50 BEST SONGS
CAROL OF THE BELLS
TOMMEE PROFITT
XMAS 2022-2023
PLAYLISTS
Carol of the Bells | The most beautiful and dark Christmas Song
Carol of the Bells is a Christmas song like no other. Its music introduces you in an atmosphere of beautiful darkness that mesmerizes. Learn about the story and best versions (which are a few 😄).
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Carol of the Bells Versions | The most popular, our favourite and the latest
- Trembol | Carol of the Bells Story
- Best instrumental versions of Carol of the Bells
- This is what it says | Lyrics and Translation of Carol of the Bells
- Best choral versions of Carol of the Bells
- Did you know? | Fun Facts about Carol of the Bells
- Much more | Ukrainian carols, commemorative coin …
- Technical Note of Carol of the Bells
- Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Carol of the Bells heavy metal version
🏆 MOST POPULAR
Pentatonix Carol of the Bells
In 2014 the most famous American a cappella music band in the world, Pentatonix, covered this Christmas anthem.
💛 TREMBOL FAVOURITE
Katie Melua The Little Swallow
A choir version sung in the original language (Ukrainian). Katie Melua released this incredibly sensitive cover in 2016.
📀 LATEST
Lindsey Stirling Carol of the Bells
Violinist Lindsey Stirling’s 2017 instrumental version adds the beauty of the violin and a lot of punch.
Trembol | “Carol of the Bells” Story
Its origin dates back more than 100 years, to 1916 in Ukraine, when the conductor of the Ukrainian Republic Choir commissioned Mykola Leontovych to compose a song for a choir based on traditional Ukrainian folklore. The earliest recorded version of Carol of the Bells is from 1922.
Mykola takes 4 notes from an anthology of Ukrainian music and creates a choral song dedicated to the new year “shchedrivyky”. Can you spell it? 😅
Oddly enough, in the Ukraine at the time, the New Year was celebrated on March 21, with the beginning of spring. Over time it changed to the same date we all celebrate now.
A few years later, in 1921, Mykola Leontovych was assassinated by a Russian agent, due to his thoughts in favor of independence.
Some historians say that it took Mykola 16 years to finish Carol of the Bells, time enough to create the most beautiful Christmas tune ever made 😊
Many years later, in 1936, another Ukrainian descent composer living in the United States, Peter J. Wilhousky, adapted it, preserving the music, and changing the lyrics. The song used to tell the tale of a swallow flying into a household to proclaim the bountiful year that the family will have, and now there are no birds but bells.
Mykola Leontovych, original composer (Image from musicafolcloricadeucrania)
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More songs that will excite you and their stories behind
🎻 Best instrumental versions of Carol of the Bells
Jennifer Thomas Carol of the Bells
Jennifer is a superb pianist who made an epic version of the song in 2014 on her album “Winter Wonderland”. This live recording with choir and orchestra is amazing.
The Piano Guys Carol of the Bells
They went from not selling a piano in their Utah store to selling millions of records making piano and cello versions of popular songs. In this video they merge “Carol of the Bells” with another Christmas song “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”. Gorgeous.
Tommee Profitt Carol of the Bells
Tommee has released the best 2020 Christmas album, “The Birth of a King”. A few years before, he played a piano cinematic version of “Carol of the Bells”. Look at the speed at which he plays 🎹
This is what it says | Meaning, lyrics and translation of Carol of the Bells [Original Version]
ORIGINAL LYRICS CAROL OF THE BELLS | UKRAINIAN
Щедрик щедрик, Щедрiвочка,
прилeтiла ластiвочка,
стала собi щебетати,
господаря викликати:
“Вийди, вийди, господарю,
подивися на кошару,
там овечки покотились,
а ягнички народились.
В тебе товар весь хороший,
будеш мати мiрку грошей,
В тебе товар весь хороший,
будеш мати мiрку грошей,
хоч не грошей, то полова:
в тебе жiнка чорноброва.”
Щедрик щедрик,
Щедрiвочка,
прилeтiла ластiвочка
ORIGINAL LYRICS CAROL OF THE BELLS | SPANISH
Canción, canción, cancioncilla
Una pequeña golondrina voló a la casa
y empezó a silbar
llamando al dueño de la casa,
“¡ven! Ven pronto, amo,
mira tu granja,
Un redil de ovejas
con corderos recién nacidos.
Puesto que el ganado está sano,
tendrás mucho dinero.
Puesto que el ganado está sano,
tendrás un montón de dinero,
si no tendrás dinero, tendrás granos.
Tienes una mujer que es hermosa”.
Canción, canción, cancioncilla
una pequeña golondrina voló a la casa
y empezó a silbar.
ORIGINAL LYRICS CAROL OF THE BELLS | ENGLISH
Tune, tune, little tune
A little swallow flew to the house.
and began to whistle
calling the owner the house,
“Come! Come soon, master,
look at your farm,
A sheepfold
with newborn lambs.
Since the cattle are healthy,
you will have a lot of money.
Since the cattle are healthy,
you will have a lot of money,
if you don’t have money, you will have grains.
You have a woman who is beautiful”.
Tune, tune, little tune
A little swallow flew to the house.
and began to whistle.
Meaning, Lyrics and Translation of Carol of the Bells [Current Version]
CURRENT LYRICS CAROL OF THE BELLS | ENGLISH
Hark how the bells
Sweet silver bells
All seem to say
Throw cares away
Christmas is here
Bringing good cheer
To young and old
Meek and the bold
Ding-dong, ding-dong
That is the song
With joyful ring
All caroling (Oh, oh, ah)
One seems to hear
Words of good cheer
From everywhere (From everywhere)
Filling the air
Oh, how they pound (Oh, how they pound)
Raising their sound
O’er hill and dale
Telling their tale
Gaily they ring
While people sing songs of good cheer
Christmas is hereMerry, Merry, Merry, Merry Christmas
Merry, Merry, Merry, Merry Christmas
On on they send
On without end
Their joyful tone
To every home
Ding-dong, ding-dong
Ding-dong, ding-dong
CURRENT LYRICS CAROL OF THE BELLS | SPANISH
¡Escucha! Cómo las campanas,
las dulces campanas plateadas,
todas parecen decir:
“Olvida las preocupaciones”
La Navidad ha llegado
trae consigo el júbilo,
a jóvenes y mayores
tímidos y atrevidos.
Ding-dong, ding-dong
Esa es la canción
Con alegre tañer
Todos cantando villancicos (Oh, oh, ah)
Uno parece que oye
palabras de júbilo
por todas partes
que llenan el aire.
¡Oh!, como palpitan (¡Oh!, como palpitan)
Alzando su sonido
sobre valles y colinas
Constando su cuento
suenan alegres
mientras la gente canta canciones jubilosas.
La Navidad ya está aquí.Feliz, feliz, feliz, Feliz Navidad.
Feliz, feliz, feliz, Feliz Navidad.
Siguen y siguen mandando,
siguen sin cesar,
su animado sonido
a cada hogar.
Ding-dong, ding-dong
Ding-dong, ding-dong
Songwriters: M. Leontovich / Peter J. Wilhousky | Lyrics of Carol of the Bells © Fox Music A Division Of Classic Fox Records L, Jrm Music (Lyrics thanks to musicafolcloricadeucrania) | Background Image: Photo by Anton Sharov on Unsplash
Carol of the Bells sung by choirs 👧👦
Libera Carol of the Bells
Libera is a London boys choir aged 7-16. Their lyrical version of Carol of the Bells is very spiritual. They added in the chorus: “Gloria, in excelsis deo (Glory to God in the highest)”, sounding like angels 👼
(John Williams) Home Alone Carol of the Bells
You will remember the funny movie in which Macaulay Culkin stays Home Alone and does a thousand doggies to a couple thieves. The soundtrack is by the great John Williams and includes a superb choir version of Carol of the Bells.
Mormon Tabernacle Choir Carol of the Bells
This is the cover with the largest choir and orchestra. As you will see in the video, they even ring real bells 🔔. It’s very cool.
Did you know...?
Image by AlSurdelHorizonte
Much more| Ukrainian carols, commemorative coin…
- You will see the similarity and confirm that the song has Ukrainian origin. Just listen to this traditional Christmas Carol: “Ой, сивая тая зозуленька (Oh!, gray cuckoo)”. They sound very similar, right?
- In 2016 the National Bank of Ukraine released two commemorative coins of the centenary of Shchedryk (Carol of the Bells).
Technical Note about Carol of the Bells
- It is a magnificent composition. A choral song for four voices that includes many musical elements such as: fugue (a contrapuntal composition in several voices that repeat the same melody at different pitches), ostinato (a series of notes that are repeated in several measures) and homophony (texture by which several voices make the same harmony at the same time forming chords).
- The song is in B flat Major, and its well-known melody consists of a 4-note motif in a minor third chord: B♭ – A – B♭ – G.
Trans-Siberian Orchestra Christmas Eve / Sarajevo | Carol of the Bells heavy metal version 🤘
TSO (Trans-Siberian Orchestra) consists of Savatage members, who previously released a very similar heavy version of “Carol of the Bells”, Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24) in 1995.
This song has a beautiful and real story behind. There was a cello player born in Sarajevo who lived playing throughout Europe. He returned to Sarajevo as an elderly man, amid the Bosnian War.
Serbs were bombing Sarajevo every night and him, instead of hiding, day after day, went to the town square, took out his cello, and played Christmas carols.
When asked why he did such insanely thing, he said:
Is my way of proving that despite all evidence to the contrary, the spirit of humanity was still alive in this place
Christmas Eve (Sarajevo) uses both “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” and “Carol of the Bells” melodies. You are going to love it!
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Header and Featured Image used in this article and on Social Media: Photo by Denys Rodionenko on Unsplash
Fine way of describing, and pleasant article 🙂