The All-night vigil is a service of the Eastern Orthodox Church (and Eastern Catholic Church) consisting of an aggregation of the three canonical hours of Vespers, Matins, and the First Hour. The vigil is celebrated on the eves of Sundays and of major liturgical feasts.
The vigil has been set to music most famously by Sergei Rachmaninoff, whose setting of selections from the service is one of his most admired works. Tchaikovsky's setting of the all-night vigil, along with his Divine Liturgy and his collection of nine sacred songs were of seminal importance in the later interest in Orthodox music in general, and settings of the all-night vigil in particular. Other musical settings include those by Chesnokov, Grechaninov, Ippolitov-Ivanov, Alexander Kastalsky, Hilarion Alfeyev, Clive Strutt and Einojuhani Rautavaara. It is most often celebrated using a variety of traditional or simplified chant melodies based on the Octoechos or other sources.
When celebrated at the All-night vigil, the orders of Great Vespers and Matins vary somewhat from when they are celebrated by themselves. In parish usage, many portions of the service such as the readings from the Synaxarion during the Canon at Matins are abbreviated or omitted, and it therefore takes approximately two or two and a half hours to perform.
The Psalms cited below are numbered according to the Septuagint, which differs from that found in the Masoretic.
Great Censing of the entire church, done in silenceOpening exclamation by the priest: "Glory to the holy, consubstantial, life-creating, and undivided Trinity, always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages""Come let us worship God our king""Psalm of creation", Psalm 103, sung (in modern practise only selected verses)Great LitanyFirst Kathisma (entirely on Sundays) or the 1st stasis on weekdaysLittle Litany"Lord I have cried" (psalms 140,141,129, 116), with appointed stichera, ending with the Dogmatic Theotokion, a hymn addressed to the TheotokosEntrancePhos Hilaron ("O gladsome light")Prokeimenon for the dayOld Testament readings (if appointed)Augmented LitanyThe prayer, "Vouchsafe, O Lord"Litany of AskingsLitia (on Sundays and certain feastdays)ApostichaNunc dimittis ("Now lettest Thou thy servant depart in peace") and Trisagion prayersApolytikion—on Sundays: "Rejoice, O Virgin Theotokos..."; otherwise, the one appointed for the feastArtoklasia, if there was a Litia"Blessed be the name of the Lord", Psalm 33 (first ten verses), and a blessing"Glory to God in the highest", "O Lord, open Thou my lips"Six Psalms (Psalms 3, 37, 61, 87, 102, and 142)Great Litany"God is the Lord", with verses from Psalm 117Apolytikion—on Sundays: from the Octoechos; otherwise, for the feast—and its appropriate TheotokionKathismaLittle LitanySessional hymnsKathismaLittle LitanySessional hymns17th Kathisma (Psalm 118) or Polyeleon (Psalms 134 and 135) as appointed for the seasonMegalynarion (feast days)Resurrectional Troparia, "The Angelic Council..." (Sundays only)Little LitanyAnabathmoiHypakoeMatins ProkeimenonMatins Gospel"Having beheld the Resurrection of Christ" (on Sundays), or the appointed stichera (on feast days)Psalm 50 ("Have mercy on me, O God", Miserere)Prayer, "O God save thy people and bless thine inheritance..."Canon. The people venerate the Gospel Book if it is Sunday, or the icon of the feast if it is a weekday"Holy is the Lord our God" (Sundays only)Little LitanyExapostilarionPraises (Psalms 148 to 150, with stichera)Great Doxology ("Glory to God in the highest")Appointed tropariaAugmented LitanyLitany of AskingsDismissalPolychronionFirst Hour