Dear People, Neighbours, and Friends of St. Thomas’s,
Easter is right around the corner! God willing, I will not contract COVID-19 during this time, as I am planning to travel to Israel for my first-ever pilgrimage to Jerusalem and the Holy Land from Easter Wednesday, 20 April through Saturday, 30 April. I will be back with you on Sunday, 1 May. My return on the first of May will coincide with the reinstatement of in-person Evensong & Devotions. In Eastertide, we are trying an experimental new time, moving Evensong from its pre-pandemic time of 7 p.m. to a post-pandemic experimental time of 3 p.m.
The staff and I had been thinking about keeping Evensong at the new hour that it’s been on Zoom, namely 4 p.m. But the cathedral has resumed its Evensong services at 4:30 p.m., and for several reasons we did not want to be in direct competition, chief among them the desire of some people to attend both evensongs, as well as singers who might be able to sing at both the cathedral and St. Thomas’s.
Over the course of several conversations, the options we considered were:
1. Schedule Evensong at 4 p.m. despite the conflict with the cathedral.
2. Revert to the pre-pandemic time of 7 p.m.
3. Schedule Evensong at 5:30 or 6 p.m. for a slightly less stretched-out day.
4. Try something altogether new, such as a mid-afternoon Evensong with various brunch options tied to it to build community.
Having ruled out the first option, we considered simply going back to doing things the way we’ve always done them. But based on pre-pandemic attendance numbers alone, 7 p.m. was not thought to be a good time. We aren’t sure if the low attendance is due to the time or not, so the only way to test that hypothesis is to experiment with a new time. Going back to the way things were is the path of least resistance, but we recognized we had an opportunity to determine whether a different approach might yield better results on several fronts, among them staff morale, musical quality, and attendance. Several people have expressed to clergy or staff over the years that they would go to Evensong were it not so late, with various issues being cited as the disincentive (driving at night, conflict with mealtimes, other schedule conflicts, etc.).
In the end, the clergy and music staff gravitated towards a 3 p.m. experiment in Eastertide as our Plan A to see whether there is a way to build a renewed Evensong community. If it falls flat, we will go to Plan B, which would be to try it at 5:30 or 6, and Plan C would be to return to 7.
Here is some of the thinking behind our Plan A:
Evensong & Devotions at 3 p.m. would be convenient for those attending morning services, particularly High Mass, who could go out to brunch in the neighbourhood and/or go shopping, visit the museums for a couple of hours, or what have you, before returning for early Evensong at 3. In this vision, people would not even have to go home or move their cars. Restaurants in the area might be willing to offer specially priced brunch or lunch offerings for St. Thomas’s parishioners to incentivize extended fellowship between the High Mass and Evensong. Three o’clock also seemed the earliest time possible to allow choir members a reasonable lunch break before returning for rehearsal.
Should this time prove a success, it might be appealing for seniors and others who do not drive after dark in winter. Likewise, it might appeal to university students and those who have morning or evening work commitments on Sundays but are free in the early afternoon. As an experiment in Eastertide, we can test what difference the time makes, if any, on various demographics.
Once it is possible again, the Friars Guild might be re-built around a soup-and-sandwich offering (at a price that would cover expenses) after High Mass, with opportunities to socialize until 3 p.m. Various activities and meetings could be built in, hopefully of a fun and recreational nature, that would foster community and give people an opportunity to connect. University students, young adults, seniors, and others might have demographically targeted fellowship and educational opportunities scheduled in this period, and parents with young children could have an extended play date at the parkette playground, or in other areas onsite that are conducive to parent socializing in a safe atmosphere for children. Other onsite food options, such as booking an inexpensive lunch caterer or a food truck from time to time for special events, also came up in the context of a Brunch-Fun-Evensong sequence.
For these and other reasons, we decided to try a 3 p.m. Evensong tied to the vision sketched out above, starting on 1 May. By Pentecost on 6 June, we expect to have a sense of whether we need to consider 5:30 or 6 p.m. Depending on how things turn out, we could even end up with a seasonal time change, with Evensong at 5:30, 6, or 7 p.m. when clocks “spring forward,” and changing to 3 p.m. when clocks “fall back.” The point is that we will not know what works best until we try it!
Since experiments involve the risk of failure, it will be important for everyone concerned to provide full and frank feedback on the advantages and disadvantages of the various time slots under consideration. We have already received a few very well-reasoned rationales for reverting to 7 p.m., as well as some enthusiasm from various quarters to the proposal above.
Finally, on the topic of risk, I’m aware that the pandemic is always the wild card. As Toronto appears to be facing a sixth wave, all decisions are necessarily contingent on public health advice. For now, we are following the plan of the Diocese to go to “Green Stage” on 27 April, with the first Sunday being 1 May, when we will return to in-person Evensong & Devotions at the new experimental time of 3 p.m. Your prayers during this (latest) liminal time of uncertainty are certainly most welcome!
N.J.A. Humphrey+
VIII Rector