The St Bride's Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols is a candlelit-style Christmas service built around the nine readings devised by Eric Milner-White for King's College, Cambridge, in 1918. It is a rare chance to hear the full sequence of readings in a Wren church, with the congregation joining in Christmas hymns from "Once In Royal David's City" to "O Come, All Ye Faithful".
St Bride's Choir performs a varied selection of Advent and Christmas music alongside the hymns. The programme includes a new piece by composer Sarah MacDonald, "Christmas hath a beauty", setting words by Christina Rossetti, and "Ring out, ye bells" by Sebastian Johnson. George Guest's arrangement of the Welsh lullaby "Suo Gân" is also featured.
Mince pies and mulled wine are served after the service. The event is free to attend and lasts about one hour, with a voluntary collection taken at the end. The suggested donation is £15 per person. St Bride's, Fleet Street, London EC4Y 8AU.
