The service of Lessons & Carols is a longstanding tradition among English- speaking Christians, dating back to at least the 1880s, when the Archbishop of Canterbury began offering a, late evening service on December 24th - partly to keep local men out of the pubs! Its adoption by Episcopalians, Lutherans, and Presbyterians in this country is a more recent phenomenon, fueled in part by the widespread popularity of the annual worldwide broadcast of the Christmas Eve Lessons & Carols service at King's College, Cambridge.

 

Our adaptation of that liturgy focuses on the prophesy of Savior's birth and its fulfillment in the baby Jesus, the "word made flesh." Around familiar passages from scripture are woven various musical selections, some familiar and others less so, which comment and elaborate on the Christmas story, from the "good cheer" of William Walton's Sir Christèmas to the plaintive Renaissance strains of the "Coventry Carol."

 

This kind of service allows for a great variety of musical textures and styles, and it's also a wonderful opportunity for the St Philip Choir to sing some great music. With many thanks to our dedicated choir members and our talented staff singers, and joyous holiday wishes to one and all!

 

Matthew Dirst