Christmas carol service or assembly - 'Darkness into Light'

Do you organise a Christmas carol service or assembly and want a set of readings that is traditional but a bit different - more dramatic, perhaps? This script provides an alternative to the standard Bible readings, with opportunities to include traditional carols or songs. With its theme of darkness and light, it can be presented in an atmospheric way with battery-powered candles. Whenever I have presented it, it has been very well received, by parents, children, fellow teachers and the vicar!
There are notionally 12 separate readings: I have sometimes had to combine some for fewer readers, or add welcomes, introductions and prayers for a larger group - alternatively some without readings could sing in between. For differentiation, some readings are longer, some shorter, some easy, some harder so that you can allocate them according to how confident your readers are.
The piece was written originally for a Year 6 group, but because of the varied level of readings it would suit Y5 or older readers too.
At the end you will find some notes including suggestions for carols that fit well at certain spots during the performance: a variety so that you can have some for congregation / audience and others for school / group only.