I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
A joyous bell peal leads to the first iteration of the theme before moving into a more flowing verse accompanied by delicate mallets on treble handbells. An optional dark and dissonant verse (which portrays one of the lesser-known stanzas of the Longfellow poem) gives way to a verse in minor before a triumphant return to major to depict the lyrics "Then pealed the bells more loud and deep/God is not dead, nor doth he sleep..." An exciting and beautiful addition to your holiday worship or concert.