A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols

The Chapel in the snow

A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols is the Christmas Eve service held in King's College Chapel. The Festival was introduced in 1918 to bring a more imaginative approach to worship. It was first broadcast in 1928 and is now broadcast to millions of people around the world.

The 2008 service on the radio

* Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols: 24 December, 3pm on BBC Radio 4; and broadcast at various times on the BBC World Service
* The BBC have made a documentary on A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, called Christmas Past and Christmas Present at King's. The documentary will be broadcast on 23 December at 1.30pm on BBC Radio 4, and repeated on 25 December at 10.15pm.

Please note that the BBC will be broadcasting another Christmas service, Carols from King's, on 24 December, 6.30pm on BBC 2. Carols from King's and A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols follow a different Order of Service. Carols from King's was recorded earlier in the month.