All-Night Vigil

[The Prokeimenon!]

Hi there,
We're doing an All-Night Vigil for the Dormition in a week. I'm Antiochian, so this is not something I'm used to (we use the Greek practice of Vespers on Saturday night, Orthros on Sunday Morning.) I've got all the text I need- thanks to the Festal Menaion, but it's the rubrics that are a bit confusing to me at this point.

As I put this service together, I will no doubt have many questions, but I'll start with this one:

For the Psalm of introduction (Psalm 103)- how should that be done? Generally, we just read it strait through. But the I have some sources that say we just chant selected verses, and others that say we read the Psalm up to the 29th verse, then begin inserting responsive verses (the anoixantaria.) I've also heard it done where the whole Psalm is intoned, with the responsive verses being peppered thoughout.

So for those who attend Parishes with a Slavic leaning- how does your Church do it, and what is the "norm"? (Is there a Greek/Antiochian way of doing the Vigil- or is this a strictly Slavic phenomenon?)

Thanks!
Moses

ps- I do have a very knowlegable Priest who can help me, but I figured I'd get as much of this figured out as I can before bugging him about it :)

[VickiY]

That particular question (where you have conflicting rubrics) is one that MUST be referred to your priest.

[The Prokeimenon!]

That particular question (where you have conflicting rubrics) is one that MUST be referred to your priest.

Of course- I always discuss everything with him and he will give me direction regarding the rubrics, and nothing will be done without his blessing. But since I've been to very few vigils in my life (one, maybe two) I was hoping to find out what "the norm" is.

Moses