Festival of Lessons and Carols to Take Place at First Presbyterian Church in Fulton — Temporary Venue Allows Preservation Efforts to Continue at St. Mary the Virgin, Aldermanbury

By Sarah Rummel Backer

Westminster College’s 41st Annual Festival of Lessons and Carols will be conducted at a new venue this year: the First Presbyterian Church of Fulton, located at 718 Court St.

The revered tradition will take place at 5 p.m. during its regularly scheduled second Sunday of Advent, which lands on Dec. 8 this year. The service will also be livestreamed on Westminster’s Facebook and YouTube pages as well as the Facebook page of America’s National Churchill Museum.

For those accustomed to immersing themselves in the historic beauty of St. Mary the Virgin, Aldermanbury, part of America’s National Churchill Museum (ANCM), not to worry: The beloved tradition will continue in 2025 on Westminster’s campus following significant preservation efforts currently taking place at St. Mary’s.

The long-term project should give Lessons and Carols fans something to look forward to next holiday season.

Timothy Riley, the Sandra L. and Monroe E. Trout Director and Chief Curator of ANCM, explains that preservation efforts which began last spring and will continue through spring 2025 are absolutely necessary.

“The current phase of preservation is progressing on schedule, and the conservation of the exterior stone is now complete,” Riley says. “Once the replacement of the plaza/deck surrounding the historic church is completed in early spring, we look forward to reopening the sanctuary to the public. Lessons and Carols will definitely be back in 2025.”

The remainder of the Museum, located in the church undercroft, remains open to visitors while the $4 million project continues.

The History of St. Mary the Virgin, Aldermanbury, Centerpiece of America’s National Churchill Museum

Originally located in London, St. Mary the Virgin, Aldermanbury, dates back to at least the 1200s and was potentially frequented by the likes of William Shakespeare and his contemporaries. Hundreds of years later, the church was partially destroyed during the Great Fire of London in the 17^th century. The building was then famously redesigned by royal architect Sir Christopher Wren.

The church then stood proudly until the Blitz of World War II, when it was partially destroyed by an incendiary bomb. After that catastrophe, St. Mary’s sadly lay in ruins until the 1960s, when Westminster’s president at the time made the audacious decision to ship the church stone by stone from England to the United States. The structure would be rebuilt on campus as a memorial to Winston Churchill’s “Iron Curtain” speech, famously delivered on campus in 1946.

After years of reconstruction in what The Times of London referred to as “the world’s largest jigsaw puzzle,” the church was dedicated on May 7, 1969, and became the centerpiece of what is now ANCM.

The History of Lessons and Carols at Westminster College

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 38-member 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 from the church balcony.

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.”

Next year, all other traditions will continue as they have for the past four decades. Meanwhile, Riley says the First Presbyterian Church location is the perfect setting for this year’s holiday event.

“For decades, the Festival of Lessons and Carols has been a celebration that brings the Westminster College and greater Fulton community together, along with America’s National Churchill Museum, to celebrate and reflect upon Christmastide,” he reflects. “We are all extremely grateful that Fulton’s First Presbyterian Church is hosting this year’s program and opening their beautiful sanctuary, allowing all of us the opportunity to celebrate together the peace and joy of the season.”

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.