EVEN-SONG

(See Liturgy, Common Prayer .) Evening prayer, which is appointed to be sung or said. The office of even-song, or evening prayer, is a judicious abridgment of the offices of vespers (i. e. even-song) and compline, as used in our Church before the Reformation; and it appears that the revisers of our offices formed the introduction to evening prayer from those parts of both vespers and compline which seemed best suited to this place, and which presented uniformity with the introduction to morning prayer. Even-song occurs in the table of Proper Le ons for Sun days and Holy-days, and Proper Psalms. It is in fact the same as the old word vespers; and only differs from the other authorized expre ion, evening prayer, in having more special reference to the psalms and hymns, and the anthem, those holy songs which make up so large a portion of the service.