Organ by Night
These informal mini-concerts have introduced generations of Seattleites to the power and beauty of a real pipe organ. All are welcome to listen in the nave, or join the organist in the loft to see what playing an instrument of this size is really like. (The radio program The Organ Loft, which airs on KING-FM immediately following Compline each week, was inspired by this tradition.)
Now presented under the auspices of the Saint Mark's Music Series these recitals were relaunched as Organ by Night and are offered once a month, on the third Sunday of each month. Attendees may listed from the nave or join the organist in the loft. A Q&A with the organist follows the performance. Find the schedule of upcoming recitalists here.
The Women's Compline Choir
In the summer of 2019, the men of the Compline Choir traveled to the U.K. for two weeks, serving residencies in Canterbury and Salisbury. To cover the services during absence, Saint Mark's Associate Musician Rebekah Gilmore was asked to assemble an all-female choir, comprising some of the most accomplished choral singers in the Seattle area. The services they sang, the first all-female services in the 63-year history of Compline at Saint Mark's, were deeply moving to many, and may be heard here.
The Women's Compline Choir now gathers to chant the service several times each year, usually in the summer. The most recent services were August 4, 11, & 18, 2024, while the Men of the Compline Choir were on pilgrimage to England, serving residencies at the cathedrals of St. Alban's, Canterbury, and St. Paul's London. The next services are planned for June 29 and August 24, 2025
The Women's Compline Choir participated in the concert Shaker Harmonies: Celebrating 250 Years of the Shakers in America, presented on the Saint Mark's Music Series on Sunday, November 10.
