Music & English Vespers

"In the Beginning: A Vespers in Music and Poetry"

The annual vespers hosted by the Departments of Music and English will take place in the Howard Performing Arts Center on Friday, Feb. 23 (Photo by Ivony Sierra-Vargas)

At 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 23, the Andrews University Departments of Music and English will host their annual vespers in the Howard Performing Arts Center. The theme for this year's program is "In the Beginning: A Vespers in Music and Poetry." It will follow the pattern of the Old Testament creation story.

This yearly program was inspired about a decade ago by two faculty members with fond memories of evensong programs they had attended in England. They noticed that while students, faculty and staff have many opportunities to attend concerts and worships on the Andrews University campus, the evensong experience was largely unknown.

An evensong experience is centered on quietness. The spoken words and music are carefully chosen and presented as works of art. This experience strives to respond to David's invitation in the Psalms, "Be still and know." In response to these ideas, a joint evensong-style service was created and sponsored by the Departments of Music and English. The program organizers aim to create a quiet, reflective environment where listeners can put aside the cares of the work week and ponder a chosen uplifting and renewing theme. Undergraduate and graduate students present the music and poetry, and the congregation joins in the singing of several hymns.

This program does not require tickets and is open to all. For additional information from the program sponsors, contact the Department of English at english@andrews.edu and the Department of Music at music@andrews.edu. To contact the Howard Box Office, call 269-471-3560. For a full season schedule of events at the Howard Performing Arts Center, visit howard.andrews.edu.