Nine Lessons and Carols - Service at Groton School

Service At Groton School

The Choir of Groton School, of Groton, Massachusetts, USA, has been presenting a Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols since 1928, ten years after the service began at King's. Groton's is the oldest tenured Lessons and Carols service in the United States, and second oldest in the world. The school's first organist and choirmaster, Twining Lynes, is believed to have heard the service at King's, and shortly thereafter began the tradition with his choir at Groton. In 82 years, only six organists have presided over the Groton service – Lynes until 1941, Edward Gammons until 1973, Daniel Hathaway until 1976, Craig Smith through mid-2005, Michael Smith through mid-2011, and the current organist, Christopher Hampson.