FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: SAN FRANCISCO, June 2, 2015

MEDIA CONTACT Sam Smith

415.246.5727 | smithsw@sbcglobal.net

ANNOUNCING THE LAUNCH OF NIGHT MUSIC AT ST. JOHN'S

A NEW COMPLINE SERIES IN SAN FRANCISCO

FEATURING THE DEBUT OF

VOCAL ENSEMBLE ENDERSNIGHT

WITH MUSIC BY PEROTIN, BRUMEL, TALLIS AND MORE

JUNE 21

AT THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF ST. JOHN THE EVANGELIST

IN SAN FRANCISCO

San Francisco, CA – The Episcopal Church of St. John the Evangelist and the Endersnight

ensemble announce the debut of Night Music at St. John's, an inclusive evening service of music and

prayer based on the ancient service of Compline. The event introduces Endersnight, a mixed-voice choir

making its debut with Gregorian and Anglican chant as well as music by Pérotin, Brumel, Tallis and other

master composers of the Medieval and Renaissance eras. The new monthly series begins Sunday, June 21

at 8:30 p.m. at the Episcopal Church of St. John the Evangelist, 1661 Fifteenth Street at Julian Avenue,

San Francisco. A reception follows at 9 p.m.

Night Music at St. John's will provide an important extension of spiritual outreach in the

neighborhood for St. John’s and offer a sacred experience not widely available to Bay Area Christian

communities today. “The Anglican Office of Compline originates in the ancient monastic tradition of

ending the day in prayer,” says Fr. Richard Smith, vicar of St. John’s. “In line with that tradition, we

invite you to end your weekend with us at St. John's in tranquility in our candle-lit, sacred space,

surrounded by ancient and powerful chant and anthems.”

Endersnight founder Daniel Pickens-Jones, for whom Night Music is the culmination of a dream

years in the making, notes that the series fills a vital niche in the region’s musical and spiritual

communities. “Some of the greatest music ever written is also the least performed to a high musical

standard. Endersnight strives to give moving and convincing performances of ancient masterworks in the

setting for which they are intended, for listeners of all walks of life who seek a sense of awe.”

Endersnight will continue to present Night Music throughout the summer and into the fall on the

third Sunday of every month at 8:30 p.m at St. John’s. The event is free; all are welcome regardless of

religious affiliation. Seating is available, and cushions or mats are encouraged.

About Endersnight: Taking its name from the 15th-century English carol “This Enders Night,” Endersnight is an a cappella vocal ensemble specializing in the performance of sacred polyphonic choral repertoire of the 14-16th centuries. Members of the choir are veterans of the leading professional choral groups of the San Francisco Bay Area, including Chanticleer, San Francisco Symphony Chorus, Philharmonia Baroque Chorale, American Bach Soloists, Clerestory, Volti and the Grace Cathedral Choir of Men and Boys, among others. They come together out of camaraderie, a passion for early choral music and a shared appreciation for liturgical tradition. Though professional musicians, the singers of Endersnight have volunteered to take part in the birth of Night Music at St. John’s.

facebook.com/endersnight | @EndsernightMus | EndersnightMus

About Night Music at St. John’s: A candlelit haven in the city of San Francisco, Night Music at St. John’s is an inclusive evening service of music and prayer based on the ancient service of Compline. Night Music is sung by the voices of Endersnight, an a cappella vocal ensemble specializing in the performance of sacred polyphonic choral repertoire of the 14-16th centuries. The event is held on the third Sunday of the month at 8:30 p.m. at the Episcopal Church of St. John the Evangelist, 1661 Fifteenth Street at Julian Avenue, San Francisco, located two blocks from the 16th St. BART station in the Mission District. The event is free; all are welcome regardless of religious affiliation. Seating is available; cushions or mats are encouraged.

About Compline: Compline, or Night Prayer, is the final service of the day in the monastic tradition of canonical hours. With its origins in the practice of bedtime prayer in the 4th century and before, Compline was subsequently enshrined in the Rule of St. Benedict in the West, and has had a long parallel development in the Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican and Lutheran traditions. Compline is a contemplative office that emphasizes spiritual peace and trust in God’s protection. In many monasteries it is the custom to begin the "Great Silence" after Compline, during which the whole community observes silence throughout the night until the morning service the next day. Compline consists of the opening sentences, psalms and other Bible lessons, the canticle of Simeon (“Nunc Dimittis”), and prayers, including a benediction. As a public service of worship, like Morning Prayer, Compline may be led by a layperson. At Night Music, the full liturgy—including readings and prayers—is sung by the choir. In the Anglican tradition, Compline was originally merged with Vespers to form Evening Prayer (and subsequently Evensong), though an independent Compline has been reinstated in today’s Book of Common Prayer. Night Music at St. John’s pays homage to Anglican Evensong, favoring composed or polyphonic settings of responsories, evening hymn and the canticle, chanting the psalm to a harmonized Anglican tone rather than plainsong, and including a Vesper Prelude as well anthems appropriate for evening or the church season.  

About St. John’s Episcopal Church: Located around the corner from the busy Mission-16th Street-Valencia corridors in San Francisco's north Mission District, St. John's has been described by many as an oasis not only for the tranquility of its garden amidst the surrounding bustling streets, or the warm golden light that fills its soaring nave on a sunny day, but because so many have found St. John's to be a place of loving peace, healing, and renewal in an often all-too-broken world. The Episcopal Church of St. John the Evangelist is located at 1661 Fifteenth Street at Julian Avenue (main entrance on Julian), San Francisco, CA 94103. www.saintjohnsf.org. Contact at parishadmin@saintjohnsf.org. (415) 861-1436.

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CALENDAR EDITORS: Night Music at Johns’s The voices of Endersnight sing the ancient rite of Compline with music by Pérotin, Brumel, Tallis and more Endersnight vocal ensemble Daniel Pickens Jones, founder Third Sundays of the month 8:30 p.m. service; 9:00 p.m. reception Sunday, June 21, 8:30 p.m. Sunday, July 19, 8:30 p.m. Sunday, August 16, 8:30 p.m. The Episcopal Church of St. John the Evangelist 1661 Fifteenth Street at Julian Avenue (main entrance on Julian) San Francisco, CA 94103 www.saintjohnsf.org (415) 861-1436 parishadmin@saintjohnsf.org