Copyright question: Carol of the Bells

Subject: Copyright question: Carol of the Bells
From:
Date: 01 May 00 - 01:20 PM

I'm looking for some information on Carol of the Bells. I know that the vocal arrangement and the words are copyrighted, but is the tune public domain? The vocal arrangement I have says 'Carol of the Bells (Ukranian Carol)', music by M. Leontovich (but not copyright). The copyright is on the words and the arrangement, I think... but I need to be sure. Does anyone know?

Thanks, Pamela

Subject: RE: Copyright question: Carol of the Bells
From: DougR
Date: 01 May 00 - 05:26 PM

Pamela: Try emailing Micahel S. Hart at [e-mail]. I has a similar question about a book I was interested in adapting to a screenplay was was concerned about the copyright.

Michael is Professor of Electronic Text, Benedictine University (illinois Benedictine), Carnegie Mellon University Visting Scientist. He is also Ex. Dir. of Project Gutenberg Etext.

He was very helpful and may be able to refer you to the right place if he doesn't know the answer.

DougR

Subject: RE: Copyright question: Carol of the Bells
From: John in Brisbane
Date: 25 Oct 00 - 07:42 PM

Has anyone ever posted the lyrics for the main melody line for Carol of the Bells? I can't find them here, but I have a MIDI of the tune ready to post if someone could oblige with the words. Regards, John

Subject: RE: Copyright question: Carol of the Bells
From: Mary in Kentucky
Date: 25 Oct 00 - 07:57 PM

Hi John, I was just working on the same. I also noticed that my printed version has the name Ring, Christmas Bells. I'll PM you some info MMario and I have recently shared.

RING, CHRISTMAS BELLS
(Ukrainian Carol)

Ring, Christ-mas bells,
Mer-ri-ly ring,
Tell all the world
Je-sus is King!

Loud-ly pro-claim
With one ac-cord,>br> The hap-py tale;
Wel-come the Lord!

Ring, Christ-mas bells,
Sound far and near,
The birthday of
Je-sus is here.

Her-ald the news
To old and young,
Tell it to al
In ev'-ry tongue,

Ring, Christ-mas bells,
Toll loud and long,
Your mess-age sweet
Peel and pro-long.

Come, all ye peo-ple,
Join in the sing-ing,
Re-peat the sto-ry
Told by the ring-ing.

Ring-----
Christ-mas bells,
Ring-----
Christ-mas bells.

Loud-ly pro-claim
Wigh one ac-cord,
The hap-py tale;
Wel-come the Lord!

Ring!
Ring!
Ring!

CAROL OF THE BELLS

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,


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
Dong Ding dong ding, dong Bong

Subject: RE: Copyright question: Carol of the Bells
From: pastorpest
Date: 25 Oct 00 - 10:58 PM

I have seen the copyright attributed to Carl Fischer, Inc. in 1936 and then renewed. I cannot answer your question about the music, but I do not know how it could be copyrighted, My understanding is that very early in the Soviet era, 1920 or earlier, secret police had composer M. Leontovich assassinated.

Subject: RE: Copyright question: Carol of the Bells
From: Charlie Baum
Date: 25 Oct 00 - 11:59 PM

Another oddity is that we're dealing with a Scviet copyright, and those laws were (a) not in sync with Western rules and (b) not recognized by the West for many years. Soviets copied Western material freely and vice versa. Not sure how much of this has transferred over to the Russian Republic and Ukraine which (along with 13 other countries) have replaced the Soviet Union. Let's just say that the Soviet tradition of samizdat preceeded the sharing of music files via Napster by decades.

--Charlie Baum

Subject: RE: Copyright question: Carol of the Bells
From: Charlie Baum
Date: 26 Oct 00 - 12:07 AM

From http://lemko.org/lih/music/surma.html comes this information:

"The Carol of the Bells," adopted as a Christmas favorite by American audiences, is actually a Ukrainian New Year's carol called "Schedryk." Written by M. Leontovych and performed First in Kiev in 1916, it was popularized after a 1922 tour of Europe and America by the Ukrainian National Chorus. Since that time, over 50 recordings have been made, and it has been performed by countless choruses, chamber and pop ensembles, and symphony orchestras.

1916 is probably early enough to make it public domain.

--Charlie Baum

Subject: RE: Copyright question: Carol of the Bells
From: Lyrical Lady
Date: 26 Oct 00 - 12:20 AM

My copy of 'Carol of the Bells' ends with...
D..I..N..G DONG
DING D..O..N..G
B...O...H...M

...ll

Subject: RE: Copyright question: Carol of the Bells
From: MichaelAnthony
Date: 26 Oct 00 - 12:35 AM

Are you serious, LL? Does that translate to b o m b, by any chance?

Subject: RE: Copyright question: Carol of the Bells
From: MMario
Date: 26 Oct 00 - 10:02 AM

the midi from John_in_brisbane has been sent to Alan.

Subject: RE: Copyright question: Carol of the Bells
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Nov 16 - 05:57 PM

The answer is simple. The English language "Christmasied" one everyone knows is copyrighted by virtue of the fact that the words are a rewrite with no bearing on the original. The Ukrainian Spring song original by Leontovych is in the public domain having been written in 1914.

Subject: RE: Copyright question: Carol of the Bells
From: Joe Offer
Date: 06 Nov 16 - 01:01 AM

My go-to Website for information about carols is http://www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com/Hymns_and_Carols/carol_of_the_bells.htm

Here's what they say about this song:

CAROL OF THE BELLS
Words & Music: Peter J. Wilhousky, 1936,
Adapted from "Shchedryk" by Mykola Dmytrovich Leontovych, 1916

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,
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
Dong Ding dong ding, dong Bong

Editor's Note:

In addition to "Carol of the Bells" (version 2, 1957), and "Ring Christmas Bells", there is at least one other carol based on this tune: "Come, Dance and Sing" (1957, lyrics anonymous). I have been unable to locate a copy.

Ron Clancy, author of the Christmas Classics series of Christmas carol books, has now created a number of "The Story Behind The Music" YouTube™ videos recounting the histories of numerous Christmas carols, including this carol.


Our choir has worked on this song every Christmas for years, but we've never been able to get it down well enough to satisfy the director. It's a tough one to sing in a 50-voice chorus.

Subject: RE: Copyright question: Carol of the Bells
From: Jim Martin
Date: 06 Nov 16 - 08:56 AM

Garmin used the tune in their UK Christmas car satnav ads with their own words to fit.