Brown University's 93nd Annual Lessons and Carols Service Sunday, December 6, 2009, 4:00 p.m., Sayles Hall Free and open to the public. Brown University’s Annual Service of Lessons and Carols—now in its ninth decade—will be held on Sunday, December 6, 2009, at 4:00 p.m., in Sayles Hall, The College Green. The University Chorus, under the direction of Frederick Jodry, and the University Brass, under the direction of Mark Steinbach, will present music for the season. Steinbach, the University organist, will also perform on Sayles Hall's historic 1903 Hutchings-Votey Organ. The public is cordially welcome to attend this ancient form of corporate worship for the Christmas season, with readings from the Old and New Testaments. The service was revived for modern use at Truro Cathedral in Cornwall during the late nineteenth century and was made world famous through the broadcasts and recordings of the Kings College Choir, Cambridge University, during the mid-twentieth century. It is now widely used in schools, colleges, and churches around the world. Special note: This year, the Chaplains' Office honors Brown's Year of India by incorporating this image of a “Mother and Child” by Sarah Kay ’10 into the Lessons and Carols publications. The photo, which was taken in an Indian hamlet by Ms. Kay, was chosen to honor the sacred bond between women and their children everywhere. Ms. Kay is also involved in Project V.O.I.C.E.S., an initiative she founded to help high school students give voice to their own poetry through acting. www.project-voice.net Each year a free-will offering is collected during this service to address directly the needs of others locally and beyond Providence. This year, the chaplains have designated Crossroads Rhode Island as the beneficiary for this offering. Formerly known as Travelers Aid of Rhode Island, Crossroads is the largest homeless services organization in the state. They provide assistance 24-hours a day, 7 days a week, for a broad spectrum of Rhode Islanders, working to solve both the immediate and long-term needs of people in desperate situations. They are committed to preserving individual dignity and respect for all people, at all times. The Office of the Chaplains and Religious Life and the Music Department are the sponsors of this service.