LDS Hymn #214

Hymn #214 - I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

I believe I heard the background story to this hymn when I was a teenager. By that point, I knew it was the Christmas hymn that was hard to play with its 3 flats and accidentals throughout. Also in ward choir we sang a version where the 3rd verse went into a minor key, which made that somber verse stand out even more, and its change to a major key in the 4th verse bring out the joy and hope in the author/singer's realization. Always, always loved the words of this song, particularly the last 3.

The song took on another special meaning to me when my first family ward on my own, without my actual family in it with me, had a magnificent pipe organ with these amazing chimes. It was a tradition in our ward to play this hymn on the Sunday we had our Christmas Sacrament program, with those chimes. In the last 2 months, the ward boundaries were reorganized and our ward ended up meeting in a new building, with an obviously inferior organ. Yet our organist still played this with gusto this morning, making those chimes work as well as she could. And I still enjoyed singing these words of hope, joy, and redemption because Christ brought that as His gift to us, He and His life being Heavenly Father's gift to us.

Favorite lines:
*"Had rolled along th'unbroken song"
*"The wrong shall fail, the right prevail"
*"Till, ringing, singing, on its way"


From the history book
Longfellow's original poem was 7 stanzas long, published in 1867. Original Verse 4 and 5 were more of the author's grief over the Civil War occurring in his country (United States) at that time. The original 3rd verse is now the last because they wanted the song to end on a more hopeful, optimistic feeling. I'm great with that!

Lyrics

1. 1. 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.
2. 2. I thought how, as the day had come,
   The belfries of all Christendom
   Had rolled along th'unbroken song
   Of peace on earth, good will to men.
3. 3. 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."
4. 4. 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."
5. 5. 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!
6. Text: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 1807-1882
   Music: John Baptiste Calkin, 1827-1905