Known for its exceedingly high vocal standard, the choir has worked with musicians including Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Antonio Caldara, Antonio Salieri, Heinrich Isaac, Paul Hofhaimer, Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber, Johann Joseph Fux, Christoph Willibald Gluck, and Anton Bruckner.
The choir is the modern-day descendant of the boys' choirs of the Viennese Court, dating back to the late Middle Ages. The choir was, for practical purposes, established by a letter written by Maximilian I on 7 July 1498. In the letter the Emperor instructed court officials to employ a singing master, two basses and six boys. A Slovene, Jurij Slatkonja, became the director of the ensemble.
The role of the choir (numbering between fourteen and twenty) was to provide musical accompaniment to the church mass. The boys received a solid musical education, which in most cases had a significant impact on the rest of their lives, as many went on to become professional musicians. Composers Jacobus Gallus, Franz Schubert, and conductors Hans Richter, Felix Mottl and Clemens Krauss were members of the choir.[1]
In 1920 the Hofkapelle (court musicians) was disbanded. However, the rector at the time, Josef Schnitt, sought a continuation of the tradition. In 1924 the "Vienna Boys' Choir" was officially founded and has extended into being a professional music group. Since 1948 the Palais Augarten has served as their rehearsal venue and boarding school which goes from kindergarten level up to middle school level.
The choir is a private, not-for-profit organization. There are approximately 100 choristers between the ages of ten and fourteen. The boys are divided into four touring choirs, which perform about 300 concerts each year in front of almost 500,000 people. Each group tours for about nine to eleven weeks.
Dr. Eugen Jesser became the choir's president in 2001 and its director in 2003. Gerald Wirth became the choir's artistic director in 2001.
Carol Of The Bells
Vienna Boys Choir Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sweet silver bells,
All seem to say,
Throw cares away
Christmas is here,
Bringing good cheer,
To young and old,
Ding dong ding dong
Their Christmas song
With joyful ring
All caroling
One seems to hear
Words of good cheer
From everywhere
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 every home
Hark how the bells,
Sweet silver bells,
All seem to say,
Throw cares away
All seem to say,
Throw cares away
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
Their Christmas song
With joyful ring
All caroling
One seems to hear
Words of good cheer
From everywhere
Filling the air
Oh how they pound,
Raising the sound,
O'er hill and dale,
Telling their tale,
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,
Gaily they ring
While people sing
Songs of good cheer,
Christmas is here,
Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas,
Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas,
Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas,
Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas,
On on they send ,
On without end,
Their joyful tone
To every home
On on they send ,
On without end,
Their joyful tone
To every home
On on they send ,
On without end,
Their joyful tone
To every home
Ding Dong Ding Dong
"Carol of the Bells" is a classic Christmas carol that originated as a Ukrainian folk song “Shchedryk" (Good Time). The song depicts the ringing of bells, usually church bells, which symbolize both the joy and the religious meaning of Christmas. In the Vienna Boys Choir's version of the song, the bells are described as "sweet silver bells" that seem to say "throw cares away", conveying the idea that Christmas is a time to let go of worries and celebrate with loved ones.
Throughout the song, it is emphasized that Christmas brings "good cheer" to everyone, including both the "young and old" and the "meek and the bold". This universal message illustrates the importance of coming together and celebrating the holiday season as a community. The repetition of the phrase "ding dong ding dong" adds to the festive and cheerful tone of the song.
Overall, "Carol of the Bells" serves as a reminder of the joy and togetherness that the holiday season can bring, as well as the religious significance of Christmas through imagery of ringing church bells.
Line by Line Meaning
Hark how the bells,
Listen to the sound of the bells,
Sweet silver bells,
The sound of these bells is gentle and pure,
All seem to say,
The sound of the bells seems to suggest that,
Throw cares away
Forget your worries and enjoy the moment
Christmas is here,
The time has come for the celebration of Christmas,
Bringing good cheer,
Christmas brings happiness and joy,
To young and old,
Both children and adults enjoy the holiday,
Meek and the bold,
Everyone, regardless of their personality or temperament,
Ding dong ding dong
The sound of the bells ringing in unison
Their Christmas song
The bells are playing a song associated with Christmas
With joyful ring
The sound of the bells is happy and lively
All caroling
The bells are singing in chorus
One seems to hear
It is as if one can listen closely and hear
Words of good cheer
The words of the song are uplifting and happy
From everywhere
The good cheer seems to be coming from all around
Filling the air
The happy energy is palpable in the atmosphere
Oh how they pound,
The bells are striking with force,
Raising the sound,
The bells are louder and clearer now,
O'er hill and dale,
The bells can be heard across the hills and through the valleys,
Telling their tale,
The bells are expressing their own message and meaning,
Gaily they ring
The bells are ringing with lightheartedness and joy,
While people sing
As people sing along joyfully,
Songs of good cheer,
The songs of Christmas bring happiness and joy,
Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas,
Wishing everyone a very happy Christmas with a cheerful repetition,
On on they send ,
The bells continue to ring and play their song,
On without end,
They seem to go on forever,
Their joyful tone
The sound of the bells is happy and lively
To every home
Their song can be heard in every home
All seem to say,
The sound of the bells seems to suggest that,
Throw cares away
Forget your worries and enjoy the moment,
Ding Dong Ding Dong
The sound of the bells ringing in unison
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, CARL FISCHER, LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Reservoir Media Management, Inc.
Written by: Mykola Leontovich, Peter Wilhousky
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Mrs.Queen73
Such bone chillingly beautiful voices. I can imagine a choir of seraphim sounding pretty much like this. Absolutely ephemeral.
@luv2aptnz
They are amazing!
@Luca-gj9xn
You are very good and this song is wonderful! My choir sang it using a new arrangement and making a spectacular video! Write this in the search: you will surely like it.
Corale Novarmonia - Carol of the Bells (M. Leontovich)
@user-zu6pb4og6f
Очень красиво 🌹💖👏👏
@Jake_Broer
That's the point. Boys choirs are made up of boys (who have the voice) who sing the Soprano and Alto parts of music. They are historic and there are some pieces of music written ESPECIALLY for boys choirs. I have had the opportunity of seeing 1/4 of the choir (because they are expected to do 300 concerts a year) and just that part alone, blew my mind. They sound AMAZING. I, myself, am 14 and my adam's apple hasn't fully grown in yet. So, I sing alto in a cathedral choir with a lot of other boys.
@Jermo7899
It’s always been my moms dream to see the Vienna boys choir in person during Christmas. Something I’ve always wanted to give her but never had the money to
@ulyssesnorth6843
Clearly, the greatest Christmas song.
@Desperansa
Love this song *-* how does no one sing it in Germany :(
@alffuergregor
because we like it in English :D
@poppliotheplushmaker5751
More people need to hear this masterpiece.