Since its founding in 1912, the St. Olaf Choir has set a standard in the choral art, serving as a model for choirs of all levels. The ensemble’s annual tour brings its artistry and message to thousands of people across the nation and around the world. The St. Olaf Choir has taken 13 international tours and performed for capacity audiences in the major concert halls of Norway, France, South Korea, New Zealand, Australia, New York City, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Los Angeles, Dallas, and the Twin Cities.
In addition to being an artistic force, the St. Olaf Choir has a full calendar of events and a growing library of recordings. The choir’s mission is to provide music of the highest quality that lifts people's hearts and spirits, incorporating a diversity of voices and cultural traditions into the chorus of the Christian faith. Many people experience this message through the annual St. Olaf Christmas Festival. But perhaps nowhere is the essence more clearly proclaimed than in the work that has become the choir's signature piece, Beautiful Savior.
Carol Of The Bells
The St. Olaf Choir Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
high sounding bells,
Joyful they ring,
"Born is the King!"
O how they chime,
sound with a rhyme,
Be of good cheer,
Singing their song,
Ding-ding-a-dong!
This is the day,
Come, come away!
Now everywhere,
all through the air,
Ring silver bells,
sing silver bells!
Hear how they pound,
Hear how they sound!
Telling the tale
o'er hill and vale:
Come one and all,
answer the call!
Come, come and sing,
"Born is the King!"
Join the joyous Christmas celebration,
Join the folks of every land and nation!
Endless the song
lives on and on:
"Born is the King!"
Hark to the bells!
High sounding bells!
Good news they bring!
Let the heavens ring!
"Born is the King!"
The song, "Carol of the Bells" by Mykola Leontovych, is a hymn of joy for the arrival of Christmas. The song is performed by The St. Olaf Choir, using an a cappella arrangement that captures the feeling of a lively gathering of people around the festive period. The lyrics, "Hark to the bells, high sounding bells," are a call to all to listen to the joyful chime of the bells, announcing that Christ has been born. The bells ringing, coupled with the happy notes being sung, create a musical atmosphere that engenders good cheer.
Line by Line Meaning
Hark to the bells,
Listen closely to the sound of the bells,
high sounding bells,
The bells are loud and can be heard from far away,
Joyful they ring,
The bells are ringing with happiness and delight,
"Born is the King!"
The bells are announcing the birth of the King,
O how they chime,
The bells are ringing in a consistent and harmonious manner,
sound with a rhyme,
The bells have a musical and poetic quality to their sound,
Be of good cheer,
The bells are encouraging people to be happy and cheerful,
Christmas is here!
The bells are celebrating the arrival of Christmas,
Singing their song,
The bells are vocalizing their message through their pleasant sound,
Ding-ding-a-dong!
The bells' sound is playful and lively,
This is the day,
The bells are indicating that this is a special and important day,
Come, come away!
The bells are inviting people to join in the celebration,
Now everywhere,
The bells can be heard all around,
all through the air,
The bells' sound is carried in the atmosphere,
Ring silver bells,
The bells are made of silver and are ringing,
sing silver bells!
The bells are producing a sound similar to singing,
Hear how they pound,
The bells' sound is powerful and strong,
Hear how they sound!
The bells' sound is prominent and noticeable,
Telling the tale
The bells are sharing a story through their ringing,
o'er hill and vale:
The bells' message can be heard throughout the land and countryside,
Come one and all,
The bells are inviting everyone to participate in the celebration,
answer the call!
The bells' message is a call to action for people to join in the festivities,
Come, come and sing,
The bells are encouraging people to come and sing with them,
"Born is the King!"
The bells are announcing that the King has been born,
Join the joyous Christmas celebration,
The bells are inviting people to join in the happy Christmas festivities,
Join the folks of every land and nation!
The bells are calling for people from all over the world to come together and celebrate,
Endless the song lives on and on:
The bells' message, just like their ringing, will continue to live on and be passed down,
"Born is the King!"
The bells' message remains the same and is a continuous celebration of the King's birth,
Hark to the bells!
The bells' sound should be closely listened to and appreciated,
High sounding bells!
The bells' sound is powerful and prominent,
Good news they bring!
The bells are announcing happy and joyful news,
Let the heavens ring!
The bells' sound should be echoed and celebrated throughout the world,
"Born is the King!"
Once again, the bells' message is that the King has been born.
Lyrics © HAL LEONARD LLC
Written by: RUTH ARTMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@aq4uplz
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 carolling
One seems to hear
Words of good cheer
From ev’rywhere
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 Christmas
Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas
On, on they send
On without end
Their joyful tone
To ev’ry home
@Emily-ip2ns
Such an amazing experience being conducted by Dr. Armstrong! Will always remember 2022 MT All-state choir
@melaniephillips6776
BEAUTIFUL !
@kahlendurin9632
This is so gorgeous! I feel blessed to be able to hear this!
@flynnstone7454
One of the most beautiful renditions I've ever heard. 👏👏
@willieka1
That is perfection. THAT is how that piece should be done--and rarely is. Bravo.
@colecovw.2171
Very beautiful and Merry Christmas 🎄🎁
@beaugrace5123
Best rendition - wow!
@uriaswesclei1686
What a wonderful delivery!
Thank you for the marvelous work.
@kmills62
Have you ever seen a more handsome group of singers? The girls are all fresh and pretty and the guys are all handsome (even the guy with blue hair). Recorded their Xmas Love Divine and replay is several times per week. Really enjoyed their performance. Congrats to the University for this group.
@garyj1709
One of the best versions of this song. Just beautiful! Always enjoy the quality of The St. Olaf Choir!