For 70 Years, Compline Has Offered a Place of Reflection Through Music
July 22, 2026
St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral and Classical KING celebrate seven decades of one of Seattle’s most beloved musical traditions
On Sunday evenings in Seattle, as daylight fades and the week comes to a close, a remarkable tradition continues.
Voices rise behind one of the soaring columns of Saint Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral, as Compline Choir members sing ancient chants and luminous choral music that have offered comfort, reflection, and inspiration for seventy years. What began in 1956 as a weekly study of plainchant and the ancient office of Compline has become one of the Pacific Northwest’s most treasured musical traditions thanks to a long-lasting partnership.
A Legacy Partnership
Since 1962, Classical KING’s live broadcast has extended the Compline experience far beyond the cathedral itself. Saint Mark’s has a long history of serving the city of Seattle, and this partnership is an important part of sustaining the cathedral’s relationship to the broader Seattle community.
Few musical traditions in the region can trace such an enduring connection between live performance, public service, and community. Through changing times and technologies, Compline has remained a constant invitation to pause, listen, and reflect.
To mark this milestone anniversary, Saint Mark’s Cathedral will present a special day of commemorative services on Sunday, August 16, 2026. The evening service will be broadcast live on Classical KING, continuing a partnership that has helped sustain and share this tradition for more than six decades.
An Experience Unlike Any Other
The story of Compline in Seattle begins with Peter Hallock, who chanted the ancient office while studying in Canterbury, England. Inspired by the beauty and contemplative nature of the service, he brought the tradition to Saint Mark’s and established what would become one of Seattle’s most enduring musical institutions.
Compline has been prayed for well over a thousand years, yet Compline at Saint Mark’s is unique to Seattle. Over the last seventy years, countless anthems and psalm settings have been composed specifically for the Compline Choir—by choir members, local musicians, composers around the world, and even Hallock himself. “We lovingly refer to our unique order of service as the ‘Seattle Rite,’ as we offer a wider variety of psalms, hymns, and anthems than suggested in the Book of Common Prayer,” explains the Choir’s second and current director, Jason Anderson. “The Choir’s use of the Seattle Rite created a crucible in which singer-composers within the choir regularly tested and refined new music. Out of this crucible came unique music, and we are honored to bring this music into the world—both in the cathedral nave and through Classical KING’s broadcast.”
The Introduction of Women’s Voices
For 63 years, Compline at Saint Mark’s was sung by an all-men’s choir. However, as the choir headed on pilgrimage to England in 2019, Anderson asked Rebekah Gilmore to direct an all-women’s expression of the choir. As the Choir celebrates 70 years, we also celebrate 7 years of regular participation of women’s voices.
The women sing a handful of services each year, so Gilmore takes special care when selecting music. “As the custodian of this ensemble, tasked with forging a path for women in this unique Compline tradition, I also seek to support those who are breaking down barriers in their own field,” Gilmore shares. She intentionally includes repertoire from women and BIPOC composers, while continuing to honor the history of Anglican Compline and the Seattle tradition.
Women’s voices offer a different experience from the deeper voices of the men. “Our cathedral’s acoustic loves upper voices. The timbre of the women’s voices is ethereal in the space,” Gilmore adds. When called upon to sing as a group for the first time, the women were excited to stand at those stalls and be in service to the Compline community.
From Seattle to Listeners Around the World
While the experience of Compline is rooted in the candlelit atmosphere of Saint Mark’s Cathedral, its reach has long extended far beyond those gathered in the nave. Through the partnership between Saint Mark’s and Classical KING, the service has become both a local tradition and a global one.
Reflecting on the experience of Compline, Hallock remarked,
Silence and time for interior reflection are often identified as the most powerful and moving characteristics of the Compline service. [At Compline] I see us engaged in a radical activity to act contrary to the icons of contemporary society—money, power, material comfort. These values cannot sustain or nourish the soul.
Today, as has been true for the last 70 years, people turn to Compline for a reprieve from the pressure of their daily lives—whether that means sitting in the dim light of the cathedral nave or tuning into the radio from home. “There are very few broadcasts that become part of people’s lives for generations,” remarks a Classical KING representative. “We’ve heard from listeners who remember listening to Compline as children and who now share it with their own families. Week after week, year after year, the service offers something increasingly rare: a chance to slow down, listen, and reflect.”
Some come seeking spiritual connection. Others come for the beauty of the music. Many simply come for a moment of quiet in a busy world. A Classical KING representative shares, “We are honored to help bring that experience to listeners wherever they may be.”
The Very Reverend Steven L. Thomason, who has served as the Dean of Saint Mark’s since 2012, reflects on the occasion. “Across seven decades now, countless souls have come to Compline carrying their joys, sorrows, and the ambiguities of life. Wherever they are on their spiritual journey, they are welcome, and we are richer for their presence.”
A Celebration Seventy Years in the Making
The 70th anniversary celebration will take place on Sunday, August 16, 2026, with special services throughout the day and a historic evening performance featuring both the Men’s and Women’s Compline Choirs.
Anniversary Schedule
9:00am – Holy Eucharist with the Compline Choir Women
11:00am – Holy Eucharist with the Compline Choir Men
9:30pm Evening Service Historic Live Broadcast on Classical KING – Compline Choir, Men and Women Combined
The evening performance will mark the first combined appearance of the men’s and women’s voices since 2000. All services are free and open to the public.
This occasion is a celebration of the thousands of worshippers, musicians, volunteers, listeners, and supporters who have sustained this tradition for seven decades. Some have attended for decades, while others have never set foot inside Saint Mark’s Cathedral. Together, they form a community connected by music, reflection, and a shared sense of belonging. On August 16, Saint Mark’s Cathedral and Classical KING will honor a tradition that continues to inspire, comfort, and connect people across the Pacific Northwest and beyond.
Listen Live
Whether attending in person or listening from afar, audiences around the world are invited to experience this milestone celebration.
Listeners can:
- Tune to 98.1 FM throughout the Seattle region
- Stream live at ClassicalKING.org
- Listen through the Classical KING app on iOS and Android devices
About Compline
The office of Compline is the final prayer service of the monastic day, traditionally offered before sleep. At Saint Mark’s Cathedral, the service is presented by candlelight and features Gregorian chant, Renaissance polyphony, and contemporary sacred works. Since 1956, Compline has become one of Seattle’s most distinctive musical traditions and an internationally recognized example of contemplative choral music.
Event Information
What: 70th Anniversary Celebration of Compline
When: Sunday, August 16, 2026
Where: Saint Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral, Seattle
Admission: Free and open to the public
Broadcast: Classical KING FM 98.1, ClassicalKING.org, and the Classical KING app
Media Contacts
Saint Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral
Dr. Jason Anderson, II Director of Compline
director@complinechoir.org
The Very Reverend Steven L. Thomason, Dean
sthomason@saintmarks.org
Evans Ousley, Interim Communications Director
eousley@saintmarks.org
Classical KING
Bethany Hays, Partnership Manager
