Christmas Festival of Lessons and Carols Services

Christmas Festival of Lessons and Carols services and other seasonal concerts/services are planned around the Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast. Below is a listing which will be continuously updated as information is received.   Please email service times and dates to coastline@diocgc.org

Sunday, December 6th

St. Francis of Assisi, Gulf Breeze — Christmas Festival of Lessons & Carols 9:00 am

St. Francis of Assisi Children’s Choir will present an Advent Festival of Lessons and Carols on Sunday, December 6th, at our 9:00 a.m. service. Young people of the congregation will read the Lessons and light candles representing the days of Advent; while our newly formed Children’s Choir offers Advent Carols.

All Saints, Mobile — Christmas Festival of Lessons & Carols  10:30 am

Trinity, Mobile — Christmas Festival of Lessons & Carols   10:30 am  Download the flyer

Holy Cross, Pensacola — Christmas Festival of Lessons & Carols   5:00 pm

St. James, Fairhope — Christmas Festival of Lessons & Carols   5:00 pm    Download the flyer

Featuring the Adult and Canterbury Choirs

Christ the King, Santa Rosa Beach Hosting the Walton County Ecumenical Choir; 3 pm and 7pm   More details here

St. Paul’s, Daphne — Christmas Festival of Lessons & Carols 10:30 am

Holy Eucharist will be offered only at the 8:00 a.m. service. Beginning with the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, the readings for Lessons and Carols will take the congregation up through the Annunciation by the angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary that she is to be the mother of the Son of God. The carols sung by the choir surround the readings and the congregation joins in singing familiar hymns of the Advent season. The choir’s music includes that of Paul  Anderson, Peter Warlock, J.S. Bach, Thomas Ravenscroft, Richard Shephard, and K. Lee Scott. Again, all are welcome to attend this service for the season of Advent. The Parish Choir with Father Thack will then offer the same service at Westminster Village in Spanish Fort, AL on Dec. 13 at 4 p.m.

Monday, December 7th

Christ the King, Santa Rosa Beach — Hosting the Walton County Ecumenical Choir - 7 pm  More details here

Wednesday, December 9th

Christ Church Cathedral, Mobile — Advent Concert Series   Download the flyer

11:30 am Holy Eucharist, Rite II in the Chapel

12:00 pm Music in the church; Lunch following in the Chapter House

Jenny Covington, Oboist
Melanie Zoghby Cummins, soloist
Peggy L. Lyden, organist and pianist

Holy Nativity, Panama City —  Christmas Festival of Lessons & Carols 6:30 pm   Download the poster

Christmas potluck dinner will be at 5:30 pm. Please bring your favorite dish to share. Meat will be provided. Donations accepted.

This evening promises to be a wonderful retreat from the hustle and bustle of the holidays. Many years ago, this beautiful service originated based upon the medieval vigil service. A Dean of King’s College Chapel, in Cambridge, England, later modified it. This service is traditionally sung there on Christmas Eve. Later, still, an Advent service of Lessons and Carols was begun. While we will still officially be in Advent as we present our Lessons and Carols, we have elected to follow the King’s College format, with the exception of an opening piece traditionally done for the Advent service. The service will consist of a procession, bidding prayer with the Lord’s Prayer, Invitatory, nine lessons with appropriate carols and hymns sung by the Chancel Choir and/or congregation, closing prayer, benediction and a hymn. There will also be anthems sung by the Chancel Choir. This presentation provides a wonderful opportunity to visit us at Holy Nativity and share in this evening. We sincerely hope that you will appreciate this special musical offering from the Chancel Choir.

Sunday, December 13th

Christ Church Cathedral, Mobile — Christmas Festival of Lessons & Carols 10:00 am

St. Luke’s, Mobile — Christmas Festival of Lessons & Carols   10:00 am

Christ Church Parish, Pensacola — Christmas Festival of Lessons & Carols   5:00 pm

The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols is a beautiful Anglican worship service celebrating the birth of Jesus and traditionally used in Advent and Christmas. The story of the fall of man, the promise of the Messiah, and the birth of Jesus is told in nine short Bible readings, interspersed with the singing of Christmas carols and hymns. The format was based on an Order drawn up by E. W. Benson, later Archbishop of Canterbury, for Christmas Eve 1880 in Truro. It has since been adapted and used by other churches all over the world. The most famous version is broadcast annually from King’s College, Cambridge on Christmas Eve featuring carols by the famous Choir. The carols we sing at Christ Church have all been sung at Cambridge at one time or another. Free and open to the public.

Wednesday, December 16th

Christ Church Cathedral, Mobile — Advent Concert Series

11:30 am Holy Eucharist, Rite II in the Chapel

12:00 pm Music in the church; Lunch following in the Chapter House

Bob Holm, pianist
Goshen Huang, cellist
Enen Yu, violin

Saturday, December 19th

Redeemer, Mobile — Christmas Madrigal Feast    6:30   Details here

Sunday, December 20th

St. John’s, Mobile — Choral Evensong  5:00 pm

Thursday, December 24th

Grace Episcopal Church, Panama City — 5 pm Regular Service, 8 pm Christmas Concert with Bay Area Strings Quartet    Download the flyer

A Mozart Church sonata for strings and organ and other classical and traditional offerings will begin a half hour of prelude selections at 7:30 PM. Strings and organ will accompany the hymns and the Quartet will play during Communion.

Sunday, December 27th

Epiphany, Crestview — Christmas Festival of Lessons & Carols  10:00 am

St. Patrick’s, Panama City – Christmas Festival of Lessons & Carols 10:00 am

Sunday, January 3rd

St. Luke’s, Marianna — Christmas Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols 5:00 p.m.

Didn’t get enough Christmas music yet this season?  Come get your fix with us at St. Luke’s (Marianna, FL) where this season we’re taking advantage of all twelve days of Christmas!  The traditional King’s College, Cambridge, Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols will be presented, featuring congregational carols, choral anthems, and music from our newly-formed St. Luke’s Handbell Choir playing two octaves of Schulmerich handbells.