Compline by Candlelight

Sundays, 7–7:30pm | St. Paul’s Chapel

Trinity Choir; Thomas McCargar, director

Compline means "completion" and is an ancient rite of prayers to end the day. Providing peace and stillness as one week ends and another begins, Trinity's 30-minute Compline service is unique in that all who enter are asked to simply hold a candle as the Trinity Choir beautifully improvises these nighttime prayers in song.

Compline takes place in-person at historic St. Paul's Chapel (209 Broadway at Fulton Street), and reservations are not required. Compline audio podcasts are also released every Sunday on our website, Apple Podcasts, and other podcast apps. Listen to the latest episodes below.

Compline by Candlelight art with a candle and the words, Compline: find some peace and choir

Compline Service Details

Compline by Candlelight provides peace and stillness as one week ends and another begins. There’s nothing to do but listen, breathe, and be.

Man in a black coat kneels in a dimly-lit St. Paul's Chapel to light a candle.

A Closer Look at Compline

In this video, choir member Jonathan Woody takes you inside Compline by Candlelight, a 30-minute Sunday evening service with improvised choral music.

People at Compline holding candles and service programs

Worship Services

Worship is at the center of life at Trinity Church Wall Street. Sunday services are held online and in person at Trinity Church and St. Paul's Chapel. Weekday services are held online and in person at Trinity Church. Whether you are a lifelong Episcopalian, from another faith tradition, exploring your faith, or just visiting, you are welcome to join us in worship.

MusicOctober 9, 2016

Compline By Candlelight

Compline is an ancient half-hour candlelit service featuring the Trinity Choir. “These are the church’s bedtime prayers, and they mark that transition from day into night,” explains the Rev. Daniel Simons, priest for liturgy and pilgrimage. “We pray Compline on Sunday evening as a transition before the beginning of the week, as a way to reflect, renew, and refresh.”

MusicJune 13, 2016

A New Spin on an Ancient Rite

Compline, the final service of the day in the monastic tradition, is sung at St. Paul’s Chapel at 8pm on Sunday evenings. Over the past five years...

Compline by Candlelight - From the Archives

Feb. 21, 2021 - Compline by Candlelight podcasts provide peace and stillness as one week ends and another begins. Enjoy this episode from the archives, recorded November 11, 2018 and featuring Sergei Rachmaninoff's Bogoroditse Devo.