The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols from Kings College, Cambridge, was first held on Christmas Eve 1918. Its fame grew after the service was heard on radio in 1928 and, with the exception of 1930, it has been broadcast at home and abroad ever since. In 1954 Christmas Carols from Kings was televised on Christmas Day as part of a live exchange of programmes with other countries with Midnight Mass coming from Paris on Christmas Eve and Winter Games from Switzerland on Boxing Day. This led to the formation of Eurovision making the event a milestone in broadcasting history. In 1963 annual TV broadcasts of the service commenced on BBC TV, becoming a firm favourite in the Christmas schedules.

Over the past 65 years technology and TV has moved beyond the wildest dreams of those original OB pioneers who captured black and white pictures using the Pye Mk3 image orthicon cameras, cutting edge technology in 1954!

Today’s generation of HD digital kit is radically different, making a big impact on the opportunity offered by all the production resources. This session explores how with the latest technology, particularly at this challenging time of pandemic, a visually stunning production is realised while retaining the authentic sound of this world-famous Christmas event from Kings College, Cambridge.

Ian Russell (Director) Award-winning producer and director Ian Russell came up through the BBC Presentation Department before joining the BBC Outside Broadcast Events and Entertainment where he produced and directed a wider range of shows including national event coverage and music shows. For the past 2 decades, with his Sparkly Light company, has been responsible for some memorable television broadcasts ranging Midsummer Night’s Dream from Shakespeare’s Globe to Proms in the Park.

Bernie Davis (Lighting Director) Bernie started life at the BBC TV become one of their senior OB lighting directors. Since leaving the BBC he has worked on many of the highest-profile programmes ranging from events in cathedrals and palaces, to concerts and light entertainment shows, plays, operas and ballets from The National Theatre and Covent Garden. His work has been acknowledged by prestigious industry awards including those from the Royal Television Society, BAFTA, and The Knight of Illumination.

Peter Taylor (OB Planning and Operations) Peter is BBC Studios’ Head of Operations for Outside Broadcasts. He works across a range of live OB Events from Glastonbury to State Events to Church services - Rock, Royals and Religion. He has installed four Archbishops, married three Princes, buried two heads of state and one Pope! He also Chairs an industry training panel which provides apprenticeship training for Outside Broadcast Engineers and is a churchwarden.