“Christmas Bells” by John Gorka

by Robert Wilkinson

This is the first tune I ever heard John Gorka sing, and it blew me away! This one is worth a few minutes of your time, since it’s incredibly beautiful!

The words were written by the legendary poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow on Christmas Day, 1863, just after his wife died and his son was severely wounded in the Civil War. The melody was written by John B Calkin in 1872 based on an earlier song. It’s one of the truly beautiful Christmas carols ever composed, so take a moment and enjoy some timeless feelings!

This version by John Gorka was recorded for Windham Hill in 1990. For your enjoyment,

“Christmas Bells”

© Copyright 2014 Robert Wilkinson

Comments

[catherine]

Hello friend, Thanks for this, ended up having a John Gorka morning! Catherine

[Julie]

Thank you, Robert! I had never heard this before--what a lovely gift to us.