Christmas Bells

I sat down at the piano to play a few Christmas songs and carols. One has affected me greatly the past few years.  It is taken from a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (yes, just about my favorite poet). There are eight verses in the original poem, "Christmas Bells," but four are in the song.  The words were set to music first in the late 1800s. In 1950 it was set to music by Johnny Marks and recorded by top artists such as Kate Smith, Frank Sinatra, Harry Belafonte and Bing Crosby.

The story behind the poem is of interest.  The Civil War had begun. Longfellow had been depressed since the death of his wife in 1861, and the War made him even more melancholy. In a very bleak mood he sat down to try to write.  It was Christmas morning. Suddenly he heard all the bells in the churches ringing in the birth of Christ. They sang that God is not dead and peace is possible to men of good will.  The verses in the song, "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day," are as follows:

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!

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.!"

                    It never ceases to touch me, especially with the shape our world is in today.
                    God is not dead, nor doth He sleep.

12/20/11