I'm Only the Trombone Player

One of My Favorite Things!

Ahhh, "Carol of the Bells", without a doubt it is one of my very favorite Christmas Carols!

So simple and free of complexity, yet open to a multitude of renditions, that each presents it in a very unique way.

The song itself is built on a simple four note motif;



The first line in the image shows the original motive and the four note countermelody.

If you sing the lyric in your head, think —This part is usually without the counter melody.

Hark how the bells, Sweet silver bells, All seem to say, Throw cares away.

Then, in the next stanza, the countermelody is often added

Christmas is here, Bringing good cheer, To young and old, Meek and the bold.
Ding ------------ Dong -------------- Ding ------------ Dong -------------

On the second line, the same four note motif is transposed up a third. (think Do - Mi)

The same countermelody continues and the arranger has a choice to either fill in the chords or use the original notes of the four note motif. Both have been done many times over.



In the first line of this image, a new motif is used in the first three measures, but the original motif returns in the fourth measure.

The second line is completely new and serves to "turn around" and get us back to the top of the song;

The lyric there is the "Mer ry Mer ry Mer ry Christ mas" refrain.

This would have worked better if I had you all around my piano and could have played the examples as I explained it!!

Now! A bit of musical history.

"Carol of the Bells" is not the original title of this tune. In fact, the tune was not originally written as a Christmas Carol!!

The tune was originally composed in 1916 by Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovich and titled “Shchedryk”, known as "The Little Swallow" in English. It was usually sung for Orthodox New Year as a "well wishing" song.

The Lyrics;

Shchedryk, shchedryk, a shchedrivka [New Year's carol];
A little swallow flew [into the household]
and started to twitter,
to summon the master:
"Come out, come out, O master [of the household],
look at the sheep pen,
there the ewes have yeaned
and the lambkins have been born
Your goods [livestock] are great,
you will have a lot of money, [by selling them].

If not money, then chaff: [from all the grain you will harvest]
you have a dark-eyebrowed [beautiful] wife."
Shchedryk, shchedryk, a shchedrivka,
A little swallow flew.

An American choir director, Peter Wilhousky heard the Ukrainian National Chorus perform “Shchedryk” and in 1936 copyrighted new lyrics for the tune and published his version. (Yes Virginia, that is copyright infringement.)

"Carol of the Bells" became an extremely popular Carol and was featured in many concerts starting in the late 1930s. It has been recorded by Symphonic Orchestra's, Choirs, and Jazz Musicians. It's been set to every possible genre of music.

This is my favorite version — right now!