Absent PianistI Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
Piano and organ accompaniment for congregational singing, 5 verses.
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About this hymn
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote this poem on Christmas Day, 1863, during the Civil War, after his son was badly wounded. Despair gives way to hope: "God is not dead, nor doth He sleep."
- Words
- Henry W. Longfellow, 1863
- Music
- John B. Calkin, 1872
- Tune
- WALTHAM
- Verses
- 5
Make it fit your service
- How many verses to play, from 1 to 5
- A short introduction, a full-verse introduction, a starting chord or a pitch pipe
- Piano, organ, choir voices, or any combination
- A slower or faster tempo, and a lower or higher key to suit your congregation
- An “Amen” at the end, a triumphant final verse, or a lift of a half step for the last verse
Connect your phone, tablet or laptop to the church sound system, tap Play, and your congregation sings I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day just as it would with a live pianist. Add Absent Pianist to your home screen and it works without an internet connection.
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