News A Festival of Lessons and Carols by Candlelight 12.12.2025

On the Thursday before the end of term, the Bishop Centre was filled with music as we gathered for our annual Festival of Lessons and Carols. All of our choirs and vocal ensembles took part, including the Year 7 Choir, the Year 8 and 9 Choir, the Senior Choir, the Junior and Senior Chamber Choirs, and our Sixth Form a cappella group, The Octaves. 

As is tradition at Godolphin, the service opened in near darkness with the Senior Chamber Choir processing by candlelight to the medieval carol Veni, Veni, Emmanuel. A sequence of readings followed, interwoven with an array of choral items. Our choirs offered much-loved classics such as Adolphe Adam’s O Holy Night alongside contemporary works including Joanna Forbes L’Estrange’s Carol of the Crib and John Rutter’s The Colours of Christmas. A particular highlight was the world premiere of Cecilia McDowall’s new upper voice arrangement of her composition In dulci jubilo, specially commissioned by our Senior Chamber Choir. We were honoured that Cecilia McDowall herself was able to join us for the occasion.

The congregation played its full part too, through carols including Once in Royal David’s City; Unto Us Is Born a Son; O Come All Ye Faithful; Hark! The Herald Angels Sing; and O Little Town of Bethlehem, featuring a brand new descant by Director of Music Chris Langworthy. All of the congregational carols were expertly accompanied by our Brass Ensemble. 

Warmest congratulations to all our performers, especially those in the Junior and Senior Chamber Choirs who, only a week earlier, had delivered performances of Part II of John Rutter’s Dancing Day alongside a complete rendition of Benjamin Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols.