45: The Rich Tradition of Nine Lessons and Carols for Homeschool Families

Get ready to immerse your homeschool in a cherished Christmas tradition with Episode 45 of the Music in Our Homeschool Podcast! Join host Gena Mayo, a homeschooling mom of eight and experienced music teacher, as she delves into the historical and cultural significance of the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols. This fascinating episode explores the origins of this beautiful service, from Edward White Benson's innovative creation in the late 1800s to its global fame via King's College, Cambridge.

Learn how this century-old tradition can enrich your homeschool curriculum through biblical studies, music appreciation, cultural history, and more. Discover practical tips on how to incorporate this meaningful celebration into your own family’s festive season. Tune in for a blend of history, music, and education that brings the Christmas story to life.

Find links for all resources mentioned in this episode here: https://musicinourhomeschool.com/nine-lessons-and-carols/

Please follow/subscribe to the podcast and leave a 5-star review and comment if you liked this episode! Find all courses at https://Learn.MusicinOurHomeschool.com ,free music lessons here: https://MusicinOurHomeschool.com/FreeMusicLessons , and lots more links here: https://linktr.ee/genamayo !

Transcript

Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols podcast E45

​[00:00:00] 

Welcome to the Music in Our Homeschool podcast, where we explore ways to incorporate music into your homeschool curriculum. I'm your host, Gena Mayo, and today we're going to be diving into the beautiful tradition of the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols.

If you are a homeschooler looking for ways to easily and affordably include a quality music education in your homeschool, you've come to the right place. This is the Music in Our Homeschool podcast. I'm Gina Mayo, homeschooling mom of eight and music teacher for over 30 years. 

The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols is a cherished Christmas Eve service that has captivated audiences for over a century. This beautiful tradition began in Truro Cathedral in Cornwall, England in the late 1800s when Christmas carols were first being embraced by the church for [00:01:00] celebrating the incarnation.

In 1880, Edward White Benson, the first bishop of Truro, introduced the concept of interspersing Bible readings, or lessons, with Christmas carols and this created the first Nine Lessons and Carols service. Benson's intention was partly to keep his parishioners from reveling too much in the wrong kind of Christmas spirit down at the pub, but it was also a way to bring together his congregation during a time of uncertainty while they awaited the construction of their cathedral.

However, it was the 1918 service at King's College in Cambridge that truly popularized this format and brought it global attention. The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, as we know it today, grew out of the ashes of the First World War. In 1918, a 34 year old former army chaplain named [00:02:00] Eric Milner White was appointed dean of Keene's College. Deeply affected by the atrocities he witnessed on the Western Front, Milner White came home believing that the church was failing the troops. He devised the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols as a means of outreach to those who felt alienated by the church or religion as a whole. Instead of a complicated mass, the Carol's service was simpler, alternating between choral anthems, congregational hymns, and readings. This gesture was particularly important to the town of Cambridge, which had lost 211 men from King's College alone during the war.

The service follows a specific structure. It begins with an organ prelude, often featuring works by renowned composers like Johann Sebastian Bach. A processional hymn follows, typically Once in Royal [00:03:00] David's City. This opening hymn has become a cherished tradition, with a lone boy chorister singing the first verse unaccompanied. And the singer, soloist, finds out who it's going to be right before he performs. The congregation then joins in a bidding prayer, which still includes a prayer to honor the fallen from World War I. 

The Heart of the Service consists of nine short Bible readings called lessons that trace the story of humanity from the fall in the Garden of Eden to the birth of Jesus. These readings are interspersed with carols hymns and choral pieces. 

The carols chosen for the service can vary, but some traditional selections include, If Ye Would Hear the Angels Sing, Adam Lay Ye Bounded, and Remember, O Thou Man. These pieces, along with others, help to musically narrate the Christmas story and its [00:04:00] significance. In recent years, King College has established a tradition of commissioning a new carol each year, adding a fresh and often surprising element to the seemingly fixed repertoire. 

The popularity of the King's College service was hastened by the first radio broadcast in 1928, and it soon became a global phenomenon when the BBC began broadcasting the service overseas in the early 1930s. Today, the BBC's radio broadcast of the service reaches an estimated global audience of over 100 million people. 

For homeschoolers, the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols offers a rich educational opportunity. It combines biblical studies, music appreciation, and cultural history. You can use this tradition to study the biblical narrative from Genesis through the Gospels. You can explore different musical styles and composers. [00:05:00] You can discuss the historical context of the tradition's development, including its connection to World War I. You can analyze the poetry and lyrics of various carols. And you can investigate the evolution of Christmas music over time.

To bring this tradition into your homeschool, I encourage you to listen to the recordings of the service. You can find them on YouTube or you might want to listen to the live annual broadcast from King's College. 

I do have an online course that has the whole thing already set for you inside the Music of Christmas. You can find that over at MusicinOurHomeschool.com/MusicofChristmas 

Remember, the beauty of homeschooling is the flexibility to adapt traditions like this to suit your family's needs and interests. The tradition beautifully illustrates the power of music in education. 

Thank you for tuning in to the Music in Our Homeschool podcast [00:06:00] today. I pray you have a beautiful and joyous Christmas. Until next time, keep the music alive.
Find links for all resources mentioned in this episode here: https://musicinourhomeschool.com/nine-lessons-and-carols/