Description of a "real" All Night vigil in Russia

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Jean-Serge
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Re: Description of a "real" All Night vigil in Russia

Post by Jean-Serge »

Regarding the real All Night Vigil for Saint Sabbas I attended years ago (I'm getting old), here was the structure

Vespers
Psalm 103 intergrally sung
First cathism (psalms) sung
Psalms of Lord I cried sung and the verses for the saint
Glory... the two choirs are together in the nave until the "Gladsome light..."
Prokimenon
Reading of the Old Testament
Prayer : the one classicaly following whose name I don't know in English
Litia in the narthex
Apostiches
Prayer of Symeon
Our father followed by the troparion
Psalm 33 sung
End of the Vespers; at this time bread in wine are given and can be eaten in the church; it is the last meal before communion the day after

As you could see, the structure is a classical vesperal structure excepted that everything in sung in its entirety and also sung with antiphons (2 choirs alternating)

Reading of the life of Saint Sabbas - Part 1

Matins
Hexapsalms
The Lord is God and troparion
Cathisms or stichology to be accurate (psalms) in their entirety with their cathisms (the poetic composition)
Homely of Saint Jean Chrysostom about the Gospel of the Day
Polyeleos sung with antiphons followed by the megalynar to Saint Sabbas
Veneration of the icon and anointment with the oil of the lamp
Reading of the life of Saint Sabbas - Part 2
Reading of the Gospel? (maybe a mistake because I see it later)
Anavathmi tone 4 : Since my youth,
Prokimenon of matins and Gospel
Psalm 50 sung with antiphons.
Sticheras after the Gospel (...through the prayers of Saint Sabbas)

The canon

Sung in its entirety hirmi and tropars alternatively by both choirs; the katavasias are sung by both choirs together in the middle of the nave The tropars are sung not with the verses "Saint X, pray for us) but with the verses of the biblical odes, that are generally omitted in parishes. The only exception of this omission is magnificat between ode 8 and 9 and in some places the period of Lent when biblical odes are read on weekdays.

After 3rd ode, cathism (poetic composition) and Reading of the life of Saint Sabbas - Part 3
After 6th ode, kondakion and ikos followed by the synaxarion
After 9th ode, exaspostilarion, praises sung with antiphons and entirely with the sticheras
Great doxology
Troparion
Ecteny
Dismissal
First hour
Liturgy

Translated from this source in French : http://www.forum-orthodoxe.com/~forum/v ... php?p=5372

2004 was the last year when it took place...

Priidite, poklonimsja i pripadem ko Hristu.

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