By JIM TRAGESER - jtrageser@nctimes.com | Posted: April 30, 2010 10:04 am

Every religious faith has traditions and touchstones that help define it. Even among different branches of a single religion, there are often practices that give a particular denomination its individual character.

Evensong is one of those practices. Unique to Anglicanism (including its American branch, Episcopalianism), evening prayer developed in England after the break with Rome by combining Vespers and Compline (evening and night prayer hours, respectively) into a single service. When put to music, the service is called Evensong.

St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Del Mar holds an Evensong at 5 p.m. the first Sunday of each month. While the Episcopal Cathedral of St. Paul in San Diego (home of Bishop James Mathes) holds a weekly Evensong on Sundays, local Episcopalian officials said as far as they know, St. Peter's is the only parish in the diocese to hold a regularly scheduled Evensong, although others hold special Evensongs from time to time. The Diocese of San Diego takes in San Diego and Imperial counties, as well as much of southern Riverside County and Yuma County in Arizona.

"I think people enjoy the brevity of it," said Ruben Valenzuela, director of music at St. Peter's, on the appeal of the monthly Evensong services. "In contrast to the morning service, which will typically run an hour and 20 minutes, this runs 40 minutes.

"It's essentially just music and prayer. Some people come because they want to pray, others come because they want to hear some really good music, and some want both."

The Rev. Canon Allisyn Thomas, one of the priests at St. Paul's Cathedral, said holding regular Evensong services is more common at cathedrals (home churches of bishops) than at parishes. She said the Evensongs at St. Paul's continue to gain popularity.

"On a regular Sunday evening, it runs about 80 people," Thomas said. "I've seen a real growth in the last seven years. As more and more people hear it ---- it's such a nice way to end the day ---- they start coming back."

Thomas said many non-Episcopalians come to St. Paul's Sunday Evensongs.

"For many people, this is their church service, regardless of their denomination," Thomas said. "It's quieter, it's very meditative, it has no sermon."

Pushed on that last point, she laughed and said she and the other clergy at St. Paul's accept that sermons aren't always the most popular part of a church service.

Valenzuela said the appeal of Evensong to non-Episcopalians is part of the motivation for St. Peter's to hold one every month.

"One of the reasons they started it is to serve as an outreach tool for those who might not come to church on Sunday morning. ... There's no sermon, there's no Eucharist. It has that sort of accessibility for those who aren't Episcopalian," Valenzuela said.

Evensong has its roots in medieval times, growing out of the Western church's monastic traditions of devotions, and Valenzuela (who grew up Catholic before moving to the Episcopalian denomination) said he tries to keep that feel to the services at St. Peter's.

"We're using the old 1662 prayer book," Valenzuela said. "Some people like to hear the Elizabethan, Shakespearean language and the traditional Anglican choral music we use specifically for that service.

"On the other hand, Stephen Sturk, an Escondido resident, has written two Evensong services in his role as composer-in-residence at St. Paul's Cathedral, and said he writes from a modern perspective.

"I try to keep it a living tradition," Sturk said by phone this week. "I would say my music is definitely contemporary; I don't try to evoke anything medieval."

Last September, Sturk (who was raised Methodist before being accepted into the Episcopal Church) also became musical director at St. Thomas of Canterbury Episcopal Church in Temecula.

"Right now, my choir is only eight to 10 people, and I'd like to build the choir more before I introduce Evensong," Sturk said. "I think the congregation would probably like to have Evensong there.

"I think it really is a meditative service, and usually the music is provided by a choir or soloists singing on behalf of the congregation. It's more of a service that the congregation, rather than particpating actively, they can really observe the prayers offered on their behalf."Mainly, I think, it's a chance for them to meditate on the musical offering."