Austin College presents its annual Service of Lessons and Carols in celebration of the Christmas season on December 2, 2021, at 5 p.m. in Clifford J. Grum Sanctuary of Wynne Chapel. The event is free and open to the public. Masks are to be worn in all public spaces at Austin College.
The service also will be streamed on Austin College’s Facebook and YouTube sites starting at 5 p.m. and will be available afterward for viewing at any time.
The service, led by College Chaplain Dr. John Williams, is traditionally practiced by the Presbyterian Church and is adapted from the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols that has been celebrated annually at King’s College, Cambridge, for almost a century.
Music will be provided by the Austin College A Cappella Choir and the Austin College Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Dr. Wayne Crannell, associate professor of music. Organ music will be presented by Lisa Thomas and Anna Laura Page.
Senior Lillian Pappas, a Sallie Majors Religious Life Intern, will offer the Invocation. Scriptures lessons will be read by students Lee Campbell ’25, Clay Bourne ’24, Dylan Williams ’23, and Emily O’Neil ’22; as well as by President Steven P. O’Day; Suzanne Crouch, associate vice president of the Institutional Advancement Division; Carllos Lassiter, vice president of Student Affairs; and Dr. Mark Hébert, associate professor of philosophy.
During the Chorus by the Chamber Orchestra and A Cappella Choir of “For Unto Us a Child is Born” from Handel’s Messiah, Lilly Boessen ’23, Brian Linares ’22, Diana Racila ’23, and Logan Shevalier ’22 will perform as soloists.
The congregation will join the musicians in a number of carols, including “Silent Night,” which includes a candle-lighting element that is always popular among participants.
Austin College’s Lessons and Carols tradition continues with movement from Wynne Chapel to the campus Christmas tree just outside for its lighting as participants sing “Joy to the World” before enjoying cookies and cocoa on Windsor Mall.
Austin College, a private national liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas, has earned a reputation for excellence in academic preparation, global awareness, pre-professional foundations, leadership development, committed faculty, and hands-on, adventurous learning opportunities. One of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives, Austin College boasts a welcoming community that embraces diversity and individuality, with more than 50 percent of students identifying as persons of color. The residential student body of approximately 1,300 students and an expert faculty of more than 100 educators allow a 12:1 student-faculty ratio and personalized attention. Related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA), Austin College cultivates an inclusive atmosphere that supports students’ faith journeys regardless of religious tradition. The College, founded in 1849, is the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original name and charter.