The choir of King’s College Cambridge has released a CD of their complete service (with lessons) from last year’s Christmas Eve service, the 100th anniversary of the first Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols at King’s.The CD, entitled (appropriately), “A Festival Of Nine Lessons & Carols: The Centenary Service,” was released on the captive King’s College label. It is available on CD from Amazon US or Amazon UK, as a SACD hybrid disk with both regular and surround sound. The digital download is available only on iTunes. Both include a PDF program booklet, which includes a small-format version of the seat bulletin as well as some general background information.
The download captures the last year’s complete service, as does the CD (with two exceptions†):
- Once in royal Davids City (Congregation Hymn)
- The Bidding Prayer, Lords Prayer and Benediction
- Up! good Christen folk
- First Lesson
- Adam lay ybounden
- Jesus Christ the apple tree
- Second Lesson
- In dulci jubilo
- I Saw Three Ships†
- Third Lesson
- Nowell sing we
- Unto us is born a Son (Congregation Hymn)
- Fourth Lesson
- A Spotless Rose
- The Lamb
- Fifth Lesson
- Joys Seven
- Bogorditse Dyevo
- Sixth Lesson
- What sweeter music
- Stille Nacht
- Seventh Lesson
- In the bleak midwinter
- While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by Night (Congregation Hymn)†
- Eighth Lesson
- O mercy divine
- Sir Christmas
- Ninth Lesson
- O come, all ye faithful (Congregation Hymn)
- Collect and Blessing
- Hark! the herald angels sing (Congregation Hymn)
- In dulci jubilo, BWV 729 (postlude)
† Included on iTunes but not CD; CD owners can use a special code to download the files in either WAV or MP3 format
