Free
The Chapel of St. Peter and St. Paul
Festival of Lessons & Carols
We look forward to welcoming you to campus for Merry and Bright in Millville.
The St. Paul’s School 52nd Annual Festival of Lessons and Carols is modeled on the renowned service at King’s College in Cambridge, England, which recently celebrated its 100th Anniversary. This service was first held there in 1918, at the close of World War 1, and seeks to anticipate and celebrate the wondrous story of the Christmas season. Since 1919, the service has always opened, as we do tonight, with the singing of “Once in Royal David’s City,” building in procession from a solo treble voice to full choir, congregation and organ.
The music in this service begins with an extended organ prelude played by the School Organist, Nicholas White, with music by Bach, Brahms, and Ireland. The service then features mainstays of the Lessons and Carols tradition, such as the medieval English lyric “Adam Lay Ybounden,” set to music by former King’s organist, Boris Ord; “Away In A Manger,” arranged by Ord’s successor, Sir David Willcocks; and” Jesus Christ The Apple Tree,” a lyric with its early roots found in New Hampshire, and set to music by Elizabeth Poston.
More recent compositions include “O Magnum Mysterium” by B. E. Boykin, and the “Nativity Carol” by John Rutter. The medieval Franciscan carol “Angelus ad Virginem” takes us back to the 13th Century, and the much-loved “O Holy Night” or “Cantique de Noël” by Adolphe Adam reflects on the birth of Jesus as humanity’s redemption.
Finally, Nicholas White’s carols are represented by two compositions tonight. The first, “Quem Vidistis,” was written for The Tiffany Consort in 2000, and features a haunting soprano melody against a repetitive accompaniment in the lower voices. The final carol sung by the choir is White’s setting of “See Amid The Winter’s Snow” using a new tune for old words, in the best tradition of a carol service.
The congregation is asked to stand and join in the joyful singing of well-known carols, “Once In Royal David’s City,” “Unto Us Is Born A Son,” “Hark The Herald Angels Sing,” “We Three Kings,” and “O Come, All Ye Faithful,” which are printed in the program.
The service will be livestreamed for those unable to make it to the grounds. Register today for either the in-person event or the live-streamed viewing.