Choral Evensong (BBC)


Choral Evensong is the BBC's longest-running outside broadcast programme. The programme is a broadcast of an Anglican service of sung evening prayer live from cathedrals, university college chapels and churches throughout the UK.
On occasion, Choral Vespers from Catholic cathedrals, Orthodox Vespers, or a recorded service from choral foundations abroad are broadcast, at which time it is referred to as Choral Vespers.
It is transmitted every Wednesday at 3:30pm during the Afternoon Concerts block on BBC Radio 3, with a repeat on Sunday afternoons at 3.00pm. The most recent broadcast is available on the BBC iPlayer for one month after the original broadcast.

History

The first edition was relayed by the British Broadcasting Company from Westminster Abbey on 7 October 1926. The programme continued on the BBC Home Service, later BBC Radio 4 until 8 April 1970 when it moved to BBC Radio 3.
In 1970, the program was reduced to just one broadcast per month, but the BBC received 2,500 letters of complaint, and weekly transmissions were resumed on 1 July of that same year.
In 2007 the live broadcast was switched to Sundays, which again caused protests. The live transmission was returned to Wednesdays in September 2008, with a recorded repeat on Sunday afternoons in approximately the same time. Choral Evensong forms part of Radio 3's remit on religious programming though non-religious listeners have campaigned for its retention.
Its 80th and 90th anniversary programmes were celebrated live from Westminster Abbey, with services on 11 October 2006 and 28 September 2016 respectively.