Christmas Carols and Their Stories
Puzzle 67 · Carol Services, Choirs and Bells · Page 95 in print
Carols on the Radio
After the 1929 King’s broadcast, a listener wrote to The Times on Christmas Day that his wireless could not keep London and Daventry apart, so dance music broke into the carols.
Jump to a word
The words
Daventry
Site of the BBC transmitters that carried the broadcasts.
Gresham College lecture transcript (opens a new tab) · Science Museum Group Collection (opens a new tab)
Empire Service
The BBC overseas service begun in 1932.
John Reith
First Director General of the BBC.
Listeners
The millions who hear the service worldwide.
Marconi
Maker of the Marconi-Reisz microphones used in 1928.
Microphone
Microphones slung across the chapel in 1928.
Minnesota
Minnesota Public Radio carries the service in the US.
Radio Four
The BBC network that broadcasts the service in the UK.
Radio Three
The BBC network that repeats it on Christmas Day.
Radio Times
The BBC listings magazine that billed the King’s service.
Shortwave
The waveband used to reach listeners overseas.
Television
The first televised King’s carol service was in 1954.
Transmitter
The Daventry short-wave transmitter of 1932.
Wireless
The home radio set of the 1920s.
World Service
The BBC World Service, which carries the service live.
Sources
- Gresham College lecture transcript, Professor Jeremy Summerly, ‘Boris Ord’s King’s College Carols’ (10 December 2020)gresham.ac.uk
- Science Museum Group Collection, object 1970-44 (Daventry short-wave transmitter units)collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk
- King’s College, Cambridge, official site (A History of A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols)kings.cam.ac.uk
- The Arts Desk, Alexandra Coghlan, ‘Carols From King’s: How a tradition was made’ (27 November 2016)theartsdesk.com
- King’s College, Cambridge, official site (A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols)kings.cam.ac.uk