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Nine Lessons and Carols
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===Order of service=== The format of the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols has not changed substantially since 1918. The order of the lessons was revised in 1919, since when the service has always begun with the hymn "[[Once In Royal David's City|Once in Royal David's City]]".<ref name="King's College Chapel: History"/> Today the first verse is sung unaccompanied by a solo boy chorister. To avoid putting him under undue stress, the chorister is not told that he will be singing the solo until immediately before the service.<ref>{{citation|author=Peter Kingston|title=The world's greatest carol event|url=http://education.guardian.co.uk/schools/story/0,,2231099,00.html|newspaper=[[The Guardian]] (EducationGuardian)|date=21 December 2007}}.</ref> The nine lessons, which are the same every year, are read by representatives of the College and of the city of Cambridge using the text of the [[King James Version]] of the [[Bible]] published in 1611. The singing is made up of "carols" sung by the choir and "hymns" sung by the choir and congregation. Some services have also included [[anthems]] sung between the carols and hymns, such as a performance of "[[E'en So, Lord Jesus, Quickly Come]]" in 2004.<ref name=LC2004>{{cite web|title=A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols 2004|url=http://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/events/chapel-services/nine-lessons/order-service-2004.html|website=King's College, Cambridge|publisher=University of Cambridge|access-date=3 November 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141024073528/http://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/events/chapel-services/nine-lessons/order-service-2004.html|archive-date=24 October 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> Since 1983, a new carol has been commissioned by the College and premiered at the service. The carols vary from year to year, although some music is repeated, and the service ends with the hymn "[[Hark! The Herald Angels Sing]]". The order of service in 2024 is as follows:<ref name="Nine Lessons and Carols 2024">{{citation|title=A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, Christmas Eve, 2024|url=https://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/sites/default/files/documents//9lc-2024-oos.pdf|publisher=Provost and Fellows of [[King's College, Cambridge]]|date=24 December 2024|access-date=22 December 2024}}. For the songs sung in earlier years, see "[[List of carols performed at the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols at King's College Chapel, Cambridge]]".</ref> *Organ preludes ::*"Prelude and Fugue in G, BWV 541" – music by [[Johann Sebastian Bach]] (1685-1750) ::*"[[Sieben Stücke, Op. 145|Weihnachten, Op. 145 No. 3]] – music by [[Max Reger]] (1873-1916) ::*"Chorale-Improvisation on 'In dulci jubilo', Op. 75 No. 2" – music by [[Sigfrid Karg-Elert]] (1877-1933) ::*'Pastorale on "Joseph, lieber Joseph mein" and "Stille Nacht"' from "Weihnachten, Op. 22" – music by [[Carl Sattler]] (1877-1966) ::*"[[Canonic Variations on "Vom Himmel hoch da komm' ich her"|Canonic Variations on "Vom Himmel hoch da komm' ich her", BWV 769]]" – music by Johann Sebastian Bach ::*'Desseins éternels' from "[[La Nativité du Seigneur]]" – music by [[Olivier Messiaen]] (1908-1992) ::*"[[The Holy Boy]]" – music by [[John Ireland (composer)|John Ireland]] (1879-1962); arranged by [[Alec Rowley]] (1892-1958) ::*"In dulci jubilo, BuxWV 197" – music by [[Dieterich Buxtehude]] (c. 1637-1707) :*[[Processional hymn]]: "[[Once in Royal David's City]]" – words by [[Cecil Frances Alexander]] (1818−1895); melody ('Irby') by [[Henry Gauntlett]] (1805−1876); harmonised by [[Arthur Henry Mann]] (1850−1929); [[descant]] by [[Philip Ledger]] (1937−2012) *[[Bidding prayer]], concluding with the [[Lord's Prayer]] :*Carol: "[[Sussex Carol]]" – words and music, English traditional; arranged by [[Ralph Vaughan Williams]] (1872-1958) *'''First lesson from [[Book of Genesis|Genesis]] 3: 8–15, 17–19''' (read by a chorister of King's College) :*Carol: "[[Adam lay ybounden]]" – words, 15th century English, modernised by [[Edith Rickert]] (1871-1938); music by Matthew Martin *'''Second lesson from Genesis 22: 15–18''' (read by a student of King's College) :*Carol: "[[Trinity Carol Roll|Nowell sing we now all and some]]" – words, anonymous 15th century English; translated by Rosanna Omitowuju; music by [[Elizabeth Maconchy]] (1907-1994) *'''Third lesson from [[Isaiah]] 9: 2, 6–7''' (read by a member of the King's College staff) :*Carol: "[[Es ist ein Ros entsprungen|A Great and Mighty Wonder]]" – words by [[Germanus I of Constantinople|St Germanus]] (c.634-740); translated by [[John Mason Neale]] (1818-1866); music arranged by [[James Whitbourn]] (1963-2024) :*Hymn: "[[It Came Upon the Midnight Clear]]" – words by [[Edmund Sears|Edmund Hamilton Sears]] (1810-1876); melody ('Noel') adapted by [[Arthur Sullivan]] (1842-1900); descant by [[John Scott (organist)|John Scott]] (1956-2015) *'''Fourth lesson from Isaiah 11: 1–4a, 6–9''' (read by the Master over the Choristers of King's College) :*Carol: "[[The Lamb (Tavener)|The Lamb]]" – words by [[William Blake]] (1757-1827); music by [[John Tavener]] (1944-2013) :*Carol: "[[Gabriel's Message]]" – words by [[Sabine Baring-Gould]] (1834−1924); music, Basque carol, arranged by [[David Willcocks]] (1919−2015) *'''Fifth lesson from [[Gospel of Luke|Luke]] 1: 26–35, 38''' (read by a [[Fellow]] of King's College) :*Carol: "[[Ave Regina caelorum|Ave Regina coelorum]]" – words from [[Roman Breviary|Brevarium Romanum]]; music by [[Orlando di Lasso|Orlando de Lassus]] (c. 1532-1594) :*Carol: "[[John Rutter|Nativity Carol]]" – words and music by John Rutter *'''Sixth lesson from Luke 2: 1–7''' (read by the Deputy [[List of mayors of Cambridge|Mayor of Cambridge]]) :*Carol: "Come all you faithful Christians" – words and music, English traditional; arranged by [[Christopher Robinson (musician)|Christopher Robinson]] :*Hymn: "[[While shepherds watched their flocks|While shepherds watched their flocks by night]]" – words by [[Nahum Tate]] (1652-1715); melody ('Winchester Old') arranged by [[George Kirbye]] (c. 1565-1634); descant by [[Nicholas Marston]] (died 1624) *'''Seventh lesson from Luke 2: 8–16''' (read by the Director of Music of King's College) :*Carol: "Three Points of Light" – words by Peter Cairns; music by [[Grayston Ives]] (commissioned for the 2024 service) :*Carol: "[[I Saw Three Ships|I saw three ships come sailing in]]" – words and music, traditional English; arranged by [[Simon Preston]] (1938-2022) *'''Eighth lesson from [[Gospel of Matthew|Matthew]] 2: 1–12''' (read by the Vice-Provost of King's College) :*Carol: "Lullay, dear Jesus, my heart's only treasure" – words, 'Lulajże, Jezununiu', 17th century Polish; translated by [[:de:Hans Effenberger (Musiker)|Jan Śliwiński]] (1884-1950); music by [[Arnold Bax]] (1883-1953) :*Carol: "Procedenti puero" – words, 15th century English; music by [[Peter Warlock]] (1894−1930) *'''Ninth lesson from the [[Gospel of John|John]] 1: 1–14''' (read by the [[Provost (education)|Provost]] of King's College) :*Hymn: "[[Adeste Fideles|O Come, All Ye Faithful]]" – words, translated by [[Frederick Oakeley]] (1802−1880), William Thomas Brooke (1848−1917), et al.; melody ('Adeste, fideles') by [[John Francis Wade]] (1711−1786); arranged by David Willcocks; descant by [[Daniel Hyde (organist)|Daniel Hyde]] *[[Collect]] and [[blessing]] :*Hymn: "[[Hark! The Herald Angels Sing]]" – words by [[Charles Wesley]] (1707−1788), et al.; adapted by [[William Hayman Cummings]] (1831-1915); melody ('Mendelssohn') by [[Felix Mendelssohn|Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy]] (1809−1847); descant by David Willcocks *Organ voluntaries ::*"[[In Dulci Jubilo]], BWV 729" – music by Johann Sebastian Bach ::*'Final' from "Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 59" – music by [[Louis Vierne]] (1870-1937)
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