Bell Carol (Leanne Daharja Veitch)

From ChoralWiki
Revision as of 19:30, 12 October 2019 by BarryJ (talk | contribs) (Text replacement - "Published(.*)\b" to "Pub|1$1")
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Music files

L E G E N D Disclaimer How to download
ICON SOURCE
Icon_pdf.gif Pdf
Icon_mp3.gif Mp3
File details.gif File details
Question.gif Help
  • CPDL #24523:     
Editor: Leanne Daharja Veitch (submitted 2011-09-21).   Score information: A4, 7 pages, 158 kB   Copyright: CC BY NC ND
Edition notes:

General Information

Title: Bell Carol
Composer: Leanne Daharja Veitch

Number of voices: 5vv   Voicing: SSSAA

Genre: SecularCarol

Language: English
Instruments: A cappella

First published: 2011

Description: Bell Carol is set for SSSAA, with optional tambourine or sleigh bells. A piano reduction is provided on the score for easy rehearsals, although the music director may opt to support the choir with piano throughout if she / he desires.

Duration is approximately 2-3 minutes, and the level of difficulty / rehearsal allocation time is low to moderate.

The piece contains an optional small semichorus at the end, and a small soprano 1 solo, also optional. Both lines can be sung by full choral sections.

The soprano 1 line also contains several bars late in the score which are optional, due to several repeated top As. The music director / conductor may opt to switch some or all of her / his first sopranos down to join the second sopranos during this section. The piece will still work well with this small change. The points at which this switch can be made, and at which first sopranos may return to their own line, are clearly marked.

I have attempted to imbue Bell Carol with a sense of bells chiming rhythmically throughout, representing the chiming of Church bells on Christmas morning.

This builds with greater and greater urgency, until a sudden halt near the conclusion, as the visitor is drawn inside the building, and welcomed by an ethereal solo voice rising in beauty to the traditional words, “I heard the bells on Christmas Day”.

I hope you all enjoy the piece, and have a very merry Christmas!

Note: An SSATB version of this work will be available shortly.

External websites:

Original text and translations

English.png English text

Ding! Dong! Ding! Dong!
Sing! Sing Christmas today! Sing Christmas today!
Sing a song of joy! Ring a song of joy!
Ding dong!

Ding! Dong! Ding! Dong!
Sing! And be of good cheer! For Christmas is here!
Sing a song of peace! Ring a song of peace!
Ding dong!

Ding ding dong, ding ding dong
Ding-a-ling-a ding ding dong!
Ding ding dong, ding ding dong
Ding-a-ling-a ding ding dong!
Ring!
Ding dong! Ding dong ding dong ding dong!
Ding dong! Ding dong ding dong ding dong!
Ding dong! Ding dong ding dong ding dong!

Merry merry merry Christmas!
Merry merry merry Christmas!
Ding-a-ling-a ling-a ding dong!
Bells ring out! Bells ring out!

Hear bells chime, sing in time, joy sublime
Christmas is here!
Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas!
Everyone sing
Merry merry merry Christmas!
Merry merry merry Christmas!
Ding-a-ling-a ling-a ding dong!

Bells ring out! Bells ring out!
Bells ring out! Bells ring out!
Bells! Bells! Bells! Bells!
Merry! Merry! Christmas! Christmas!
Merry Christmas!

I heard the bells on Christmas Day…
Ahhh…