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A service of carols, hymns and readings live from the candlelit Chapel of King's College, Cambridge.

Processional: Once in royal David's City (Irby, descant Ledger)
Bidding Prayer (read by the Dean)
Sussex Carol (arr. Ralph Vaughan Williams)
First lesson: Genesis 3 vv. 8-19 (read by a Chorister)
Adam lay ybounden (Matthew Martin)
Second lesson: Genesis 22 vv. 15-19 (read by a College student)
Nowell, nowell, nowell (Elizabeth Maconchy)
Third lesson: Isaiah 9 vv. 2, 6-7 (read by a member of College staff)
A great and mighty wonder (arr. James Whitbourn)
It came upon the midnight clear (descant John Scott)
Fourth lesson: Isaiah 11 vv. 1-9 (read by the Master over the Choristers)
The Lamb (John Tavener)
Gabriel’s message (Basque trad., arr. Willcocks)
Fifth lesson: Luke 1 vv. 26-38 (read by a Fellow)
Ave Regina Caelorum (Orlandus Lassus)
Nativity Carol (John Rutter)
Sixth lesson: Luke 2 vv. 1-7 (read by the Mayor of Cambridge)
Hereford Carol (arr. Christopher Robinson)
While shepherds watched (Este's Psalter, descant Nicholas Marston)
Seventh lesson: Luke 2 vv. 8-20 (read by the Director of Music)
Three Points of Light (Grayston Ives) - 2024 Commission
I saw three ships (Simon Preston)
Eighth lesson: Matthew 2 vv. 1-12 (read by the Vice-Provost)
Lullay, dear Jesus (Polish, arr. Arnold Bax)
Benedicamus Domino (Peter Warlock)
Ninth lesson: John 1 vv. 1-14 (read by the Provost)
O come, all ye faithful (Adeste Fideles, arr. Willcocks, Daniel Hyde)
Collect and Blessing
Hark, the herald angels sing (Mendelssohn, arr. Willcocks)

Organ voluntaries:
In dulci jubilo, BWV 729 (Bach)
Final from Symphonie VI (L Vierne)

The Revd. Dr. Stephen Cherry, Dean
Daniel Hyde, Director of Music
The Revd. Dr Mary Kells, Chaplain
Harrison Cole, Assisting Organist

For millions listening around the world, A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, live from the candlelit Chapel of King's College, Cambridge, marks the beginning of Christmas. The service is based around nine Bible readings which tell the story of the loving purposes of God. They are interspersed with carols old and new, sung by the world-famous Chapel choir who also lead the congregation in traditional Christmas hymns.

A new work has been commissioned for the Christmas Eve service every year since 1983, and this year Grayston Ives has set a poem by Peter Cairns, a choral scholar at King's in the 1960s - 'Three Points of Light.' The composer writes - 'The Star in the East is well known as an integral part of the Christmas story. But the poem extends that idea of light: the shepherd's fire, and the glow from the inn. It conjures a compelling picture of the birth of Jesus, viewed from an unusual angle. The music aims to reflect the atmosphere of that scene: the cold, the stillness, the drama, and the joy.'

Pieces by other living composers such as Matthew Martin and John Rutter, sit alongside music by their mainly twentieth century peers such as Arnold Bax, Elizabeth Maconchy, Peter Warlock, John Tavener and Simon Preston. A number of the descants and arrangements are by musicians with a particular King's association, including Nicholas Marston (the current Praelector and Director of Studies in Music), David Willcocks, Philip Ledger and Daniel Hyde. An arrangement by James Whitbourn, who died in March, marks his contribution over a number of years to the Festival.

Producer: Philip Billson. A Â鶹ԼÅÄ Audio North production for Radio 4.