College Choir and Chaplains to Lead Advent Festival of Lessons and Carols

WORCESTER, Mass. – The College Chaplains and the College Choir of the College of the Holy Cross will sponsor the 27th annual Advent Festival of Lessons and Carols on Dec. 8 at 8 p.m. in St. Joseph Memorial Chapel. The event is free and open to the public. For more information contact the Holy Cross music department at 508-793-2296 or the Chaplains’ Office at 508-793-2448.

The service will consist of nine Advent and Christmas scripture readings, beginning with Old Testament prophecies and concluding with the Gospels. The readings, proclaimed by various members of the College community, will be interspersed with carols performed by the College Choir including Morten Lauridsen’s "O Nata Lux" and Felix Mendelssohn’s "Sleepers, Wake." All will be invited to join in familiar tunes such as "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" and "Adeste Fideles."

The College Choir and the Office of the College Chaplains have presented the Advent Festival of Lessons and Carols since December 1978. The religious service is based on one celebrated each year at King’s College Chapel in Cambridge, England.