Carol of the Bells was composed by Mykola Dmytrovych Leontovych (1877-1921) in 1916. Originally titled Shchedryk, this Ukrainian folk song is sometimes called Ukrainian Bell Carol.
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.
This video is from the Christmas special of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, presented at the BYU channel. Very beautiful sound of bells, the orchestra and choir, enjoy the video!
December 9, 2012: Joseph of Bethlehem: Journey of Trust – Matthew. 1:18-24
The Night Before Christmas says that the dreams were of “sugarplums that danced in their heads.” Don’t know about you but during the rush of Christmas my dreams are more nightmares and not sugarplums. For Joseph I think it was the same. Mary pregnant and it wasn’t his! His life over and dreams crushed! Now he is told “Don’t be afraid!” Trust is the word that Joseph had to learn so that there would be a Christmas.
I wonder do we TRUST that Christmas is love, peace and hope? Do we put our trust in the one who does the Impossible at Christmas? Let’s see how we can Trust Christmas!
“I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” is a Christmas carol based on the 1863 poem “Christmas Bells” by American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The song tells of the narrator’s despair, upon hearing Christmas bells, that “hate is strong and mocks the song of peace on earth, good will to men”. The carol concludes with the bells carrying renewed hope for peace among mankind.
This version is done by Casting Crowns. I chose it because the Pender choir sang this on Christmas Eve with past-Associate Pastor Dan Elmore singing the solo…and I fell in love with this version.
As seen on 2008 TBN Christmas special. “I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day” is available on Casting Crowns’ Christmas album, Peace On Earth.
More traditionally, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir’s version:
I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
and wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along
The unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
Till ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime,
A chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound
The carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,
And made forlorn
The households born
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
And in despair I bowed my head;
“There is no peace on earth,” I said;
“For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!”
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men.”
I love collecting inspirational and beautiful photos from around the web. My dropbox is full of them, my personal Pinterest page has lots, and of course, our Pender Pinterest page is overflowing.
I’m going to start sharing some of them here, as well.
The second candle, lit on the second Sunday of advent along with the first
candle, is the Bethlehem candle, reminding us that Jesus was born in Bethlehem.
It too is purple, reminding us that it was a King Who was born in the manger.
Carol of the Bells was composed by Mykola Dmytrovych Leontovych (1877-1921) in 1916. Originally titled Shchedryk, this Ukrainian folk song is sometimes called Ukrainian Bell Carol.
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