The service of Nine Lessons and Carols has its roots in the aftermath of the First World War, when Eric Milner-White, who at the age of thirty-four had just been appointed Dean of King’s College Cambridge wanted to remember the end of the conflict in a more imaginative way. The original service was, in fact, adapted from an Order drawn up by Bishop of Truro, 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.
Wherever the service is heard and however it is adapted, whether the music is provided by choir or congregation, the pattern and strength of the service, as Dean Milner-White pointed out, derive from the lessons and not the music. His aim was to provide insight into the development of the loving purposes of God.
Our service is held (almost) completely by Candlelight, making for a very special time in which the words of the lessons can truly be appreciated.
We wish you all a Very Peaceful Christmas and a Blessed New Year.