STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK

St. Thomas Episcopal Church will kick off the first of three Choral Evensongs this winter with a focus on the Confession of St. Peter.

The Choral Evensong will start at 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 18, at the church on Sun Valley Road in Ketchum.

Evensong, open to the public, is a peaceful service that evolved from the monastic practice of praying all through the day, said Joel Bejot, the church’s music director.

“The majority of the service is sung. From the opening responses to the prayers, hymns, anthems, and canticles, you'll hear lots of music!” he said. “We usually observe some saint during these services, on which a short homily will be preached.”

Sunday’s Evensong will observe the Confession of St. Peter.

“This is the story in the Bible where St. Peter acknowledged that Jesus was the Christ, and Jesus responded, ‘You are the rock on which I will build my church,’ " said Bejot.

***On Sunday, Feb. 15, the Choral Evensong will observe Black History Month with music by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Undine Smith-Moore and others. In particular, the service will look at Absalom Jones, who was the first Black priest ordained in the Episcopal Church in 1802.

He was a freed slave and a prominent abolitionist.

***On Sunday, March 22, the Choral Evensong will observe Thomas Ken. Ken was a priest who wrote multiple hymns, including the popular hymn that begins, “Praise God from whom all blessings flow, praise him all creatures here below…”

The words to “Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow” are sung every week around the world.

The music during the March Evensong will include music by Vaughan Williams and Herbert Sumsion, the organist of Gloucester Cathedral from 1928 to 1967.