Carols and Candlelight

Long before the Kapa Haka began their welcome, families and students from Year 3 upwards streamed into Holy Trinity Cathedral for one of the Boys’ School’s most treasured traditions: the annual Carol Service. Set beneath the cathedral’s soaring vaults and stained glass, it is a space that invites both reverence and reflection, a place that makes you feel small while prompting you to consider something far greater.

Head Boy Austin Watson and his mother delivered the first nativity reading, with Year 3 students portraying the scene with great passion. Outgoing staff member Penny Foster and Deputy Head Boy Charlie Henderson continued the readings, bringing the timeless story to its conclusion. Throughout the service, carols filled the cathedral, including a beautifully performed staff rendition of O Come, O Come Emmanuel.

Assistant Chaplain Isaac Williams offered this year’s address on the theme The Light of the World. His memorable illustration–a student sealed inside a fully wrapped present, impervious even to the brightest torch–revealed its message the moment the box was opened and light streamed in from every angle. “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it” (John 1:5), he reminded the boys, encouraging them to carry that same light into their own communities.

The service also featured the Boys School Pipes' and Drums, a special rendition of Mary's Boy Child by Year 3 & 4, and three outstanding performances by the Performer's choir. It concluded with the treasured tradition of the Year 8 leavers’ candles. Principal Peter Cassie reflected afterwards that this “service was one of the best I have experienced in my 13 years here,” made especially moving by the atmosphere within the cathedral.