Canonical Hours of the Middle Ages: Christian practice probably followed the Jewish custom of prayer at set times (Deut 6:4-9, Ps 119:164-8; Ezr 9:4; Acts 3:1). Jewish and Early Christian Liturgy of prayers, readings and chants were one or two per day, morning and/or evening. As more hours came into being, they were simply added, or grouped with others, like Matins & Lauds, to create fewer but longer Hours. The idea was to fit regular prayer/reading/song into current activity. Christians developed Jewish Liturgical prayer & worship by increasing the number per day, and adding more components of prayer, song and more readings. St Benedict came up with The Seven Hours. Matins & Vespers -- morning and evening -- are the Greater Hours. The others are the Lesser Hours. Cathedrals often, parish churches sometimes, and monasteries always, followed through on this. Most of the Hours were sung, unaccompanied. Some prayers were recited or said aloud, and biblical texts could be read and/or chanted.

     Improv: After the medieval era, the Hours have been re-grouped by many people, of many denominations, in many ways, usually reducing the number. Or some Lit-Bits become part of mid-day, or on an irregular Holy-Day basis (like Christmas Vespers); or, personally to sing, recite, pray and/or meditate on some or all of a Nocturn/Vigil through one's sleepless night. Although such modern, 'ir-regular use' of this liturgy transgresses the fundamental definition of Canonical Hours ('Regula'-ted consistency), freedom and the spirit of the Hours became the keys, especially since the Monastic Liturgy Police have (mostly) lost jurisdiction and disciplinary authority.

Early Hours
Matins & Lauds -- the 'Wee' Hours, when dark or barely grey, ca 3-5 or so, A.M.
Lauds & Matins, often combined into one, at or about first light.
Psalms Morning Hymn of thanks for making it thru the night
Gospel Benedictus

Prime -- Or First Hour, First serious Sunshine, ca 5-7 AM
Prime often followed right after Matins, then off to the day's schedule.
Day Schedule: After prime, off to work till early afternoon,
    Then main meal (winter 2:30, summer, 11:45) & later a chat...
    Then siesta, longer in summer, & then more work or study, reading, scribing.
    Then late afternoon winter reading or summer work & Vespers.
Psalms Iam lucis, Lord's Prayer
Day Hymn to prepare for activity Creed, Kyrie

LESSER HOURS:
Terce -- ca 9 AM, reading or work afterward
These three mid-day hours are not in Jewish or Early Church practice, but were part of most monastic practices as short, group 'song breaks' during the day.
Sext -- Noonish
It was part of the monks' mandate that when the bell sounded, to drop -- immediately -- anything they were doing, turn without regret and head for the chapel to join the others in song, often followed by lunch & a nap, or solitary reading.
None -- ca 3 PM;
Terce, Sext and None were often as short as 10 minutes, often followed by a quiet time with friends, then back to work.

Night-time Hours
Vespers or Evensong -- At Evening/Sunset, ca 4-8:30 PM
Morning & Evening; most ancient of Hours
Vespers & Compline often combined (esp in winter), sometimes separated by supper; some 'personal time' might be found here 'sandwiched' in here.
Psalms Evening Hymn to prepare for death, or sleep which mimics death
Hebrew Testament Alleluia, Magnificat

Compline -- Bed-time; No work; perhaps reading or meditating
Combined with Evensong, early dark ca 6-7 PM: This 'completed' the day & prepared one for sleep.
Psalms Te lucis, Magnificat, Nunc Dimittis
Gospel Collects for Peace, for Aid

Nocturns/Vigils -- The Wee Hours, about 1-3 AM (back now, nearly to where we started)
Known as the Office of Readings because of more reading.
Vigils/Matins sometimes equated, and when so, Lauds separate. Usually one dependable monk had the responsibility of waking the others for this Hour. Not always welcomed by the others! Then back to sleep, unless a special celebratory day was coming.... holidays (Holydays) never meant a day off! Holydays meant more of the same.
Psalms, and more Psalms Lord's Prayer, Versicles, Gloria
Epistles, and others Hebrew Testament lesson, Te Deum

     While the doing of the Canonical Hours may sound difficult and overly-regimented to us, medieval monks were able to keep alive reading, education, musical and other arts as well as cooperative society in a dark time -- while also serving their spiritual goals. A disciplined approach was probably a necessity, given the dark, difficult times.

1) Origins -- Eremetic
     (a) Egypt's sharp demarcation: DeNile & DeDesert
     (b) Persecution: an Escape-theme always a part tho enemies changed
     (c) Hermits' ways of the Fathers & Mothers like Moses, Elijah, John the Baptist & Jesus -- 'Will Teach for Food'
2) New Communities
     (a) Anthony to Basil to Augustine, 4-5C
     (b) Martin to Benedict, 5-6C
     (c) Irish asceticism & the peregrine
3) Benedict's Milites Christi in schola
     (a) Abbot/Abbess: Office, Regula and reading: community in limited authority
     (b) Cenobitic in society
     (c) Common robe-room: poverty and unity
     (d) Pray, Work & Study (sleep)
     (e) Bells & Chanting the Psalms together, hearing during meals, orare est laborare & vice versa
     (f) Holistic Equality in all & routine as platform for spirituality
4) Monastic reforms of monasticism
5) Monastic reforms beyond the walls:
     (a) Gregory I & his Pastoral Care, Lombards, Missions, tolerance within limits
     (b) Peregrini: very strange stuff but very influential
     (c) Carolingian miniscule, mss, classical revival, arts, music, borrowings from Byzantium: source of our 'classical' heritage
     (d) Monastic invention: medicine & tanning procedures to mechanical clocks
     (e) Cluniac Reform: Head & members, education, politics: Elite spills over
     (f) Abelard & the Leftists: Sic & Non present questions & tools (Sayers)
      (g) Dialectic answered at lower levels, intact and expanding at grad level
     (h) Canon Law from Gratian to Constance to 1689 to 1776 & on
     (i) Renaissance & Enlightenment resistance; Modern marginalization