To me the choirs of the cathedrals and chapels of the UK define Christmas, especially the choir of Kings College Cambridge.
The Festival of Nine Lessons goes out to the world at 3:00 PM GMT every Christmas Eve. So that is 9:00 AM central time.
It starts with a solo boy soprano intoning Once in Royal David's City.
The tradition is that the Director of music, currently Stephen Cleobury, has three boys in mind. None of the boys know who will be picked so all have to be ready. Stephen Cleobury says he makes his final choice at the last moment. As soon as the BBC on air light shines, then he points to the boy who will begin the service. So the boy in a split second has to sing to the world. The service being received by pretty much every nation on Earth these days, and sent out in the US from Minnesota Public Radio over the Public Radio network. The host of the broadcast fir the US is
Michael Barone.
