Westminster College's 41th Annual Festival of Lessons and Carols will take place at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, both in person and via livestream from First Presbyterian Church in Fulton. The celebration, typically held at the Museum's St. Mary Aldermanbury, is moving a few blocks away this year due to the continued preservation efforts at the church.

The popular annual event takes place each year at the College on the second Sunday of Advent. A capacity audience anticipated, so those wishing to attend should plan to arrive early to secure seating.

Patterned after the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols at King's College, University of Cambridge, England, the service includes the reading of nine biblical scriptures that pertain to the Christmas story. Each reading is followed by a reflective carol.

A number of faculty and staff members, area musicians, members of the local community, and the Churchill Singers — Westminster's choral ensemble — will have roles at the event.

Like the yearly service at Cambridge, Westminster’s Lessons and Carols service begins with the processional "Once in Royal David's City" and features a Churchill Singer who performs the first verse of the song a cappella. 

The event will end with Westminster's tradition of the Churchill Singers performing “Joy to the World" after the ninth reading and the congregation joining with the choir in singing "Silent Night."

The Festival of Lessons and Carols is co-sponsored by Westminster’s Center for Faith & Service, the College’s Fine Arts department, and America's National Churchill Museum.

Don't miss other holiday events, including the 3rd Annual 1914 Christmas Truce Interactive Historical Reenactment at Westminster's Historic Gym on Dec. 5 and Winston Churchill's 150th Birthday Celebration at the Museum on Dec. 6.