Christmas Carols and Songs We Love : Carol of the Bells

Note: I have several posts here related to Advent and Christmas. Just type ADVENT in the Search window above or click on the link to the right.

I so enjoy playing this contemporary Christmas song on the piano each Christmas season.  I'm a bit biased but to me it sounds best with just the piano although there are other versions with a more electric accompaniment.   I don't think that I have ever heard the lyrics but they are also posted below for you.

Carol of the Bells [click on the link to hear the George Winston version of this piece] was composed by Mykola Dmytrovych Leontovych (1877-1921) in 1916. Originally titled Shchedryk, this Ukranian folk song is

based on an old Slavic legend that every bell in the world rang in honour of Jesus on the night of His birth

. It was first performed in the Ukraine on the night of January 13, 1916, on the Julian calendar this is considered New Year's Eve. In the United States the song was first performed on October 5, 1921 at Carnegie Hall.

More info on this piece is at  THIS LINK.

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 caroling

One seems to hear

Words of good cheer

From ev'rywhere

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 ev'ry home

Ding, dong, ding, dong.