At sunset on the first Sunday in December, a choral tradition dating back to 1946 will unfold on a misty hilltop at the Trinity College Chapel in Kandy. As the deep harmonies blend with the first cool winds of the month, the story of Christ's nativity will be brought to life through music and scripture. The prophesies of the great sages of old will be fulfilled in the life of the newborn infant.
The Good News of the birth of Christ finds a brand new meaning each year, in the light of candles and the scent of oil lamps, deep within the folds of the granite pillars at the Trinity College chapel. The congregation is led in prayer and worship as A festival of Nine Lessons and Carols unfolds with the unified voice of the Trinity College Choir. The event has been the wellspring of the joy and spirit of Christmas over the years for old boys, their families, the young and the old alike.
This year the Trinity College Choir marks a special milestone with the recording of a special selection of Christmas carols and Hymns titled "Carols from Trinity." A limited number of CDs will be released on the day of the Carol Service in return for donations towards the TCK Choir Development Fund. The CD pack will also contain a booklet about the celebrated murals of David Paynter, found at the Trinity College Chapel.
The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols at Trinity is derived from the convention at Carols at King's College, Cambridge, where it was first held on Christmas Eve in 1918 as conceived by Eric Milner–White, the Dean of the College. The order of service has been adapted from one drawn up by Edward White Benson for use at a 10pm service on Christmas Eve in 1880 that took place in a temporary wooden shed which served as his cathedral in Truro, Cornwall.
Choir Master Mr Lasantha Tennakoon, with the Choir Leader Jonathan Yogaraj as well as the staff and students of Trinity College warmly welcomes all to join them in their celebration and reflection of the Christmas message. Let us gather at the western end of the Trinity College chapel under the crimson glows of a setting sun at 6.15 pm on Sunday, December 7, to hear and share the promise of peace and goodwill among men, something we so urgently need, today. |
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