This is a WAV file.
 
Longfellow wrote his poem “Christmas Bells,” the basis for “I Heard The Bells,” during the Civil War, and referenced the troubled time with such lines as “hate is strong and mocks the song of peace on earth goodwill to men."
 
After a reflective opening with original music, this composition addresses energetically Longfellow’s text with a setting of Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovyc’s tune “Shchedryk,” better known as “Carol of the Bells.”
 
Deanna Cheyne - vocal; James Cheyne (ASCAP) - piano & orchestral mockup.
 
(Note: Also available as track 5 on the album Nativity.)