THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1952.
THE NINE CAROLS AND THE NINE LESSONS
to
The service takes the place a quarter of a feature of the Christmas. of Truro in Cornwall. It was scholar, an old Elonial, and a was Π
largely through his personnilly choirboy.
of Evensong on Christmas Eve contury ago that the Festival.
and generous local charity
to the old and access"
famous The presence of an BBC first broadcast to the The service consists of the that the new cathedral
was Etonian recalls the long asso- chapel, one of the most beauti reading of alne lessons from outside world the service Holy Scripture, interspersed built, and to signalise Its crea clation of King's College and ful in existence, is open tion, Dr Benson revived
the Eton.
the of the Nine Carols and with the singing of nine Festival of the Nine Lessons.
The service is essential all, which the Provost,
Fellows, the choral scholars ly a collegiate ceremony, but
and
alt in their Its association with King's to give it greater universality
choirboys Nine Lessons at Christ carols, the whole designed to symbolise the Redemption of
Cambridge, dates the Mayor of the City of stalls in surplices and acade mas. It was transmitted Man through Jesus Christ. The College,
date from just after the First World Cambridge and his Chaplain mic hoods. The choir intone. the service origins of from the chapel of King's back to metiladval times, al- War when Dr Milner White, are also invited to read two the carols to the accompani
ment of the organ installed College, Cambridge, which though how it came to be who is now at York, was Dean of the lessons:
above the screen by Renatus Was founded by King cociated with the Feast of of the College.
Harris In the latter part of Ho instituted a new form of
the 17th century. Henry VI, also the founder the Nativity remains obscure.
all over In England the service was service, now famous
The broadcast is now 60 of Eton College. In the attle known until 1077 when the world, in
which
The
popular that the congregation course of twenty-five years Dr Edward White Benson, various lessons are read by
fills the huge chapel, and the annual broadcast has later Archbishop of Canter the Provost, the Vice-Provost,
many people travel hundreds an essential bury, was made Arst Bishop one of the fellows, a choral become
of miles to be present.
L
'The dedication in directed first to the royal foundation of King's and Eton by Henry VI, then to goodwill between the Universily and the ley com- mually of Cambridge, and thirdly to peace among men.
Christmas at Sandringham
By NORMAN HILLSON
WHERE has been a royal
ལས་ ་
FOR THEM,
Fill Page 7
IT'S A
DELAYED: HARVEST
By Peter Graham ·
\HRISTMAS! The sea-
Don
of goodwill to- wards all men. Well, not exactly. There is a small but' active section of the community who celebrate the festival in unusual ways. Most of these call for our feelings of goodwill to be stretched beyond the elastic limit.
our
this
For some time now, while the ' rest of us have been limbering up for the children's Christmas party and
buttressing diective systems against Im- nending death by eating, brotherhood have been making Preparations of quite a different sort,
Some every V broadcast ke liked to be quite service adorned by
of them, covers are
sly-fingered for many years and
ladies and gentlemen whom the late King pre- rome of them come from Buck- precious stone mentioned in the clone, but the Holy Scriptures. There is also ferred to have his Queen beside, ingham Palace and Wincisors of our psychiatrist, after
him as he was speaking. o short sermon.
The Castle
an exhaustive series of tests, for the occasion. The might classify as kleptomaniacs, return to Sandringham broadcast is rehearsed several Queen and the Duke and others may already be putting The House is made, on foot and by times, and during this time the of the royal family knew them
one o'clock the B.B.C. engineers are the guests alt personally, and the distribu- of practice. They are, of course, effect the long summer months and at car, royal party again assemble, this of the royal family. They are .tion of gifts is a very intimate
our well-known and invariably tine in the drawing room, where served with precisely the same coremony with general
con-hard-pressed friends the shop-" sherry meat as the Queen.
versation all round.
·lifters. · a liveried butter serves from the cellars lold down by
own design. It stands in estate workers. The vicar reads of a hitch-are installed some rule is very strictly observed. the middle of an extensive the lesson from a Bible whose days before. When King George Nearly all have been in royal park, and ig reached through the celebrated Nor- folk gate at the end of a long drive. Nearby is the ancient village church of Sandringham, which has played such an important part in the life of the royal family for the last ninety Edward VII
years.
Duke of
While the broadcast is taking place, the house party Isten in the drawing room at an ordinary. Tea is served shortly after- wards, one of the guests
bet.
into
OR them Christmas is a de- layed harvest time, and the over-stocked
big shops the
Modest Repast
Edinburgh will then lead the company to the dining room for the vicar of Sandringham who the 1870's and apart from the Elysian Fields. Mony of them,
At Christmastime the Royal Court Family dispense with formally as much as possible. THE Queen and the
The house party is almost en- tirely composed of members of the family, and only one or two offelals are in attendance. The only change which has been brought about in recent
the Christmas feast. In the days of George V. this was an
being
always stays on for cold supper later in the evening,
The Presents
family party at Sandringham
ever slice King Edward VII built the "Big House" for his beautiful Danish bride, Queen Alexandra. That was nearly ninety years ago and has been the presence of engine the Christmas dinner being THEN comes yet another of the
neers responsible for the royal the tradition has been, Christmas broadcast, and they Immediately maintained
house ever since. So leave the has the routine established after it is over.
years
by Queen Alexandra-at- To The Church tendance at Sandringham
Everyone's health in
In
Climax Of Day THEN comes the climax of the day-the Christmas Ball. It was started by Queen Alexand-a two world war has taken place
Christmas every
night ever since. There used to be mili- tary orchestra in other days but
a dance band
comes specially from London.
now
Then
Of course, the big stores to find that the birds have have arrangements for this sort flown.... aided in their flight of thing, and the average shop by a trio of broad-shouldered per would take on a distinctly companions who can subsc curtive look if he realised how quently been seen having a quiet carefully he or she was being word in the ear of some un-
crutinised by the innocuous scrupuleus butcher. the counter. looking customer further along
seasonal activity hos In the Christmas rush, how- ronched such proportiona ever, the stores detective as will shortly be legalised and nor the time made the subject of proper re- neither the aparo
watch several hundred pain gulation like grouse shooting
This
of hands at once. In imminent et fox Bunting.
JEWELLERS
London Zeprate Bernice.
that
Thafts from lorries and vans, groaning along the roads daden with food, cigarettes and sweets, also show a sharp rise 'round about Christmas, Careless drive ing might account for an odd package dropping off here there, but it does not usually. unfasten padlocked doors, nar shake out only cigareties which had been carefully packed un- der øverything else in the, load.
and
Sometimes a complote van, with its load, tunaccountably dizolves into thin air. Sub- sequently discovered out of town, the only record of cargo lay some fast trading in one of the many street markets,
soch.
its
THE gentlement responsible for these happenings are rarely They are for the most part night workers, and as the nights are longest about Christ- mas time it is, naturally enough. dhe busiest time of their
It is encouraging
to
year. therefore, to say the locat of it, that Scot
true seasonal workers, lool forward keenly to the friendly the laden counters,. crowds jostling them
close to and smile benignly at the store's Santa danger of being trampled Claus as they surreptitiously of the species, he is lucky if
el death by the advancing female and Yard, after keeping
check 011 the rate of house- chandise. load their pockets with mer-ho can "apprehend" even a few Christmases, have come to the breaking over the past two cases of this type of erasonal conclusion that burglers do not majority, employment.
the Fortunately
not
they
arc
from their
local
cant
During the
Svin
an
elaborate meal of seven courses, but the late
late King, preferred a more modest
repast, ver served in thousands of ordinary day's occasions when every When the late King was alive houses. However, at the same one gathers in the ballroom for be used to have the first danco Fo hous Lime there are always two the distribution of presents. This with the housekeeper while the whether or
reared on the home is a magnificent room which was head turkeys
buller lod the Queen gradua
Increase their efforts over the graduating boar's head. The originally designed by Queen Mother on the form, and a
old festive season. After the sum- plum pudding is made from Alexandra
and added to later. the Queen will dance with tho
dance with year shops, are still amateurs. Some acquaintance rejoined the land.
mer, spent perhaps practising favourite recipe of Queen Vic- At one end is great Christmas butler and the Duke of Edin-
Christmas
And the displays of of Christmas miscreants, and on dummy window catches and church in the morning, mid- FTER breakfast, which is al-
toria.
with the housekeeper.
goods too great a as conditions have continued ginss-fronted doors, they are temptation, drink
presents are set out on tables day Christmas dinner, dis- Aways a "help yourseir meal world. During dinner the Queen tree blazing with lights and the burgh
especially when auspicious for him he has stay bually engaged on building up the danclag round the walls. After
ecomes they their on
of the considerable number of tribution of presents. after in the tradition of country houses, champagne.
peaoc. bird-fancler, 110 part Before the days of broadcast- distribution it is the turn of the cral with everyone. taking by pur settle their conscience ed on into the piping days
from prince, to 100mm pleading slow service
burglaries which tea to the domestic staff the royal party gather in the
Occupy the particularly adept at handling police force during the long olman, | the over-worked shop ing the afternoon was left free, houshold staff great hall shortly before elevan
estate from princess to serving maid. Afterwards, having made their turkeys.
assistants. and in the evening a dance o'clock. They enter the
winter months. cars but today the royal broadcast workers. It is the
royal party usually stay For The famous has become one of the most ex- everyone in royal employ 10 re- until after midnight, but the only to be asked to step back for the eport he elects to follow, keep an eye to the main chance,
uneasy way through the door for everybody. It is
Christmas is the open season No doubt over Christmas they A drawn up under the happy, jovial occasion. porch and drive to the Norfolk citing events of the day. The ceive a gift, During the last war dancing zoes on unt the small in again for a quiet word with All over Britain farmers the gift took the form of The Sandringham estate gate of the home park. Here
hours with a room on the savings certificates but lately mains of the Christmas feast swear that this delay had in- anticipation plainly furnished
cold supper-re the manager, they invariably wall of breath and but the swapping of copensive presents, "tached, beforehand in the north-east corner of they leave the cars and walk the microphones are set up in
as thoirturkeys in all the more obvious hitling floor of the
there has been a house,
reversion to and to the accompaniment of duced an otherwise unaccount- and geero take on an artificially places in the House, does not Norfolk was purchased by
obokin the terrace and the giving of personal tokens crackers, favours
stimulated middle-aged reached by a King Edward VII about the
short flight of in the way of brooches, cuff hats...
Gontlemen, too, are discover in Tho Christmas service itself stops.
endeavours. Contrary to popular links and le-pins. time
In fact all the things which ed to have forgotten all about" death and a fast trip to the belief, the burglar is one of the of his marriage in
Special is simple. The carols are special-
It is quite a ceremony, with for years have gone to the mak-the handsome transmitting lines to 1863, and the large man- ly chosen and
aro all the staff lined up in order of ing of a real old-fashioned Mer-
Shaving are sung by a Broadcasting, House-there
felis dinner table. And all over the few people who do not go out which they are amazed to find country farmers and small specially to steal a dew presents slon was executed his choir of local boys and royal three to obviate any possibility sonlarity or long service. This ry Christmas.
In their coat pockets.
+ holders are waking one morning for the kids,,
to
of the way to the village church, the rond generally being lined by hundreds of people.
a
and the
custom
war
and funny [able state of absent-mindednesɔations for an untimo seem to stimulate them to extra
+
}
Make it a
Christmas
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·
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•
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DRESSING GOWNS by Jooger or Tootal, PYJAMAS in The Newest Styles by
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