Lessons and Carols was set on Sunday, Dec. 15, at 7 p.m. in Morris Chapel. It was the 41st annual service and was led mostly by the members of the upper school student body. Although, some of our faculty and lower school members were featured. Lessons and Carols is the longest-standing Darlington tradition. This yearly service is sponsored by Darlington’s “Y” Cabinet president Emi Grace Wood. The “Y” Cabinet manages all of Darlington’s religious aspects. The service tells the story of the birth of Christ, and following the service the Great Tree was lit. Senor Amelia Deupree, a choir member, explains a little about Lessons and Carols.
“Lessons and Carols is a performance that we do with the jazz band and the choir performs a little bit. It is more of a tradition where we talk about Jesus and the importance of Christmas and His birth,” Deupree said. “We have been preparing the songs since the middle of October.”
Deupree continues to say that this tradition helps prepare you for the Christmas season. She gives a few examples of why she thinks this tradition is a great way to prepare for the holidays.
“I think for a lot of people here it is important to be close to God and this heartwarming service is the perfect thing for the holidays.”
Junior Myles Twyman is in the band, and he explains his perspective on Lessons and Carols.
“It is a Christmas ceremony that Darlington has done every year and students from the Upper School read the story of the Birth of Christ, and they sing a song to go with each lesson,” Twyman said.
Twyman agrees with Deupree, saying Lessons and Carols is a tradition that should continue every year. He explains why he thinks the service prepares you for the holidays.
“Lessons and Carols is a tradition that Darlington should continue to do. It helps you get into the holiday spirit by listening to the music in the chapel with the great acoustics; it helps prepare you for the Christmas season,” Twyman said.
Deupree concluded that this tradition should continue because of how beautiful the service is.
“It is a beautiful performance. We do something with candles at the end and singing these beautiful hymns is just a great way to talk about the importance of Christmas.”