Carol of the Bells

One of the things I enjoy doing at Christmas time is playing Christmas Music on the Handbells.  I would like to share some of the pieces we played this year on the bells.

This past week my Community Group called Bridge City Bells went to St. Mike’s Health Centre, a continuing care facility in Lethbridge to hold our rehearsal.  Carol of the Bells was the first piece we played for the residents.

Here are the English lyrics for Carol of the Bells.

Hark! How the bells, sweet silver bells, all seem to say throw cares away.

Christmas is here bringing good cheer to young and old, meek and the bold.

Ding, dong, ding, dong that is their song, with joyful ring all carolling.

One seems to hear words of good cheer from everywhere filling the air.

Oh, how they pound, raising the sound o’er hill and Dale telling their tale.

Gaily they ring while people sing songs of good cheer Christmas is here!

Merry, merry, merry merry Christmas!  Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas!

On, on they send, on without end, their joyful tone to every home. 

This piece wasn’t originally a Christmas song. It was written in 1914 by Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovich. The song which was titled Shchedryk  tells the tale of a swallow flying into a household to proclaim the plentiful year that the family will have.  The title, Shchedryk, is derived from the Ukrainian word shchedryj which means bountiful.

Peter J. Wilhousky reworked the music for orchestra with new lyrics. He focused around the theme of bells because the harmony reminded him of handbells. Today this piece is  associated with Christmas because the new lyrics reference bells, carolling and the line “merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas”.

I think this was a good piece to have my handbells play to open our rehearsal at St. Mike’s.  The audience seemed to enjoy it too. 

# living life abundantly  # published author  # travelling tuesdays