Skip To Main Content

Seven Lessons and Carols: A Very Canterbury Christmas

The five members of Canterbury's Varsity Voices sing during the Lessons and Carols service. Members of the audience and orchestra are visible in the foreground.

The Chapel of Our Lady was full of holiday spirit on Friday, December 12, for an Advent Festival of Seven Lessons and Carols. This beloved Canterbury tradition brings the community together in song, scripture, and Christmas cheer ahead of Winter Break.

The annual service has been held at the School for decades and celebrates Advent, the four weeks of reflection and preparation leading up to Christmas. This year, the Chapel hosted two services to accommodate the many families who joined in the celebration.

Following a festive Christmas dinner in the dining hall, students, faculty, and guests gathered in the Chapel for Bible readings—each with a meaningful lesson to share—communal prayers and carols, and performances. 

In her welcoming remarks, Head of School Caroline Blatti observed, “Advent is a time of waiting for something more wonderful than we could have imagined. Tonight, you will feel reverence and awe, which can bring a community together.”

The services featured performances of traditional and contemporary music from Canterbury’s Chamber Ensemble, Orchestra, Singers, Varsity Voices, Community Choir, Carillon Society, and guest musicians. The evening concluded with the congregants singing “Joy to the World,” a fitting message for this holiday season and a poignant wish for the New Year.

View Photos | Watch the 6:30 p.m. Service