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St. James Choir's Choral Evensong honors Bev Ward

By Lightning Reports, Published: September 21, 2026

The St. James Choir will perform Choral Evensong for St. Michael and All Angels at 5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 27, at St. James Episcopal Church. The performance serves as a memorial to Beverly “Bev” Ward, who died earlier this year. A prelude begins at 4:40 p.m.

Ward, who was among the last of the charter members of the Association of Anglican Musicians, founded in 1966, spent decades as one of Western North Carolina’s most influential figures in church music.

A graduate of Furman University and the Eastman School of Music, Ward was among the first class of fellows at the College of Church Musicians at Washington National Cathedral. He served as director of music at St. James Episcopal Cathedral in Chicago from 1965 to 1968 before relocating to Hendersonville. His local posts included organist and choir director at First Congregational Church from 1978 to 1994 and a similar role at St. James Episcopal Church from 1994 to 2000. He was instrumental in the selection of St. James’s Harrison & Harrison organ in 1999. He also directed the Carolina Chamber Singers from 1980 to 1996 and served as organist and choirmaster at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Asheville from 2001 to 2003.

Artist in Residence Tate Addis will perform two original organ pieces during the prelude, along with Leo Sowerby’s “Rest in Peace.” The choir will sing Ward’s setting of Ubi Caritas as the choral benediction, along with works by Judith Weir, Thomas Sumsion, Jack Ossewaarde and David Williams.