→Commissioned carols and organ postludes: tidied up table
|
No edit summary
|
||
(12 intermediate revisions by 5 users not shown) | |||
Line 28: | Line 28: | ||
}} |
}} |
||
'''Nine Lessons and Carols''', also known as the '''Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols''' and '''Service of Nine Lessons and Carols''', is a service of [[Christian worship]] traditionally celebrated on or near [[Christmas Eve]]. The story of the [[fall of man|fall of humanity]], the [[Old Testament messianic prophecies quoted in the New Testament|promise of the Messiah]], and the [[nativity of Jesus|birth of Jesus]] is told in nine short [[Bible]] readings or [[Lection|lessons]] from Genesis, the prophetic books and the Gospels, interspersed with the singing of [[Christmas carol]]s, [[hymn]]s and [[choir]] [[anthem]]s. |
'''Nine Lessons and Carols''', also known as the '''Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols''' and '''Service of Nine Lessons and Carols''', is a service of [[Christian worship]] traditionally celebrated on or near [[Christmas Eve]] in England. The story of the [[fall of man|fall of humanity]], the [[Old Testament messianic prophecies quoted in the New Testament|promise of the Messiah]], and the [[nativity of Jesus|birth of Jesus]] is told in nine short [[Bible]] readings or [[Lection|lessons]] from Genesis, the prophetic books and the Gospels, interspersed with the singing of [[Christmas carol]]s, [[hymn]]s and [[choir]] [[anthem]]s. |
||
==History== |
==History== |
||
Line 60: | Line 60: | ||
The King's College service was immensely successful, and the following year Milner-White made some changes to Benson's original format, notably introducing the tradition of opening the service with a solo treble singing "[[Once in Royal David's City]]". This was then followed by a [[bidding prayer]] penned by Milner-White himself, and re-ordering the lessons.<ref name="McGrath">{{cite book |last1=McGrath |first1=Alister E. |title=Christianity: An Introduction |date=2006 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |isbn=9781405108997 |page=293 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=v26doW8jIyYC&q=Edward%20White%20Benson%20nine%20lessons%20archbishop%20of%20canterbury&pg=PT234 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=In the Chapel: Carols |url=https://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/archive-centre/online-resources/online-exhibitions/in-the-chapel-carols |website=King's College Cambridge |access-date=4 October 2019}}</ref><ref name="guardian-truro" /> The choir had 16 [[boy soprano|trebles]] as specified in statutes laid down by [[Henry VI of England|Henry VI]], and until 1927 the men's voices were provided by [[choral scholar]]s and [[lay clerk]]s. Today, 14 [[undergraduate]]s from the choir sing the men's parts.<ref name="King's College Chapel: History"/> |
The King's College service was immensely successful, and the following year Milner-White made some changes to Benson's original format, notably introducing the tradition of opening the service with a solo treble singing "[[Once in Royal David's City]]". This was then followed by a [[bidding prayer]] penned by Milner-White himself, and re-ordering the lessons.<ref name="McGrath">{{cite book |last1=McGrath |first1=Alister E. |title=Christianity: An Introduction |date=2006 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |isbn=9781405108997 |page=293 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=v26doW8jIyYC&q=Edward%20White%20Benson%20nine%20lessons%20archbishop%20of%20canterbury&pg=PT234 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=In the Chapel: Carols |url=https://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/archive-centre/online-resources/online-exhibitions/in-the-chapel-carols |website=King's College Cambridge |access-date=4 October 2019}}</ref><ref name="guardian-truro" /> The choir had 16 [[boy soprano|trebles]] as specified in statutes laid down by [[Henry VI of England|Henry VI]], and until 1927 the men's voices were provided by [[choral scholar]]s and [[lay clerk]]s. Today, 14 [[undergraduate]]s from the choir sing the men's parts.<ref name="King's College Chapel: History"/> |
||
===Broadcasting of the service=== |
|||
The popularity of the service was established when the service began to be broadcast by the [[British Broadcasting Corporation]] in 1928, and, except for 1930, has been broadcast every year since. During the 1930s the service reached a worldwide audience when the BBC began broadcasting the service on its [[BBC World Service|Overseas Service]]. Even throughout the [[Second World War]], despite the [[stained glass]] having been removed from the chapel and the lack of heating, the broadcasts continued. For security reasons, the name "King's" was not mentioned during wartime broadcasts.<ref name="King's College Chapel: History"/> |
The popularity of the service was established when the service began to be broadcast by the [[British Broadcasting Corporation]] in 1928, and, except for 1930, has been broadcast every year since. During the 1930s the service reached a worldwide audience when the BBC began broadcasting the service on its [[BBC World Service|Overseas Service]]. Even throughout the [[Second World War]], despite the [[stained glass]] having been removed from the chapel and the lack of heating, the broadcasts continued. For security reasons, the name "King's" was not mentioned during wartime broadcasts.<ref name="King's College Chapel: History"/> |
||
Line 70: | Line 71: | ||
===Order of service=== |
===Order of service=== |
||
The format of the |
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 |
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 2023 was as follows:<ref name="Nine Lessons and Carols 2023">{{citation|title=A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, Christmas Eve, 2023|url=https://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/pdfviewer/48431|publisher=Provost and Fellows of [[King's College, Cambridge]]|date=24 December 2023|access-date=24 December 2023}}. 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 |
*Organ preludes |
||
::*"Fantasia in C, BK 25" – music by [[William Byrd]] (c. 1540−1623) |
|||
⚫ |
:*[[Processional hymn |
||
::*'La vierge et l'enfant' from『[[La Nativité du Seigneur]]』– music by Olivier Messaien (1908−1992) |
|||
⚫ | |||
:* |
::*"Prelude in D, BuxWV 139" – musicby[[Dieterich Buxtehude]] (c. 1637−1707) |
||
*'' |
::*'Les anges' from "La Nativité du Seigneur" – musicbyOlivier Messaien |
||
: |
::*"Prelude and Fugue in G, BWV 550" – music by [[Johann Sebastian Bach]] (1685−1750) |
||
:* |
::*"In dulci jubilo, BuxWV 197" – music by Dieterich Buxtehude |
||
⚫ | :*[[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) |
||
⚫ |
*'''Second |
||
⚫ | |||
:*Carol: "[[Angels from the Realms of Glory]]" – words by [[James Montgomery (poet)|James Montgomery]]; music, old French tune arranged by [[Philip Ledger|Philip S. Ledger]] |
|||
:*Carol: " |
:*Carol: "Out of your sleep arise and wake" – words, anonymous 15th century English, modernised by [[Eleanor Parker (historian)|Eleanor Parker]]; music by Robin Nelson |
||
*''' |
*'''First lesson from [[Book of Genesis|Genesis]] 3: 8–15, 17–19''' (read by a choristerofKing's College) |
||
:*Carol: " |
:*Carol: "[[Adam lay ybounden]]" – words, 15th century English, modernised by [[Edith Rickert]] (1871-1938); musicbyMatthew Martin |
||
⚫ | *'''Second lesson from Genesis 22: 15–18''' (read by the Chaplain of King's College) |
||
:*Hymn: "[[Unto Us is Born a Son]]" – words, 15th-century Latin, translated by G.R. Woodward; music from ''[[Piae Cantiones]]'' arranged by [[David Willcocks|David V. Willcocks]] |
|||
:*Carol: "Illuminare Jerusalem" – words, 16th century Scots, modernised by Eleanor Parker; music by [[Judith Weir]] |
|||
[[File:William Blake - Songs of Innocence and Experience - The Lamb.jpg|thumb|200px|The fourth lesson employed [[John Tavener]]'s choral arrangement "[[The Lamb (Tavener)|The Lamb]]" of [[William Blake]]'s ''[[The Lamb (poem)|The Lamb]]'' from Blake's collection''' [[Songs of Innocence and of Experience]]''. This image represents copy C, object 8 of that original poem, currently held by the [[Library of Congress]]. The poem was published during 1794 and hand painted by Blake and his wife.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.blakearchive.org/exist/blake/archive/object.xq?objectid=songsie.c.illbk.09&java=no| title = Songs of Innocence and of Experience, copy C, object 9 (Bentley 8, Erdman 8, Keynes 8) "The Lamb"| publisher = [[William Blake Archive]]|editor1= Morris Eaves |editor2=Robert N. Essick |editor3=Joseph Viscomi| access-date = 26 September 2013}}</ref>]] |
|||
*''' |
*'''Third lesson from [[Isaiah]] 9: 2, 6–7''' (read by a member of the King's College staff) |
||
:*Carol: " |
:*Carol: "O Radiant Dawn" – words from ''[[Liber Usualis]]'', based on Isaiah 9:2; music by [[James MacMillan]] |
||
:*Hymn: "[[O Little Town of Bethlehem]]" – words by [[Phillips Brooks]] (1835−1893); melody ('Forest Green'), English traditional; arranged by [[Ralph Vaughan Williams]] (1872−1958); descant by [[Thomas Armstrong (musician)|Thomas Armstrong]] (1898−1994) |
|||
:*Carol: "[[Es ist ein Ros entsprungen|Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming]]" – words, 15th-century German, translated by C. Winkworth; music by Philip S. Ledger |
|||
*''' |
*'''Fourth lesson from Isaiah 11:1–4a, 6–9''' (read by a representative of [[Eton College]]) |
||
:*Carol: " |
:*Carol: "King Jesus hathagarden" – words and music, traditional Dutch; translated by [[George Ratcliffe Woodward]] (1848−1934); arranged by [[Stephen Cleobury]] (1948−2019) |
||
:*Carol: " |
:*Carol: "[[Es ist ein Ros entsprungen|A Spotless Rose is Blooming]]" – words, 14th century German, translated by [[Catherine Winkworth]] (1827−1878); music by Philip Ledger |
||
*''' |
*'''Fifth lesson from [[Gospel of Luke|Luke]] 1: 26–35, 38''' (read by a [[Fellow]] of King's College) |
||
:*Carol: " |
:*Carol: "[[Gabriel's Message]]" – words by [[Sabine Baring-Gould]] (1834−1924); music, Basque carol, arranged by [[David Willcocks]] (1919−2015) |
||
:*Carol: " |
:*Carol: "Come all you faithful Christians" – words, English traditional; music by [[Christopher Robinson (musician)|Christopher Robinson]] |
||
*''' |
*'''Sixth lesson from Luke 2: 1–7''' (read by the [[Listofmayors of Cambridge|Mayor of Cambridge]]) |
||
:*Carol: "[[ |
:*Carol: "[[Sir Christèmas]]" – words, 15th century English; music by [[William Mathias]] (1934−1992) |
||
:*Hymn: "[[ |
:*Hymn: "[[The First Noel|The First Nowell]]" – words and melody ('The First Nowell'), Cornish traditional; arranged by David Willcocks |
||
*''' |
*'''Seventh lesson from Luke 2: 8–16''' (read by the Director of MusicofKing's College) |
||
:*Carol: " |
:*Carol: "The Cradle" – words, 17th century Austrian, translated by [[Robert Graves]] (1895−1985); music by [[Cheryl Frances-Hoad]] (commissioned for the 2023 service) |
||
⚫ | *'''Eighth lesson from [[Gospel of Matthew|Matthew]] 2: 1–12''' (read by the Vice-Provost of King's College) |
||
:*Carol: "Glory, Alleluia to the Christ Child" – words, 17th century; music by A. Bullard |
|||
:*Carol: "The Christ-Child lay on Mary's lap" – words, 'A Christmas Carol' by [[G. K. Chesterton]] (1874−1936); music by [[John Rutter]] (written in memory of Stephen Cleobury) |
|||
⚫ |
*''' |
||
:* |
:*Carol: "Procedenti puero" – words, 15th century English; music by [[Peter Warlock]] (1894−1930) |
||
*'''Ninth lesson from the [[Gospel of John]] 1: 1–14''' (read by the [[Provost (education)|Provost]] of King's College) |
|||
⚫ | |||
:*Hymn: "[[ |
:*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]] |
||
⚫ | |||
*Organ Voluntaries: "[[In Dulci Jubilo]]" (BWV 729) by [[Johann Sebastian Bach]],『[[La nativité du seigneur|Dieu Parmi Nous]]』by [[Olivier Messiaen]] |
|||
:*Hymn: "[[Hark! The Herald Angels Sing]]" – words by [[Charles Wesley]] (1707−1788), et al.; melody ('Mendelssohn') by [[Felix Mendelssohn|Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy]] (1809−1847); descant by David Willcocks |
|||
*Organ Postlude |
|||
*Organ voluntaries |
|||
::*"[[In Dulci Jubilo]], BWV 729" – music by Johann Sebastian Bach |
|||
::*'Dieu parmi nous' from『La Nativité du Seigneur』– music by Olivier Messaien |
|||
===Commissioned carols and organ postludes=== |
===Commissioned carols and organ postludes=== |
||
{{See also|List of carols at the Nine Lessons and Carols, King's College Chapel}} |
{{See also|List of carols at the Nine Lessons and Carols, King's College Chapel}} |
||
The table below shows the new carols commissioned by King's College, Cambridge, since 1983. |
|||
<!--Please arrange in chronological order. Thanks.--> |
<!--Please arrange in chronological order. Thanks.--> |
||
Line 118: | Line 124: | ||
|- |
|- |
||
!width=60px|Year |
!width=60px|Year |
||
!width=| |
!width=|Title of carol |
||
!width=| |
!width=|Author/source and composer |
||
|- valign=top |
|- valign=top |
||
|align=center|1983 |
|align=center|1983 |
||
Line 131: | Line 137: | ||
|align=center|1985 |
|align=center|1985 |
||
|Illuminare Jerusalem<ref name="Nine Lessons and Carols 2001">{{citation|title=Nine Lessons and Carols 2001|url=http://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/chapel/ninelessons/2001/|publisher=Provost and Fellows of [[King's College, Cambridge]]|year=2001|access-date=1 January 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071209052818/http://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/chapel/ninelessons/2001/|archive-date=9 December 2007}}.</ref> |
|Illuminare Jerusalem<ref name="Nine Lessons and Carols 2001">{{citation|title=Nine Lessons and Carols 2001|url=http://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/chapel/ninelessons/2001/|publisher=Provost and Fellows of [[King's College, Cambridge]]|year=2001|access-date=1 January 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071209052818/http://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/chapel/ninelessons/2001/|archive-date=9 December 2007}}.</ref> |
||
|Words: Adapted from the [[Bannatyne Manuscript]] |
|Words: Adapted from the [[Bannatyne Manuscript]]<ref>{{citation|author=John MacQueen|author2=Winifred MacQueen|title=A Choice of Scottish Verse, 1470–1570|location=London|publisher=[[Faber and Faber]]|year=1972|isbn=0-571-09532-1|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/choiceofscottish0000macq}}</ref><br />Music: [[Judith Weir]] |
||
|- valign=top |
|- valign=top |
||
|align=center|1986 |
|align=center|1986 |
||
Line 209: | Line 215: | ||
|Words: [[Angelus Silesius]]<br />Music: [[Judith Bingham]] |
|Words: [[Angelus Silesius]]<br />Music: [[Judith Bingham]] |
||
|- valign=top |
|- valign=top |
||
| |
|align=center|2005 |
||
| |
|[[Away in a Manger]]<ref name="Nine Lessons and Carols 2005"/> |
||
|Words: 19th century<br />Music: [[John Tavener]] |
|Words: 19th century<br />Music: [[John Tavener]] |
||
|- valign=top |
|- valign=top |
||
⚫ | |||
⚫ |
| |
||
⚫ | |Misere' Nobis<ref name="Nine Lessons and Carols 2006">{{citation|title=A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, Christmas Eve, 2006|url=http://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/chapel/ninelessons/2006/NineLessonsCarols2006.pdf|publisher=Provost and Fellows of [[King's College, Cambridge]]|date=24 December 2006|access-date=1 January 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070204013517/http://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/chapel/ninelessons/2006/NineLessonsCarols2006.pdf|archive-date=4 February 2007}}.</ref><br />(Jesu of a Maiden Thou Wast Born) |
||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
⚫ |
| |
||
|Words: English mediaeval carol<br />Music: [[Mark-Anthony Turnage]] |
|Words: English mediaeval carol<br />Music: [[Mark-Anthony Turnage]] |
||
|- valign=top |
|- valign=top |
||
⚫ | |||
⚫ |
| |
||
⚫ | |Noël (Now Comes the Dawn)<ref name="Nine Lessons and Carols 2007"/><br />(Stardust and Vaporous Light) |
||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
⚫ |
| |
||
|Words: [[Richard Watson Gilder]]<br />Music: [[Brett Dean]] |
|Words: [[Richard Watson Gilder]]<br />Music: [[Brett Dean]] |
||
⚫ | |||
⚫ |
| |
||
⚫ | |||
|- valign=top |
|- valign=top |
||
|align=center|2008 |
|align=center|2008 |
||
|Mary<br /> |
|Mary<br /> |
||
(The Night When She First Gave Birth)<ref name="Nine Lessons and Carols 2008">{{citation|title=A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, Christmas Eve, 2008|url=http://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/sites/default/files/chapel/festival-nine-lessons-2008.pdf|publisher=Provost and Fellows of [[King's College, Cambridge]]|date=24 December 2008|access-date=25 December 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101105081101/http://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/sites/default/files/chapel/festival-nine-lessons-2008.pdf|archive-date=5 November 2010|url-status=dead}}. 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> |
|||
(The Night When She First Gave Birth)<ref name="Nine Lessons and Carols 2008"/> |
|||
|Words: [[Bertolt Brecht]], translated by [[Michael Hamburger]]<br />Music: [[Dominic Muldowney]] |
|Words: [[Bertolt Brecht]], translated by [[Michael Hamburger]]<br />Music: [[Dominic Muldowney]] |
||
|- valign=top |
|- valign=top |
||
Line 292: | Line 289: | ||
|align=center|2023 |
|align=center|2023 |
||
|The Cradle |
|The Cradle |
||
|Words: Anonymous, 17th century Austrian, translated by [[Robert Graves]]<br />Music: [[Cheryl Frances-Hoad]]<ref>https://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/news/2023/kings-commissions-new-carol-christmas-eve</ref> |
|Words: Anonymous, 17th century Austrian, translated by [[Robert Graves]]<br />Music: [[Cheryl Frances-Hoad]]<ref>[https://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/news/2023/kings-commissions-new-carol-christmas-eve King's College, Cambridge, "King's commissions a new carol for Christmas Eve"], 28 November 2023. Retrieved 21 December 2023.</ref> |
||
|} |
|||
Organ postludes have also been commissioned in certain years, as shown in the table below. |
|||
<!--Please arrange in chronological order. Thanks.--> |
|||
{| class="wikitable" style="max-width: 1000px;" |
|||
|- |
|||
!width=60px|Year |
|||
!width=|Title of postlude |
|||
!width=|Composer |
|||
⚫ | |||
|align=center|2005 |
|||
⚫ | |Improvisation on "[[Adeste Fideles]]"<ref name="Nine Lessons and Carols 2005"/> |
||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
|align=center|2006 |
|||
⚫ | |Recessional on "[[In the Bleak Midwinter]]"<ref name="Nine Lessons and Carols 2006"/> |
||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
|align=center|2007 |
|||
⚫ | |Sortie on "[[In Dulci Jubilo]]"<ref name="Nine Lessons and Carols 2007"/> |
||
⚫ | |||
|} |
|} |
||
===Attendance at the service=== |
===Attendance at the service=== |
||
|
Attendance at the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols held on Christmas Eve is now by ticket only, many of which are allocated by public ballot; standby tickets are also made availableto those who applied for in the ballot.<ref name=kingsattendance>[https://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/chapel/a-festival-of-nine-lessons-and-carols King's College, Cambridge, A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, Attending in Person]. Retrieved 21 December 2023.</ref> Owing to the service's popularity, demand for seats greatly exceeds the number of tickets available. In previous years, when tickets were available at the door, some people began queuing the night before,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hallows |first1=Neil |title=Queuing for King's |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/6202751.stm |website=BBC News |access-date=5 October 2019 |date=22 December 2006}}</ref> but now only those with standby tickets are permitted to stand in the queue.<ref name=kingsattendance/> |
||
==See also== |
==See also== |
||
Line 324: | Line 343: | ||
==External links== |
==External links== |
||
{{Commons category|Nine Lessons and Carols}} |
{{Commons category|Nine Lessons and Carols}} |
||
*[https://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/chapel/a-festival-of-nine-lessons-and-carols King's College |
*[https://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/chapel/a-festival-of-nine-lessons-and-carols King's College, Cambridge: "A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols" webpage] |
||
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20171115221800/http://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/files/services/nine-lessons-2009.pdf Detailed order of service for 2009] |
|||
{{Christmas}} |
{{Christmas}} |
||
Line 334: | Line 352: | ||
[[Category:Anglican liturgy]] |
[[Category:Anglican liturgy]] |
||
[[Category:Anglican church music]] |
|||
[[Category:Church music]] |
|||
[[Category:Christmas carols]] |
[[Category:Christmas carols]] |
||
[[Category:Christmas in England]] |
[[Category:Christmas in England]] |
Nine Lessons and Carols | |
---|---|
Genre | Religious service/Anglican church music |
Venue | Christian churches worldwide, notably King's College Chapel, Cambridge |
Inaugurated | 24 December 1880 (1880-12-24) |
Founder | Edward White Benson |
Nine Lessons and Carols, also known as the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols and Service of Nine Lessons and Carols, is a service of Christian worship traditionally celebrated on or near Christmas Eve in England. The story of the fall of humanity, the promise of the Messiah, and the birth of Jesus is told in nine short Bible readings or lessons from Genesis, the prophetic books and the Gospels, interspersed with the singing of Christmas carols, hymns and choir anthems.
Although the tradition of Nine Lessons and Carols is popularly associated with King's College, Cambridge, its origins are attributed to Truro CathedralinCornwall. Up to the late 19th century, the singing of Christmas carols was normally performed by singers visiting people's houses, and carols — generally considered to be secular in content — had been excluded from Christian worship. In the Victorian era, the rising popularity of hymnody encouraged church musicians to introduce carols into worship. An 1875 book of carols, Carols for Use in Church During Christmas and Epiphany by Richard Chope and Sabine Baring-Gould, was an influential publication. At around this time, the composer and organist John Stainer was compiling a collection, Christmas Carols New and Old, and during Christmas 1878 he introduced carols into the service of Choral EvensongatSt Paul's Cathedral in London.[1] Other cathedrals also began to adopt carols at Christmastide that year and the Royal Cornwall Gazette reported that the choir of Truro Cathedral would sing a service of carols at 10:00 pm on Christmas Eve:
The Choir of the Cathedral will sing a number of carols in the Cathedral on Christmas Eve, the service commencing at 10pm. We understand that this is at the wish of many of the leading parishioners and others. A like service has been instituted in other cathedral and large towns, and has been much appreciated. It is the intention of the choir to no longer continue the custom of singing carols at the residences of members of the congregation.
— Royal Cornwall Gazette, 20 December 1878[2]
Two years later, the Right Rev. Edward White Benson, at that time Bishop of Truro, conducted the first formal service of "Nine Lessons and Carols" on Christmas Eve (24 December) 1880. Benson, concerned at the excessive consumption of alcohol in Cornish pubs during the festive season, sought a means of attracting revellers out of the pubs and into church by offering a religious celebration of Christmas. The idea for a service consisting of Christmas music interspersed with Bible readings was proposed by the succentor of the cathedral, the Rev. George Walpole (who later became Bishop of Edinburgh). The cathedral — a Victorian gothic building — was still under construction, and services were being held in a temporary wooden structure which served as a pro-cathedral. The first Nine Lessons and Carols service took place there at 10:00 p.m. on Christmas Eve and was attended by over 400 people.[3][4][5]
Benson's son, A. C. Benson, later recalled:
My father arranged from ancient sources a little services for Christmas Eve, nine carols and nine tiny lessons. They were read by various officers of the church, beginning with a chorister and ending, through different grades, with the bishop.
— A. C. Benson, [6]
Bishop Benson was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury in 1883, and the Nine Lessons service began to gain in popularity across the Church of England and the wider Anglican Communion, as well as Roman Catholic churches in England and Wales. The original liturgy has since been adapted and used by other churches all over the world, particularly in English-speaking countries. Lessons and Carols most often occur in Anglican churches. However, numerous Christian denominations have adopted the service, or a variation of it, as part of their Christmas celebrations. In the UK, the service has become the standard format for school carol services.
In 1916, a service of Nine Lessons and Carols was held at Brown UniversityinProvidence, Rhode Island; the institution celebrated the 100th anniversary of its Lessons and Carols in 2016.[7]
Notably in 1918, the Rev. Eric Milner-White the new dean of King's College, Cambridge, introduced the service to the college chapel, taking advantage of the established choral tradition of the Choir of King's College, Cambridge. It proved highly successful, and began an annual tradition — albeit with some alterations to Benson's original format from 1919 onwards. The BBC began to broadcast the service on the radio from 1928 and on television from 1954, establishing Carols from King's as the most popular and widely recognised presentation of the service.[8][4]
In North America, the Lessons and Carols tradition spread to other US and Canadian institutions. In 1928, organist and choirmaster Twining Lynes, introduced the service to Groton SchoolinGroton, Massachusetts, after being inspired by services in England.[9]
In Canada, the Festival of Nine Lessons and carols is done multilingually at Bishop's College School, Quebec, with the nine lessons read in nine languages or dialects.
In December 2013, Truro Cathedral staged a reconstruction of Bishop Benson's original 1880 Nine Lessons with Carols Service which was attended by a congregation of over 1,500 people.[5]
The first Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols at King's College, Cambridge, was held on Christmas Eve in 1918. During World War I the dean, Eric Milner-White, had served as army chaplain in the 7th Infantry Division and he was concerned that the distress of the "Great War" had hardened attitudes against religion. Taking advantage of the established choral tradition of the Choir of King's College, Cambridge, he introduced Benson's carol service to King's as a means of attracting people back to Christian worship. The first Nine Lessons service in King's College Chapel was held on Christmas Eve, 1918, directed by Arthur Henry Mann who was the organist from 1876 to 1929.[10]
The King's College service was immensely successful, and the following year Milner-White made some changes to Benson's original format, notably introducing the tradition of opening the service with a solo treble singing "Once in Royal David's City". This was then followed by a bidding prayer penned by Milner-White himself, and re-ordering the lessons.[8][11][4] The choir had 16 trebles as specified in statutes laid down by Henry VI, and until 1927 the men's voices were provided by choral scholars and lay clerks. Today, 14 undergraduates from the choir sing the men's parts.[10]
The popularity of the service was established when the service began to be broadcast by the British Broadcasting Corporation in 1928, and, except for 1930, has been broadcast every year since. During the 1930s the service reached a worldwide audience when the BBC began broadcasting the service on its Overseas Service. Even throughout the Second World War, despite the stained glass having been removed from the chapel and the lack of heating, the broadcasts continued. For security reasons, the name "King's" was not mentioned during wartime broadcasts.[10]
Nine Lessons and Carols from King's College was first televised by BBC Television in 1954, conducted by the director of music, Boris Ord.[12][13]
Since the Second World War, it has been estimated that each year there are millions of listeners worldwide who listen to the service live on the BBC World Service. Domestically, the service is broadcast live on BBC Radio 4, and a recorded broadcast is made on Christmas Day on BBC Radio 3.[10] In the US, a 1954 service was put into the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress in 2008.[14] The broadcast has been heard live on public radio stations affiliated with American Public Media since 1979, and most stations broadcast a repeat on Christmas Day. Since 1963, the service has been periodically filmed for television broadcast in the UK.[15] Presently, each year a programme entitled Carols from King's is pre-recorded in early or mid-December then shown on Christmas Eve in the UK on BBC Two and BBC Four. The programme is weighted more heavily in favour of carols sung by the choir, with only seven readings in total, not all of which are from the Bible.
In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the service was conducted, for the first time, without a congregation.[16][17] The service did not take place live, but instead a pre-recorded service produced by King's College was broadcast at the usual time.[18] It was the first time since 1930 that the service had not been broadcast live.
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".[10] 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.[19]
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.[20] 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 2023 was as follows:[21]
The table below shows the new carols commissioned by King's College, Cambridge, since 1983.
Year | Title of carol | Author/source and composer |
---|---|---|
1983 | In Wintertime[citation needed] (When Thou Wast Born in Wintertime) |
Words: Betty Askwith Music: Lennox Berkeley |
1984 | One Star, At Last[citation needed] (Fix on One Star) |
Words: George Mackay Brown Music: Peter Maxwell Davies |
1985 | Illuminare Jerusalem[22] | Words: Adapted from the Bannatyne Manuscript[23] Music: Judith Weir |
1986 | Nowel, Nowel, Holly Dark[citation needed] | Words: Walter de la Mare Music: Richard Rodney Bennett |
1987 | What Sweeter Music Can We Bring[24] | Words: Robert Herrick Music: John Rutter |
1988 | The Birthday of Thy King[citation needed] (Awake, Glad Heart, Get up, and Sing!) |
Words: After Henry Vaughan Music: Peter Sculthorpe |
1989 | Carol of St. Steven[citation needed] | Words: Adapted from William Sandys Music: Alexander Goehr |
1990 | Богородице Дево, радуйся[25] (Rejoice, O Virgin Mary) |
Words: Orthodox Liturgy (inRussian) Music: Arvo Pärt |
1991 | A Gathering[citation needed] | Words: Lancelot Andrewes Music: John Casken |
1992 | Swetë Jesu[citation needed] | Words: Anonymous, 13th century Music: Nicholas Maw |
1993 | Christo Paremus Cantica[citation needed] | Words: Anonymous, 15th century Music: Diana Burrell |
1994 | The Angels[citation needed] (Should you Hear them Singing Among Stars) |
Words: John V. Taylor Music: Jonathan Harvey |
1995 | Seinte Marie Moder Milde[citation needed] | Words: 13th century manuscript in the library of Trinity College, Cambridge Music: James MacMillan |
1996 | Pilgrim Jesus[citation needed] (Iesus! Christus! In the Manger of my Body) |
Words: Kevin Crossley-Holland Music: Stephen Paulus |
1997 | The Fayrfax Carol[26] | Words: Anonymous, early Tudor Music: Thomas Adès |
1998 | Winter Solstice Carol[27] | Words: English translation of the Magnificat antiphon for Christmas Day Music: Giles Swayne |
1999 | On Christmas Day to My Heart[28] | Words: Clement Paman Music: Richard Rodney Bennett |
2000 | The Three Kings[29] | Words:Dorothy L. Sayers Music: Jonathan Dove |
2001 | Spring in Winter[22] | Words: Christopher Smart Music: John Woolrich |
2002 | The Angel Gabriel Descended to a Virgin[30] | Words: 15th–17th century Music: Robin Holloway |
2003 | The Gleam[31] (Not yet shepherds the gilded kings) |
Words: Stephen Plaice Music: Harrison Birtwistle |
2004 | God Would be Born in Thee[32][33] (Lo, In the Silent Night a Child in God is Born) |
Words: Angelus Silesius Music: Judith Bingham |
2005 | Away in a Manger[24] | Words: 19th century Music: John Tavener |
2006 | Misere' Nobis[34] (Jesu of a Maiden Thou Wast Born) |
Words: English mediaeval carol Music: Mark-Anthony Turnage |
2007 | Noël (Now Comes the Dawn)[25] (Stardust and Vaporous Light) |
Words: Richard Watson Gilder Music: Brett Dean |
2008 | Mary (The Night When She First Gave Birth)[35] |
Words: Bertolt Brecht, translated by Michael Hamburger Music: Dominic Muldowney |
2009 | The Christ Child[36] | Words: G. K. Chesterton Music: Gabriel Jackson[37] |
2010 | Christmas Carol (Offerings They Brought of Gold) | Words: Einojuhani Rautavaara, translated by Hanni-Mari and Christopher Latham Music: Einojuhani Rautavaara[38] |
2011 | Christmas Hath a Darkness | Words: Christina Rossetti Music: Tansy Davies[39] |
2012 | Ring Out, Wild Bells | Words: Alfred, Lord Tennyson Music: Carl Vine[40] |
2013 | Hear the Voice of the Bard | Words: William Blake Music: Thea Musgrave[41] |
2014 | De Virgine Maria | Words: 12th-century Latin, translated by Ronald Knox Music: Carl Rütti |
2015 | The Flight | Words: George Szirtes Music: Richard Causton[42] |
2016 | This Endernight | Words: Anonymous c. 1400 Music: Michael Berkeley[43] |
2017 | Carol Eliseus | Words: Welsh Music: Huw Watkins[44] |
2018 | O Mercy Divine | Words: Charles Wesley[45] Music: Judith Weir[46] |
2019 | The Angel Gabriel | Words: Sabine Baring-Gould Music: Philip Moore[47] |
2020 | No new commission[48] | |
2021 | There is no Rose | Words: 15th century Music: Cecilia McDowall[49] |
2022 | Angelus ad Virginem | Words: Mediaeval Music: Matthew Martin[50] |
2023 | The Cradle | Words: Anonymous, 17th century Austrian, translated by Robert Graves Music: Cheryl Frances-Hoad[51] |
Organ postludes have also been commissioned in certain years, as shown in the table below.
Year | Title of postlude | Composer |
---|---|---|
2005 | Improvisation on "Adeste Fideles"[24] | Francis Pott |
2006 | Recessional on "In the Bleak Midwinter"[34] | Lionel Steuart Fothringham |
2007 | Sortie on "In Dulci Jubilo"[25] | David Briggs |
Attendance at the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols held on Christmas Eve is now by ticket only, many of which are allocated by public ballot; standby tickets are also made available to those who applied for in the ballot.[52] Owing to the service's popularity, demand for seats greatly exceeds the number of tickets available. In previous years, when tickets were available at the door, some people began queuing the night before,[53] but now only those with standby tickets are permitted to stand in the queue.[52]
| |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||
Service settings |
| ||||||||||
Musical forms |
| ||||||||||
Composers |
| ||||||||||
Other noted people |
| ||||||||||
Publications |
| ||||||||||
Music organisations |
| ||||||||||
Performance |
| ||||||||||
History |
| ||||||||||
Related topics |
|
Anglican liturgy
| |
---|---|
Services |
|
Structure |
|
Music |
|
Participants |
|
Liturgical objects |
|
Liturgical books |
|
Vestments (Pontifical) |
|
Liturgical year and calendar |
|
Anglo-Catholicism and Western Rite Orthodoxy |
|
Eucharistic discipline |
|
Theology |
|
Related |
|
|