Vespers

[IncenseTom]

As many of you will know, here in the Diocese of Leeds we are only using the Chants from the Missal at all Masses until Advent. In my parish we have decided to help the congregation get used to things by not learning any new hymns until things have settled down and everyone is happy with the new texts.
Therefore, we have a bit of free time in our choir rehearsals and we thought it might be a nice idea to try and do some sung Vespers, either once a month, or once a week during Advent and Lent.

We use the Laudate hymn books - is the outline for Evening prayer in that a good place to start?
Can anyone recommend any resources?
How do we choose the right Psalms?
Can anyone clarify the format of Vespers?

Any help would be much appreciated.

[Calum Cille]

A quick look at the following might help you with an initial sense of the structure.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vespers#Ro ... e_Catholic
http://www.universalis.com/vespers.htm

[Peter Jones]

Any help would be much appreciated.

Tom, there's a legitimate degree of flexibility as to how Evening Prayer can be celebrated and even combined with other liturgical celebrations. I think the first thing I would do in your position would be to sit down with your PP and talk it through. He could, for example, suggest that the prayer be combined with Exposition and Benediction. He could suggest that he would like to offer longer readings and preach.

By all means go through the material in Laudate with him, if that's your only resource. The Magnificat should be your first priority for song.

CC's link gives you the structure but not the Grail translation of the Psalter that we use.

[Peter Jones]

PS - the Universalis link does not include the traditional (but optional) singing of the seasonal Marian anthem after Vespers.

[Nick Baty]

Doesn't the Marian anthem come at the end of Night, rather than Evening, Prayer? Although in our parish we do end Evening Prayer in this way – not sure they'd come back late enough for Compline!

[John Ainslie]

In my parish we have had sung Evening Prayer and Benediction every Sunday (except August) for some years. The format is:

Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament with 'O salutaris' (in Latin)
Evening Prayer (all in English) as per the Liturgy of the Hours with

sung intro
hymn from Laudate
said antiphons
psalms sung to Bevenot tones (cantor v. congregation)
short responsory and Magnificat sung to home-made chants
Lord's Prayer sung to RK tone
5-10 minutes silent adoration (longer for Holy Hour once a month)
Tantum ergo chanted in Latin
Benediction
Reposition accompanied by 'O sacrament most holy'
Then we all (about 20 regulars) troop round to the Lady chapel and sing 'Salve Regina'

It lasts about 35 minutes (except Holy Hour). I cantor, the priest (musical ) leads the congregational singing, and we have a regular organist: even with 2 out of these 3 the singing works fine. We edited our own booklets (copyright?? ). It takes place a little before Sunday Evening Mass: some regulars come for both.

Right now its peaceful regularity is a wonderful haven from the attention-taxing demands of the new Missal translation.

[IncenseTom]

Thankyou all for the advice.

My PP is rather keen on Eucharistic adoration (he does exposition with the primary school kids), so that may well be on the cards!

If I have any more queries I shall post some more!

Thanks again,
Tom

[Southern Comfort]

If you are looking for a structure of a simplified form of Vespers, try A Time of Prayer, published by the CTS and compiled by Allen Morris and Martin Foster of the Liturgy Office. Then add music!