A History of the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols
The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols was first held at King’s College, Cambridge, on Christmas Eve 1918. It was planned by Eric Milner-White, who at the age of thirty-four had just been appointed Dean of King’s after experience as an army chaplain which had convinced him that the Church of England needed more imaginative worship. The Bidding Prayer, offered at the beginning of the service, reflected a post-war frame of mind, and still resonates with us today and in our own country.
The Service of Nine Lessons was not entirely original. The original service was adapted from an Order drawn up by E.W. Benson, later Archbishop of Canterbury, for use in the wooden shed, which then served as his cathedral in Truro, at 10 pm on Christmas Eve 1880. Following the initial success of the service at King’s, a revision of the Order of Service was made in 1919, involving rearrangement of the lessons, and from that date the service has always begun with the hymn ‘Once in royal David’s city’. The backbone of the service, the lessons and the prayers, has remained virtually unchanged.
Not only is the service from King’s broadcast around the world via radio stations every Christmas Eve, but many churches and institutions have joined the tradition of offering this meaningful service. We hope you will join us on Sunday, December 28, at 10:00 a.m. for our own service of nine lessons and carols.