A Music Moment: I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

The "Music Moment" segment will feature songs that really hit my heart. One of the latest songs that touched me was  I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day. The version I heard was off of Crystal Lewis's Christmas album, Home For the Holidays. The composer of Crystal's album (who plays the piano on the songs) is John Andrew Schreiner, a very talented musician who has been described as the "Elton John of Christian Music". 

 I love discovering new music. I did research on that Christmas carol and found it was from a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in 1863.
  Longfellow wrote the song to express his despair of hearing Christmas bells, that "hate is strong and mocks the song of peace on earth, good will to men". The carol ends with the bells carrying renewed hope for peace among men.

During the American Civil War, Longfellow's oldest son joined the Union cause as a soldier against his father's wishes. After becoming a lieutenant, Longfellow's son was severely wounded in the Battle of New Hope Church in Virginia during the Mine Run Campaign. 
  On top of that tragedy, Longfellow had also lost two wives; the first died of an illness following a miscarriage, and the second died after being severely burned while trying to melt sealing wax. 

I think this song is one of the most beautiful I have ever heard. It really shows you how beauty can come from ashes, how you can triumph over tragedy. 

To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the LORD has planted for his own glory.
~ Isaiah 61:3 (NLT)

Here are the lyrics to Longfellow's beautiful song:

(Words by Henry W. Longfellow, music by A. Herbert Brewer)

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,

and wild and sweet

The words repeat

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom

Had rolled along

The unbroken song

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Till ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,

A voice, a chime,

A chant sublime

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,

And with the sound

The carols drowned

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,

And made forlorn

The households born

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And in despair I bowed my head;
"There is no peace on earth," I said;

"For hate is strong,

And mocks the song

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;

The Wrong shall fail,

The Right prevail,

With peace on earth, good-will to men."