Lessons and carols

The traditional Christmas Eve service using Bible lessons and Christmas carols was first held in England in 1918 at Cambridge University’s King’s College. Eric Milner-White, a 34-year-old who had just been appointed dean of King’s, planned the service. His previous experience as an army chaplain convinced him that the Church of England needed to make worship more expressive.

The service has been broadcast from King’s annually since 1928, missing only one year (1930). Radio listeners could tune in and hear the service during World War II, although the name of King’s couldn’t be broadcast due to security precautions. During the war, the chapel’s antique glass — and thus all its heat — had been removed.

Every year, millions of people worldwide listen to the “Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols.” Since 1919, the service has begun with the hymn “Once in Royal David’s City.”

- from December 2009 Newsletter Newsletter