Hillsdale College Hosts First Choral Evensong Service of Semester in Christ Chapel
HILLSDALE, Mich. — Hillsdale College hosted its first Choral Evensong of the spring semester in Christ Chapel on Jan. 30. The service featured a selection of nautical-themed hymns to reflect the Gospel reading of the day: Christ calming the storm on the sea of Galilee.
“The musical selections reflect this focus on the power of the Son of Man over the elements of nature,” said Timothy McDonnell, Hillsdale College’s director of sacred music, who led the service. “The introit, ‘Be Still and Know that I Am God’ — a hauntingly beautiful invocation by contemporary Ukranian-Canadian composer, Roman Hurko — evokes Jesus’ command over the violent waters that threatened the disciples.”
McDonnell also reflected on the piece “They that Go Down to the Sea in Ships,” a setting of Psalm 107 that echoes both “the dangers of the sea and God’s ready hand in staying the tempests which assail us.”
The Hillsdale College Chapel Choir performed alongside organist Katherine Rick for the majority of the service, and student organist Emily Spangler, ’25, played the postlude.
Choral Evensong is a centuries-old Christian service that features scripture, choral anthems, and prayers. The next Evensong service will take place Sunday, Feb. 20.
View photos from a past Evensong service here.