Click the playlist below to see and hear the Harvard University Choir performing selections from the 109th Annual Christmas Carol Service. The service was recorded in Dec. 11, 2018 at the Memorial Church of Harvard University. The Choir is conducted by Edward E. Jones, the Gund University Organist and Choirmaster. Happy Holidays!
The Annual Christmas Carol Service, sung by the Harvard University Choir, is America’s oldest carol service. In 1910, the newly appointed University and Choirmaster, Archibald T. Davison, and Plummer Professor of Christian Morals, Edward C. Moore, devised the first annual Christmas Carol Service for Harvard University. The liturgy they prepared has remained virtually unchanged since: three lessons from scripture, interspersed with choral and congregational carols, beginning with “Adeste, fideles” sung in Latin. Over a century later, this service continues to be a cherished part of the festive season for the Harvard and Cambridge communities.