Poster Choir of King's College, Cambridge.
Choristers of the Choir of King's College, Cambridge.
Kevin Leighton / King's College Cambridge
Choral Stream

Celebrate with 'A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols'

Hosted by Michael Barone, A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols is a live music and spoken-word broadcast from the chapel of King's College in Cambridge, England.

The 30-voice King's College Choir performed the legendary A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols service of biblical readings and music at 9 a.m. central (10 a.m. eastern) on Sunday, Dec. 24, 2017, simultaneously on the Choral Stream and on Classical Minnesota Public Radio. There was an encore broadcast on Classical MPR at 7 p.m. central (8 p.m. eastern).

But while our annual Christmas Eve broadcast has come and gone, there's still time to listen to the BBC's archived presentation of the 2017 service.

You can download the full details of the festival liturgy and follow along with the 2017 Service Program Book (alternate link if that one is unavailable).

Commissioned carol 2017

This year's new carol, commissioned by King's to be heard for the first time in public at this service, is by Welsh composer Huw Watkins, who studied at King's as an undergraduate and is now professor of composition at the Royal Academy of Music. It is a setting of part of the welsh Plygain carol Carol Eliseus. On Christmas Day, you can get a free copy of it through the Daily Download.

2017 Service Program Book (alternate link)

A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols

About the King's College Choir

History of the service

King's College Chapel website

2015: Go behind the scenes at King's College Chapel

The Chapel Foundation's website

Give Your Child a Voice, Become a Chorister

King's Chapel Harrison & Harrison pipe organ website

In the queue at King's College

This year's national broadcast of A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols is made possible by generous support from the Hognander Family Foundation.

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