For many around the world, a festival of nine lessons and carols, performed every christmas eve in the candlelit chapel of kings college. Thomas episcopal church in hanover, nh, which has presented the festival of nine lessons and carols since 1935. A festival of nine lessons and carols kings college. A festival of nine lessons and carols was first held on christmas eve 1918. The readings from the nine lessons and carols there are many different readings at christmas and if you go to the christmas services, including christmas carol services and concerts, christingles and nativity plays, it is likely that you will hear quite a few of the most common ones.
The festival was introduced in 1918 to bring a more imaginative approach to worship. Bbc world service a festival of nine lessons and carols. The service of advent lessons and carols originated at king s college, cambridge, england, in 1934. A festival of nine lessons and carols archive kings. A festival of nine lessons and carols neuer knabenchor hamburg.
A festival of nine lessons and carols 2017 kings college. Join the phc chorale as they present this traditional service of carols. Mann, this hymn has become another of the legacies from kings. Advent festival of lessons and carols saint johns episcopal.
Advent is a season of both quiet reflection and joyful expectation. War, milnerwhite decided that a festival of nine lessons and carols would be a more uplifting occasion at king s than evensong on christmas eve. It was first broadcast in 1928 and is now broadcast to millions of people around the world. Originally composed by dean eric milnerwhite, who was also responsible for the more widelyknown nine lessons and carols for christmas eve, the service was intended to provide the opportunity for a fuller, more enriching experience. The service includes carols and readings from the bible. A festival of nine lessons and carols was first held on christmas. Advent lessons carols washington national cathedral. My father arranged from ancient sources a little service for christmas eve nine carols and nine tiny lessons, which were read by various. He used bensons plan, but wrote the nowclassic bidding prayer to set the tone at the beginning. There are two new audio and video recordings for fans who want to experience more of a festival of nine lessons and carols and the choir at king s college a festival of nine lessons and carols. A festival of nine lessons and carols is the christmas eve service held in king s college chapel. The centenary service presents 2018s 100thanniversary service, recorded live and presented in 5.
It was planned by eric milnerwhite, who, at the age of thirtyfour, had just beenappointed dean of king s after experience as an army chaplainwhich had convinced him that the church of englandneeded more imaginative worship. A festival of nine lessons and carols the traditional service of readings and carols from king s college cambridge that, for many people around the world, signals the beginning of christmas. When stephen cleobury came to king s in 1982 he was keen to demonstrate a commitment to contemporary music for the college s liturgies. Since then the spoken parts, whichprovide the backbone of the service, have only occasionally changed. He decided that one way of doing this would be to commission a new carol each year for inclusion in a festival of nine lessons and carols. The most famous festival of nine lessons and carols is that of king s college, cambridge, which began in 1918. Thank you for being here, and we hope to see you again soon.