purcell: Royal Welcome Songs for King Charles II, Volume III..
    • CORO COR16182.
    • Tr1.

  • Zadie Smith

    NW read by Debbie Korley

  • 00:51

    Henry Purcell

    Hear My Prayer, O Lord, Z. 15

    Choir: Oxford Camerata.
    • Purcell: Full Anthems / Music On the Death of Queen Mary.
    • Naxos 8.553129.
    • Tr1.

  • Lis Howell

    The Chorister at the Abbey read by Debbie Korley

  • 00:54

    Jessie Seymour Irvine

    Crimond

    Performer: Wingates Temperance Band.
    • Perspectives of Pretoria.
    • Music House Productions MHP1110.
    • Tr13.
  • 00:56

    Mark and Helen Johnson

    Hope of Heaven (Christingle Song)

    Performer: Ark Music Collective.
    • Good News!.
    • Out of the Ark Music 5037300865898.
    • Tr 5.

  • Jill Paton Walsh

    A Parcel of Patterns, read by John Telfer

  • 00:58

    William Prendergast

    O Lord God of My Salvation (Psalm 88)

    Choir: Choir of St John’s College, Cambridge. Performer: James Anderson-Besant. Conductor: Andrew Nethsingha. Conductor: Andrew Nethsingha.
    • The Psalms.
    • Signum Classics SIGCD721.
    • Tr61.

  • Catherine Lacey

    Pew read by John Telfer

  • 01:03

    Anna von Hausswolff

    All Thoughts Fly

    Performer: Anna von Hausswolff.
    • All Thoughts Fly.
    • Southern Lord LORD280.
    • Tr1.

  • Cibundu Onuzo

    Sankofa read by Debbie Korley

  • William Feaver

    Piperism read by John Telfer

  • 01:06

    Anna von Hausswolff

    All Thoughts Fly

    Performer: Anna von Hausswolff. Performer: Anna von Hausswolff.
    • All Thoughts Fly.
    • Southern Lord.
    • 6.
  • 01:08

    Ina Boyle

    String Quartet in E Minor: I. Allegro moderato

    Performer: Piatti Quartet.
    • Boyle, Vaughan Williams, Moeran & Ireland.
    • Rubicon 1417800.
    • Tr4.

  • Francesca Weekes

    A Church on the Edge of the World read by Debbie Korley

  • 01:11

    Hubert Parry

    Jerusalem (Arr. for Cello & Piano)

    Performer: Steven Isserlis.
    • The Cello in Wartime.
    • BIS BIS-2312.
    • Tr6.

Broadcast

  • Yesterday19:45
    BBC Radio 3

The hidden history of plant-based diets

The hidden history of plant-based diets

Forget social media influencers - the meat-free movement started with the Victorians.

Books website

Books website

Get closer to books with in-depth articles, quizzes and our picks from radio & TV.