All-Night Vigil

Sergei Rachmaninoff’s All Night Vigil leads the listener through a service of prayer and worship. Singing prayers to both God and the Virgin Mary, the work uses many of the psalms as its source material, just as if at a regular church service. Other passages of Scripture are used such as the Magnificat and re-tellings of the resurrection. The choir performs beautifully, blending together beautifully and seamlessly. Yet the focus is always on God, His glory, mercy, and praiseworthiness. All these are not lost on the listener.

With no accompaniment, the vocals carry the work but do not sound as if they are lacking anything. Rather, one feels enraptured by the music. The choir brings to mind images of the angelic host before the throne of God, forever singing His praises. Interestingly, Rachmaninoff uses the altos, tenors, and basses repeatedly to carry the melody or be the primary vocal, a difference from the usual sopranos. However, by doing this, the sopranos add an almost ethereal air to the piece as they float lightly at the top of the vocal arrangement.

My favorite portion of the Vigil is V. Nunc Dimittis (Lord, now lettest Thou). A lone tenor sings the melody in a hauntingly calling way. As background, the female vocals sound like a hovering choir of angels. Towards the end, however, the whole choir enters strongly singing praise for God’s providential salvation. Then, when speaking of incoming light, the sopranos enter lightly almost like delicate sunbeams coming through the clouds. It finally ends with the basses descending slowly to the lowest note of the piece. For me, this piece utilized all the vocal parts uniquely and beautifully while, at the same time, portraying the lyrics in an audible way.