[Fiji Hill]

When performed properly, "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" is near the top of the list of my favorite Christmas songs. However, it is often set to an uninspiring modern melody and the fourth and fifth verses, which relate to the Civil War are almost always omitted, which turns the song into just another routine holiday ditty.

While it doesn't include all the verses, the Trail Band's version does feature the fourth verse and is set to the melody "Waltham" (1872), which, in my opinion, is far and away the best melody for the song. This is the best recorded version of I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" that I have heard, so I added it to my Youtube playlist.

[mairdie]

I’m so glad you like this one. I have an absolutely massive collection of Christmas CDs, and they’re all uploaded to our file system so that I can sort by carol name. When I go to make a video, I play through all versions of that carol over and over again until I can find one that has the words clear enough to work for a music video, and one that I will want to listen to many times.

Some of my favorite pieces won’t upload to YouTube, but the playlist has a link to my Christmas page where they can be downloaded. The Jug Mountain Band, like the Trail Band, has some fantastic pieces that are perfect for holiday listening.

And I agree completely with your analysis of this particular carol. It was very difficult to find one whose words were worth interpreting because they included the later verses. I didn’t know it was set to Waltham. Thanks for that information.

[mairdie]

My favorite carol is one that I sang in high school and I have yet to find a recording I’m willing to use. A more common version has different lyrics and doesn’t soar. If you ever hear of a good version, it would be greatly appreciated.

While shepherds watched their sheep by night,
Glad tidings brought
an angel bright.
How great their joy! (Echo)
Joy, joy, joy! (Echo)
Glory to God in heav’n on high! (Echo)
“Fear not at all,” he said to them,
“Jesus is born in Bethlehem!”
How great their joy! (Echo)
Joy, joy, joy! (Echo)
Glory to God in heav’n on high! (Echo)
“There shall ye find in stable mean,
Christ who shall save the world from sin.”
How great their joy! (Echo)
Joy, joy, joy! (Echo)
Glory to God in heav’n on high! (Echo)
Jesus we hasten to adore,
Grant us Thy blessing ever more.
How great our joy! (Echo)
Joy, joy, joy! (Echo)
Glory to God in heav’n on high! (Echo)