The 16 voices of the Anglican Chorale blend into a hollow, creamy sound that bounces off the church's tiled portraits of angels, delivering a praise song to a waning tradition.

This group is the only choir in South Florida committed to singing traditional Anglican music, a style almost as old as the Church of England itself. Nowadays, the music might be most commonly recognized as the elongated, operatic pieces one hears at a climax in an epic movie. Yet, say the singers, it is ideal for a church nestled in the center of modern downtown Miami.

Trinity Cathedral, with its high ceilings and 4.5-second sound reverberations, gives the music a more regal feel, says the chorale's director, Matthew Steynor. And the cathedral has a willingness to try new -- um, old -- things. It even hosts yoga on Saturdays.

Since its formation in September 2008, the chorale has performed 12 traditional musical services known as Evensongs. While they are common in England and on some college campuses, few churches practice the tradition in the United States.

''I was thrilled when I heard about a group specifically dedicated to Evensong,'' said Richard Benedict, a 46-year-old from Fort Lauderdale. ``The music is beautiful. This is a tradition that in many ways has almost been forgotten.''

To understand why, all you have to do is look outside Trinity Cathedral.

Tourists are rushing in and out of the Marriott next door. Joggers are running with iPods in their ears.

''In today's world, things are so immediate,'' Steynor said, ``but music practice still takes the same amount of time. I guess people's patience is diminishing, and so achieving something that's worthy of a true cathedral Evensong is getting more and more tricky.''

These are times when religious institutions are moving toward more contemporary music. Just this past Memorial Day, there was a gospel hip-hop concert in Miramar. Organs and harps are being traded for drums and guitars and theatrical numbers.

Anglican music itself is very detailed and requires intense focus. Practice begins and the chatter of modern life fades into lessons on enunciation.

'Remember to make clear the `ch' in rich,'' Steynor tells the group gathered at the church on Northeast 16th Street and North Bayshore Drive. ``Even if you have to pause . . . Riii-ch.''

Steynor has lived in South Florida for five years. Trained as an organist at Queens College in Cambridge, he grew up loving the parade of pipes and keys that accompanies singers at an Evensong service. And then, the soft psalms that ``put the church to bed.''

Steynor worked with a fellow organist, Simon Jacobs of St. Thomas Episcopal Cathedral in Coral Gables, and they hatched the idea of bringing Anglican music to Miami.

So far, between 30 and 50 singers have participated in the chorale. They come from as far north as Deerfield Beach, as far south as Perrine.

Almost all have sung this type of music before, which allows them to deal with the speed of the energetic weekly practices. Holding the sheet music before them, they run through five major pieces within two hours.

''I have an older voice, so it just goes to show you can get your voice to do new things,'' said Lois Murray, a 66-year-old member of the choir. ``I grew up listening to this music. It's wonderful to be able to perform it here in South Florida.''

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