Once in Royal David City stood a lullic at a ship where her mother.

Gosh, I can hardly believe that, that was me, 50 years ago, back in 1968, opening the

Carroll Service at King's College Cambridge in England. I can still remember it. Everything

was still, the chapel was bathed in candlelight and there was a hush. And then, in that moment,

you take a deep breath, open your mouth, and then start to sing. And that was my small contribution

to something much bigger, something that goes back 100 years, the festival of nine lessons

and carols. I'm Bob Chilcott, and having sung here as a boy, and now a composer of choral music,

I've come back to King's College to revisit this place that has had such a big impact on my life.

I'll be delving into the remarkable story of a festival of nine lessons and carols. I'll be

taking a behind the scenes look at the preparation for the event, meeting the people involved,

and exploring the new music this century-old tradition has given birth to.

Well, the memories come flooding back as I come to this magnificent building. I've just stepped

into King's College, the place which I remember so well as a boy and as a student. Coming back here,

there are so many memories. And as you walk into this place, you realize that they remain as vivid as

ever. It feels like yesterday that I was here, and I can remember the sounds and smells of the

place. It really feels like you're stepping into somewhere closed off from the rest of the world.

Somewhere where you can focus on learning, which of course is what came which is so famous for.

But for me, it was all about music.

Coming back here has made me realize all that time ago what a fantastic time I had as a

choraster. It was really good fun. We used to work hard. We learned how to stand still and to not

scratch our face or to look stupid. And so we began to get an idea of what it was to really be

well-disciplined. I think probably the training for the choruses is exactly the same now.

...