I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day, from Family Christmas OnlineTMOn December 25, 1863, American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote a poem called "Christmas Bells." Personal tragedy had already struck Longfellow's family more than once. And by that Christmas, the Civil War had raged for thirty-two heartbreaking months, with no end in sight. In those days, armies would have a one-day cease-fire each Christmas. The bells Longfellow heard were likely were ringing to celebrate the cease-fire as much as to celebrate the holiday.But Longfellow could not help but be struck with the irony that the cannon's roar would resume on December 26, making a mockery of the angel's promise of "peace on earth, good will to men." One stanza that is almost never performed today specifically mentions how "the cannon thundered in the South." Still, Longfellow finished the poem with the promise that "The wrong shall fail, the right prevail, with peace on earth, good will to men." In 1872, American composer John Baptiste Calkin provided the tune we all know. Today we retain the verses that tell the story of the song most directly. To hear an MP3 file of this song click here. To download the SATB sheet music for this song in pdf format, click here. I heard the bells on Christmas day
And in despair I bowed my head
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
If you have any corrections or comments you would like to make about this page, please contact me and I will be glad to hear from you. God bless - Paul
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