While in London, my wife and I attended a Sunday Evensong service at St. James Paddington Anglican church. While walking in, I noticed the sign advertised: “Professional choir at both service.” This made me worry a bit. Are folks coming to hear beautiful music, or to worship and commune with God.
As it turned out, not many people were there for either experience. Though the church could hold a few hundred people, there were probably fewer than ten people present, plus two priests and six members of the professional choir. Indeed, the choir sang beautifully. And their music echoed throughout the sanctuary. It was so acoustically alive that it was very hard to understand the spoken part of the Evensong service.