For the 13th year running, the St Paul Choral Society will lead the singing at the Services of Nine Lessons and Carols, to be held at Holy Trinity Church, Sliema, on December 20 at 6.30 p.m., and at St Paul’s Anglican Pro-Cathedral, Valletta, on December 23, also at 6.30 p.m.

This festival is a long-standing tradition of the Church of England in which readings from the Holy Scriptures alternate with Christmas carols sung by the congregation, as well as other Christmas choral and organ music. The service at St Paul’s will be led by the Bishop of Gibraltar-in-Europe, the Right Reverend Geoffrey Rowell.

New additions this year to the Choral Society’s programme of Christmas music include John Rutter’s Christmas Lullaby, and choral settings of Adolphe Adam’s O Holy Night and of the carols Silent Night and Angels from the Realms of Glory. The Service will include the Maltese Carols O Ġesù, ħelwa tarbija, Għaliex and Ninni la tibkix iżjed in unique choral arrangements, as well as the Hallelujah chorus from Handel’s Messiah.

As always, choir and congregation will join forces in popular carols such as O little town of Bethlehem, O come all ye faithful and Hark the herald-angels sing.

As in the famous service held each year at King’s College Cambridge on Christmas Eve, the festival starts with the singing of Once in royal David’s city and ends with the organ voluntary Fantasia on In Dulci Jubilo by Johann Sebastian Bach.

In addition to the carol services at St Paul’s and Holy Trinity, this year the SPCS will also present a Concert of Christmas music at the Carmelites’ Church, Mdina, on December 22 at 7.30 p.m., which will include most of the choir’s Christmas repertoire for this year.

On all three occasions, Dr Hugo Agius Muscat will direct the choir while Dr Elisabeth Conrad will accompany at the organ. The general public is invited to attend.