From Notes from Underground:
The core of Vespers goes back to the Old Testament: "When Aaron sets up the lamps in the evening, he shall burn it, a perpetual incense before the Lord from generation to generation" (Exodus 30:8).
So at the heart of Vespers are lights and incense. There is a procession of priests, deacons and other ministers with lighted lamps and incense, which comes from the north door of the sanctuary, and goes to the holy (central) door, and the altar and its lamps are censed by a deacon, while the congregation sings the hymn:
O gladsome light of the holy glory of the immortal Father: heavenly holy blessed Jesus Christ!Now that we have come to the setting of the sun, and beheld the light of evening, we praise the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.For meet it is at all times to praise Thee, Son of God and Giver of LifeTherefore all the world doth glorify Thee.
Then is sung:
The Lord is King! He is robed in majesty
For he has established the world so that it should never be moved!
Holiness befits Thy house, O Lord, for evermore!
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.
Amen.
Followed by intercessions and led by a deacon, after which it is sung again, interspersed with hymns (Aposticha) on the themes of the day.
You can find more information on Vespers here:
Orthodox Worship: Vespers
Vespers - Orthodox Wiki
What is Vespers? - a blogger writes for a friend visiting Vespers
The core of Vespers goes back to the Old Testament: "When Aaron sets up the lamps in the evening, he shall burn it, a perpetual incense before the Lord from generation to generation" (Exodus 30:8).
So at the heart of Vespers are lights and incense. There is a procession of priests, deacons and other ministers with lighted lamps and incense, which comes from the north door of the sanctuary, and goes to the holy (central) door, and the altar and its lamps are censed by a deacon, while the congregation sings the hymn:
O gladsome light of the holy glory of the immortal Father: heavenly holy blessed Jesus Christ!Now that we have come to the setting of the sun, and beheld the light of evening, we praise the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.For meet it is at all times to praise Thee, Son of God and Giver of LifeTherefore all the world doth glorify Thee.
Then is sung:
The Lord is King! He is robed in majesty
For he has established the world so that it should never be moved!
Holiness befits Thy house, O Lord, for evermore!
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.
Amen.
Followed by intercessions and led by a deacon, after which it is sung again, interspersed with hymns (Aposticha) on the themes of the day.
You can find more information on Vespers here:
Orthodox Worship: Vespers
Vespers - Orthodox Wiki
What is Vespers? - a blogger writes for a friend visiting Vespers
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