The BBC first broadcast The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols from King’s College Cambridge on Christmas Eve 1928. This Christmas countless millions around the world will again be moved to shed tears of joy as the creamy voice of a solitary choir-boy sings the opening verse of Once in Royal David’s City. This is then followed by the majestic sound of the Chapel organ as the full choir sings the remaining five verses.

This famous carol was written by Mrs Cecil Frances Alexander who was born in Ireland in 1818. From a child she wrote poems and hid them under a carpet because children in those days were not allowed to assert themselves. Her father discovered her secret and provided a box for their reception. She was then given permission to read the contents to the family on Saturday evenings. From this small beginning she wrote some 400 hymns including gems like There is a Green Hill Far Away and All things Bright and Beautiful. Although these hymns were designed to help children understand the Bible, adults happily adopted them. In 1848 she published a hymnbook called Hymns for Little Children which ran into over 100 editions. All the profits went to the School for Deaf Mutes in Londonderry.

Mrs Alexander spent her life and her money caring for the less fortunate, particularly the poor children in her Sunday School and their parents. She made endless visits to their homes, sewing, cooking, mending and caring for the sick, aged and infirm for which she was greatly loved. She followed the example of our Lord Jesus Christ of whom she wrote in the carol:

“And He feeleth for our sadness,
And He shareth in our gladness.”

She was promoted to heaven in 1895.