Those awake early enough on Christmas Morning 1976 would be excited to turn on their televisions to see Carols from Durham Cathedral, airing from 8.45 to 9.30, where, according to the television listings of the period, "Roy Dotrice and the choir of the magnificent Durham Cathedral celebrate Christmas with readings and carols". The more eagle-eyed would note that this choir consisted of the students of the Durham Chorister School, who over Christmas are frequently called upon to participate in their duties to the Cathedral. Wealands Bell, a Chorister student who was present during this performance, recently recalled on his personal site the "sliver of stardom" that this experience entailed, likening it to Hollywood "with cameras and microphones and make-up girls fussing round the shinier-browed of us". This was not the first time the Choir had performed at Christmas, of course; the TV listings for Christmas 1961 saw ITV broadcast 'Christmas Music from Durham Cathedral' at 12.30, just before The Christmas Box hosted by future star of Crossroads Noele Gordon.

While Bow and Durham School break up over Christmas, the Chorister School does not. For much of the School's history, Chorister student would stay at the school over Christmas in order to participate in the festive Cathedral services, only leaving after breakfast on boxing day; people began to feel that this was unnecessary, however, as many of the chorister parents came to the Evensong service in order to see their children. It was eventually decided in 1995 that students should be allowed to return home to their parents after the service. A 1994 article in the Newcastle Journal stated that "for the 21 choristers at Durham Chorister School, Christmas Day is a time of duty – a time when they will sing their hearts out for hundreds of worshippers at two Durham Cathedral services." Their day (reads the article) started out with breakfast, where they are entitled to open a single present sent by their parents. Then came the morning service, then Christmas dinner, finished by an afternoon service starting at 3.30pm. Stephen Drew, the Headmaster at the time, said that "they love Christmas – they find it exciting and enjoyable. They know what is expected of them over Christmas and are quite happy."

The role of Father Christmas was typically played by a member of staff, to varying effect. Charles Pattinson, a Chorister School student from 1914 to 1920, recalls one occasion where Headmaster F.S. Dennett tried to deliver presents one night. "On Christmas Eve, when he supposed that we were all fast asleep, he and Miss Davies would come round the dormitories laden with good things which, with considerable puffings and blowings and to the accompaniment of frequent 'Shsh'es, they put into our stockings. Legend had it that a loud 'damn' was once heard to echo round the dormitories as F.S.D. dropped his torch!" It was not always the Headmaster; on occasion other members of staff would take the role, or even visiting members of the Cathedral, although the students would always try to guess Santa's identity.

Alan Oyston, who sadly passed away last month, was a Chorister student from 1942 to 1945, as well as a Durham School student from 1946 to 1949. A memorial service will take place at Durham Cathedral next Monday. In his 2019 memoir Wartime Choristers (co-authored with fellow Chorister alumnus George Hetherington), he recalled how the pupils would be invited to a Christmas party at the house of Cyril Alington, the Dean of Durham:

"Before we were allowed to tuck in, we each had a letter of the alphabet pinned to our backs, which put in order, would form a Latin motto of exactly 24 letters. Once we had worked it out, we could eat! At the Dean's party, we were entertained by a visiting clergyman friend of his who considered himself a ventriloquist, but really was the worst ever. His lips moved continuously, his voice changed very little when the 'doll' was supposed to be speaking, and there was no synchronisation whatsoever. We laughed throughout at his incompetence, which he took to be appreciation of his talent, but if ever there was an instance of 'Stick with your day job', it was this. To be fair, however, we recognised he had taken the trouble to come, and our applause at the end was sincere."

Accounts of Christmas parties in the 1970s mention that students would change from their Eton suits to "their own exotic clothes". Mince pies were provided, in case the turkey and flaming Christmas pudding from earlier in the day were insufficient. There was a complex array of Christmas games played. As well as the Latin letter game mentioned above by Alan Oyston, there was "the balloon game, musical cushion, charades, sardines and, most popular of all, Murder." Wealands Bell recalls the 'Mars Bar' game, which involved trying to eat the chocolate in question using a knife and fork while wearing gloves, as well as 'Musical Gym Shoes', which saw a desperate rush to put on a suitable shoe when the music stopped.

The Christmas festivities would end at 10:15 when the Chorister students would return, weary but excited, to bed, waiting to be picked up by their parents on Boxing Day breakfast. Let me sign off this article as they would have finished their festivities, with a warm wish of a Merry Christmas.