Nativity Vigil

This service is probably the highlight of the Feast! We sing it in the evening on December 24.  This vigil is a combination of Great Compline and Matins; I won't include all the music here as much of it will be familiar to you or easy to sight-read.  I have, however included several highlights:

• God Is With Us: This piece starts the service off with a bang!  Sing this one loudly and dramatically, then we drop to a quiet refrain while the reader or cantor chants several verses.  Then we crescendo again at the end for a grand finish.  I've included a youtube link to demonstrate (though they cut the verses short).  Please be sure to learn this one in case I need to chant the verses while the rest of the choir sings!

• Nativity Troparion - Serbian: this is my favourite piece of the feast; keep it light and festive.  I've included an mp3 for this one as well.  We won't sing this one every time (we'll use it interchangeably with the one in plain Greek tone 4).

• Polyeleion - you may already know this one, but I've included it just in case.

• Magnification - keep in mind Father may sing a different version.  That's OK; when it's our turn we sing this one, and the verses are sung as well.

• From My Youth - another standby which you may already know.

• Nativity Prokeimenon - nothing terribly unusual but we sing this one fairly grandly.

• Canon - note this one is much like the one at Paschal Matins!  Ode 9 in particular is unusual so be sure to practice it. 

• Nativity Exapostilarion: This one is sung just by the women.  You may remember it from last year; we sing it from the center of the nave.  I've included a youtube to practice with (though we may have some small variations in timing).