Since 1918, A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols has offered listeners an opportunity to share in a live, worldwide Christmas Eve broadcast of a service of biblical readings, carols and related seasonal classical music. This special event is presented by the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge, one of the world’s foremost choirs of men and boys, and performed in an acoustically and architecturally renowned venue, the college’s 500-year-old chapel.
Modeled on a program of biblical lessons for a Christmas Eve service at the Truro Cathedral, the scheme was borrowed, rewritten, and integrated with seasonal music and carols for Christmas 1918, in the immedeate aftermath of the First World War by the new Dean of King's College, Cambridge, Eric Milner-White. During the First World War, he had volunteered for service as an army chaplain and served on both the Western and Italian Fronts. He was initially appointed senior chaplain to 7th Infantry Division on 15 February 1917 (with temporary promotion to Chaplain to the Forces, 3rd Class). For his service during this period he was Mentioned in Despatches on 24 December 1917 and awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) in the 1918 New Year Honours List.
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| Eric Milner-White (1884-1963) As a Student at Harrow |
Milner-White believed the Church of England needed more inspiring form of worship to reach a generation disillusioned by the atrocities of the Western Front. The BBC first broadcast the King’s service on the radio in 1928. It has aired every year since, to a worldwide audience, with the sole exception of 1930. It is accessible from local radio stations and online. (More on this below.)
In almost every year some carols have been changed and some new ones introduced by successive Organists. The strongly-Christian narrative of the service, the lessons and the prayers, has remained virtually unchanged.
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| Chapel of King's College, Cambridge |
To Listen or View the 24 December 2025 Event:
For live reception, remember the time difference between Great Britain and North America. The program in Cambridge begins at 3pm which converts to 8am California time.
The audio broadcast of the 2025 Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols from King's College, Cambridge, will be widely available on many local PBS-affiliated public radio stations in the United States. BBC World Service will make the broadcast available online shortly after its conclusion at this webpage:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002ntmz
To Learn More About the Festival:
1. Read the entire program from 2024 HERE.
2. Or, for your bookshelf:
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| A History of the Festival with a CD of the Music and Service Can Be Ordered HERE |
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