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P H O T O G R A P H Y

Carols at King’s Where The chapel of King's College, Cambridge

The details The choir singing A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols for BBC broadcast in 1964

A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols at King’s College, Cambridge, may feel an intrinsic part of a traditional Christmas, but it actually dates only from 1918 when Eric Milner-White, the college dean, introduced the now familiar form of readings and carols. Ten years later it was first broadcast on radio by the BBC and, with the exception of 1930, has been broadcast every year since – even during the Second World War, when the glass was removed from the windows and the location wasn’t mentioned on air. In 1963 a shorter service was first broadcast on television – this photograph dates from 1964. Cameras might have improved, some of the music will be more modern, but the setting, singing and spirituality remains the same today. This year’s broadcasts are on Radio 4 (live) on Christmas Eve, Radio 3 on Christmas Day and BBC Two (see listings for details).

10 GRAMOPHONE DECEMBER 2012

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