Carols from King's

The traditional celebration of Christmas from the candlelit Chapel of King's College, where the solo chorister singing the opening verse of Once in Royal David's City marks the beginning of Christmas for millions of people around the world. This year there will be no congregation and the choir will be socially distanced as they sing carols old and new, including the Sussex Carol, In the Bleak Mid-Winter, Still, Still, Still, Candlelight Carol and O Come All Ye Faithful, with poetry and bible readings by members of King's College.

Directed by Daniel Hyde, the world-famous choir sings carols old and new including The Holly and the Ivy (arr. June Nixon), In the Stillness (Sally Beamish) and O Holy Night (arr. John Rutter).

The traditional celebration of Christmas with music and readings, recorded in the candlelit Chapel of King's College, Cambridge, with the college's world-renowned choir under director Daniel Hyde.

Music includes Warlock's setting of Adam Lay Ybounden, Errollyn Wallen's Peace on Earth and Vaughan Williams's Fantasia on Christmas Carols – marking the composer's 150th anniversary.

Members of the college will read from the King James Bible and from poems by Denise Levertov and UA Fanthorpe. Congregational carols include O Come All Ye Faithful and Hark! the Herald Angels Sing.

The service is led by the dean, the Rev Dr Stephen Cherry.

The candlelit, fan-vaulted Chapel of King's College, Cambridge is the stunning setting for this much anticipated annual celebration of the Christmas story. Led by the Dean, the Rev Dr Stephen Cherry, the service of music, readings and prayer begins in the time-honoured way as a solo boy chorister sings the first verse of Once in Royal David's City. The world-famous choir sings carols old and new, including Silent Night and In the Bleak Midwinter, and leads the congregation in other popular carols, while the story of the Nativity is read by members of King's College in the words of the King James Bible and in poems by Mary Elizabeth Coleridge, Marion Strobel, Thomas Hardy and Walter de la Mare.