The Cathedral of the Incarnation's Annual Festival of Lessons & Carols

The annual Festival of Lessons and Carols will take place at the Cathedral of the Incarnation on Sunday, December 15th at 4:00pm. This lovely service, which has been a tradition at the Cathedral since 1953, will feature carol settings ranging from the Renaissance era through recently-composed works.  Featured composers for this year’s festivities include Herbert Howells, Ralph Vaughan Williams, John Rutter, and Bob Chilcott.  These works, all sung by the Cathedral Choir of Men, Boys & Girls Choir and the Schola Cantorum, interspersed with nine Lessons (readings), convey the Christmas Story through celebration of the holy season. In addition, there will be a variety of favorite carols sung by the entire congregation, all accompanied by the Cathedral’s Casavant Organ, the largest pipe organ on Long Island. The community is invited  and early seating is advised for this popular event. For more information, you may check the Cathedral’s website, which is www.incarnationgc.org. 

The Service of Lessons and Carols, based on ancient models, was revived in England at Truro Cathedral in 1880, and quickly became popular. It has been firmly established as a preparation for Christmas by use at King’s College, Cambridge, on which the service at the Cathedral is based.