St Lawrence Choir will sing Choral Evensong at the Church of St Lawrence in Alton as part of Jane Austen Regency Week on June 18 at 6.30pm.

Music will be by composers of the Baroque period – William Byrd (the 400th anniversary of whose death is being commemorated this year), Henry Purcell and Adrian Batten.

St Lawrence choir has up to 25 members across four voice parts and has, in recent years, sung Choral Evensong in Winchester and Guildford cathedrals when the resident choirs have been away.

Chorister Elspeth Mackeggie Gurney said: “As many of you will know, Evensong is said or sung every day as part of the Office of the Day in the Christian Church.

"Choral Evensong is sung in cathedrals, collegiate chapels, usually daily, and many churches weekly or monthly.

"Choral Evensong evolved from the monastic pattern of daily prayer; its current format is largely unchanged from the time of the Reformation and the rich wealth of music written for Choral Evensong owes a lot to Queen Elizabeth I’s love of the service.

"Since the 1500s, to the present day, composers have been inspired to write Canticles and Responses for use in Choral Evensong.

"Attendance at Choral Evensong, in all settings, has increased in recent years; it demands very little and gives so much – an opportunity to hear beautiful music, to participate simply by being there, in a service which fulfils a spiritual need, to be part of the long continuum of this act of worship, and to end the day peacefully.

"Choral Evensong is usually sung on the third Sunday of each month in one of the churches of the Parish of the Resurrection – details on the POTR website https://potr-alton.co.uk/

"We would love to see you there."