Inheriting from the Hebrew tradition and codified by Saint Benedict in the 6th century, Vespers (from the Latin vespera) celebrate the end of the day and thanksgiving for Creation. This office holds a primary place in the liturgical hierarchy: it is the pivotal moment when the Church gathers to thank God for the wonders accomplished throughout the day. In this article, we will give you some keys to be able to sing Vespers alone or in a group.
Since the early centuries, the transmission of Gregorian chant has evolved from medieval manuscripts to printed editions like the Liber Usualis. Today, digital tools complement this heritage to make the office accessible to everyone. Here are the essential resources — texts, scores, and audio — to help you get started.
The scores for Sunday Vespers can be found in the Liber Usualis, dispersed throughout the book according to the liturgical seasons. At the beginning of the book you will find the ordinary of Sunday Vespers and the list of psalm tones. The proper of Vespers — what depends on the liturgical season or feast — is found in the sanctoral or temporal at the relevant feast.
Breviariumgregorianum.com gathers the scores for Sunday Vespers, feast days, and every day of the year. The scores come from the Liber Usualis and the Liber Antiphonarius. To sing Vespers, select "Vespers" from the office list, then choose the current date.
Using the Liber Usualis for the Office is standard practice in many parishes and communities, but it requires training to know where to place bookmarks and when to turn pages. A new Liber Usualis costs around $100.
Verbum Gloriae livestreams Vespers on YouTube. Neumz offers recordings of nearly the entire Office repertoire. Barroux Chant livestreams the offices from the Abbey of Sainte-Madeleine du Barroux.
Faithful to the 'reading - chant - prayer' pattern inherited from Hebrew tradition and stabilized since the 6th century, the structure of Vespers follows an immutable order that guides evening prayer. Here are the different steps to understand and follow the flow of the chant, from the opening to the final dismissal. The office is traditionally structured as follows:
Like the other hours of the day, Vespers begins with the Deus In Adjutorium Meum Intende — "O God, come to my assistance" — a supplication to God not to be distracted during prayer. If there is a celebrant, he intones the Deus in adjutorium meum intende. The Sign of the Cross is made after the word Deus.
The faithful, without the celebrant, respond: Domine ad Adjuvandum me Festina — "O Lord, make haste to help me."
Then all, celebrant and faithful together, continue with the Glória Patri. A bow is made during the Gloria Patri.
At Vespers, as at the other major hours (Lauds, Matins), each psalm is framed by its own antiphon, which serves as a refrain sung before and after the psalm. The psalm tone is chosen according to the mode of the antiphon.
The beginning of the antiphon, up to the asterisk, is intoned by the celebrant; the rest is sung by all. When the antiphon is repeated after the psalm, there is no intonation — everyone sings the full antiphon.
The psalms are generally sung in alternation: one group sings a verse, then the other group sings the next, and so on. One bows the head when the name of God is mentioned, and also during the Glória Patri.
All stand for the reading of the chapter. If there is a celebrant, he reads it on the usual chapter tone. All respond Deo Gratias.
All remain standing for the hymn. The hymn is a strophic chant highlighting a text related to the liturgical season; it is sung in alternation. The last strophe, the doxology, is sung by all with a slight bow. The Amen is likewise sung by all.
The versicle after the hymn has two parts: the first is sung by the cantor, the second by the rest of the faithful and the celebrant.
Sung by the celebrant on the usual ferial tone.
Like the psalm antiphons, the Magnificat antiphon serves as a refrain for the canticle. Its meaning is generally linked to the Gospel of the day.
The Magnificat is sung standing, on a more or less ornate tone depending on the solemnity of the day. The first verse is intoned by the celebrant. The Sign of the Cross is made at the word Magnificat. It is sung in alternation like the psalms.
At the end of the office, the Benedicamus Domino is sung by the cantor; all respond Deo Gratias.
Yes. In that case, sing all the parts yourself — there is no problem singing the parts normally reserved for the celebrant, even as a layperson.
If you are a layperson, yes. The Office is a personal devotion; you are free.
Breviariumgregorianum.com provides the complete scores for Vespers for every day of the year — Sundays, feast days, and ferias — drawn from the Liber Usualis and the Liber Antiphonarius. Simply select "Vespers" from the office list and choose the current date.
Sung Vespers typically lasts between 20 and 30 minutes. The duration varies mainly with the length of the psalms, antiphons, and texts of the day, and with whether the ferial prayers are said or not.