Choral Evensong with James O'Donnell
James O'Donnell directs the Choir of St. James by-the-Sea
Sunday, May 16, 2027, 4:00 pm
The service brings O'Donnell's distinguished experience in the daily choral tradition of Westminster Abbey into the resonant sanctuary of St. James through scripture, prayer, psalmody, canticles, and choral music. His career places him among the leading interpreters of the Anglican choral tradition, not only as a conductor, but as an organist, teacher, and church musician formed by the demands of worship. James enters the distinctive flow of Evensong: responses, psalms, scripture, canticles, prayers, and anthem unfolding as a single act rather than a sequence of concert selections. Much of the service is sung on behalf of the congregation, creating space for attentive listening and prayer. O'Donnell's approach brings long experience with textual clarity, musical architecture, and the disciplined freedom required to make an inherited liturgy feel fully alive in the present. The service is open to worshippers and listeners alike, including those encountering Evensong for the first time. Admission is free, and guests are welcome to remain afterward for O'Donnell's organ recital at 5:30 p. The program is designed to welcome both experienced listeners and people encountering this repertoire for the first time. Its pacing allows musical contrasts to register clearly while sustaining a unified dramatic and emotional arc. The resonant interior of St. James becomes an active part of the experience, enriching sustained sound and bringing quieter details into focus. Audience members are invited to notice changing textures, expressive use of silence, and the relationship between individual lines and the larger whole. Together these elements create an occasion that is immediate, thoughtful, and shared. This event belongs to the musical life of St. James and is shaped specifically for the church, its setting, and its community.
About the Artist
James O'Donnell served for twenty-three years as Organist and Master of the Choristers at Westminster Abbey and is now Professor in the Practice of Organ and Sacred Music at the Yale School of Music and Yale Institute of Sacred Music.
Choir of St. James by-the-Sea
The Choir of St. James by-the-Sea is the principal adult choir of St. James by-the-Sea Episcopal Church in La Jolla, California. Rooted in the Anglican choral tradition, the ensemble sings each week for Holy Eucharist and leads the parish’s major services throughout the church year. Its repertoire extends from Renaissance polyphony and the great works of the English cathedral tradition to contemporary sacred music, spirituals, and newly composed works.
The Choir has presented major works within the liturgy, including Morten Lauridsen’s Lux Aeterna, and regularly sings Choral Evensong, Lessons and Carols, and other special observances. In July 2026, the ensemble served as choir-in-residence at Wells Cathedral and concluded its English pilgrimage with Choral Evensong at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.
Under the direction of Alex Benestelli, the Choir seeks to unite musical excellence with the central purpose of sacred music: illuminating scripture, enriching worship, and giving voice to the prayer of the gathered community.