Song of the Day - 24th December

Happy Christmas Eve all you lovely people!

Christmas is of course the time of year when choirs sing songs that require them to imitate bells and I have naturally continued this time-honoured tradition in today's featured Song of the Day. 

For Christmas Eve, I have for you a setting of a poem called "The Song of the Bells" by Canadian poet Jean Blewett (1862-1934). With a title like that, how could I resist the urge to have my choirs ding-donging away!

With echoes of Charles Dickens' famous novella "A Christmas Carol" this song tells the tale of an cynical, selfish old man who, long since having lost his enjoyment of Christmas, finds joy again in giving to others on Christmas Eve.

The Song Of The Bells

By Jean Blewett

He frowned and shook his snowy head.

"Those clanging bells! they deafen quite

With their unmeaning song," he said.

"I'm weary of it all to-night -

The gladness, sadness. I'm so old

I have no sympathy to spare,

My heart has grown so hard and cold,

So full of self, I do not care

How many laugh, or long, or grieve

In all the world this Christmas eve.

"There was a time long, long ago -

They take our best, the passing years -

For the old life, and faith, and glow.

I'd give - what's on my cheek? Not tears!

I have a whim. To-night I'll spend

Till eyes turn on me gratefully -

An old man's whim, just to pretend

That he is what he used to be;

For this one night, not want nor pain

Shall look to me for help in vain."

"A foolish whim!" he muttered oft,

The while he gave to those in need;

But strangely warm and strangely soft

His old face grew, for self and greed

Slipped from him. Ah, it made him glow

To hear the blessing, thanks, the prayer.

He looked into his heart, and lo!

The old-time faith and love were there.

"Ring out, old bells, right gladly ring!"

He said, "Full sweet the song you sing."