It’s been hard for me to get into the Christmas spirit this year.  Everyday seems to bring some new report of violence, both here and around the world. This years offering for Footnote Maven’s Blog Caroling is Silent Night sung by Sweet Honey in the Rock.  It combines a version of the carol combined with pictures of the demonstrations that have swept the nation after the police actions in Ferguson, MO and New York.  May next Christmas find us closer to true Justice for all in this country and Peace around the world.

For the past several years I have done We Three Kings as my carol for the Blog Caroling event hosted annually by footnote Maven. I was looking for something different and found this version of Carol of the Bells.   You can find a short history at Carol of the Bells – Wikipedia.

Carol of the Bells

Christmas is here, bringing good cheer
To young and old, meek and the bold
Ding, dong, ding, dong, that is their song,
With joyful ring, all caroling
One seems to hear words of good cheer
From everywhere, filling the air
Oh!, how they pound, raising the sound
O’er hill and dale, telling their tale

Gaily they ring, while people sing
Songs of good cheer, Christmas is here!
Merry, merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas!
Merry, merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas!

On, on they send, on without end
Their joyful tone to every home
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 their song
With joyful ring, all caroling.
One seems to hear words of good cheer
From everywhere, filling the air
O, how they pound, raising the sound
O’er hill and dale, telling their tale

Gaily they ring, while people sing
Songs of good cheer, Christmas is here!
Merry, merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas!
Merry, merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas!

On, on they send, on without end
Their joyful tone to every home.
Ding dong ding dong…