Carol of the Bells – A Christmas Story – Barbara Heagy
Mr. Lethbridge is coming to our classroom today to begin our rehearsals for our Christmas song.
Every year just before the holiday season, the local radio station in the town of Galt highlights elementary school children singing Yuletide carols for the community as a special celebration. We all look forward to learning a more challenging song than what is offered in our regular musical program for Mr. Lethbridge is a trained music teacher that travels from classroom to classroom throughout the city to create a program for the public that he thinks we all will enjoy.
This year is special. Mr. Lethbridge is excited to find that some of the boys in my grade 8 class have hit puberty and their voices have changed. For the first time, he will be able to teach a song in 4-part harmony. He chose “Carol of the Bells.”
Day after day, we learn and rehearse our song. First the sopranos begin with joyful tune. I am an alto and wait for my cue to join them with blended notes. It’s exciting to hear the voices unite in layered harmony.
“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.”
As the music builds, the boys join in tenor and bass notes with chiming bell sounds:
“Ding, dong, ding, dong . . .
Ding, dong, ding, dong . . . “
Soon, we are a four-part human carillon, chords and melodies ringing out our Christmas cheer. The music builds and builds to a crescendo of pealing chords as soprano, alto, tenor, and bass, join together in a cascade of musical notes claiming the joy of the season.
Then, just as quickly as the music rises to an elegant peak, the melody echoes back down in a soft retreat of resonance, lingering bell sounds slowly fade and die.
“Ding . . . dong . . . ding . . . dong . . . “
The room is hushed. You can’t wipe the smiles off our faces. What joy!
Thank you, Mr. Lethbridge, for your years of service, offering your skills and love of music. I will never forget you.