The Festival of Nine Lessons & Carols for Christmas has it origins in the late 19th Century. It is believed to have originated at Truro Cathedral in the Duchy of Cornwall on Christmas Eve 1880, under the auspices the Right Reverend Edward White Benson, later Archbishop of Canterbury, who described it as a "simple service of nine carols and nine tiny lessons." Lessons & Carols made its first appearance at Cambridge through the efforts of Dr. Eric Milner-White, dean of King’s College.
The service has traditionally begun with the carol, Once in Royal David’s City, and concludes with Hark! The Herald Angels Sing. Other carols are chosen to fit the various themes of the lessons, and more recently, it has been the practise of the college to commission a new work especially for the service. Among those to whom such commissions have been issued are Ralph Vaughn Williams, John Rutter and John Tavener.
The service has been popularised through the efforts of the BBC, which began broadcasting the service live from King’s beginning in 1928. The Festival of Nine Lessons & Carols for Christmas has thus now become an integral part of the Anglican celebration of Christmas in every part of the world.
Scholarships for Saint Albans School
Saint Albans School has a limited number of partial scholarships available for children entering Grades 1 and 2 in Fall 2010. Information and applications can be found on the school's website. www.saintalbansnyc.com