By Tim Marsh, Lakes High Class of 1966
It’s the season to think of Christmas carols.
“Silver Bells” comes to mind.
Research says it’s a popular Christmas song composed in the early 1950s by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans.
They wrote many hits, including “Mona Lisa,” made popular by singer Nat King Cole. And, says the New York Times, Livingston and Evans wrote the theme music for long-running television series like “Bonanza” and “Mr. Ed.”
Two different Park Lodge School classes of which I was a member sang “Silver Bells” in winter concerts.
We sang. A teacher directed. Both wonderful! But, star of the show was our classmate Andrea Johnson. She left the “choir,” sat down at an upright piano and accompanied us.
Thank you Andrea for playing “Silver Bells,” especially for the trills. I’ll never forget them.
(Trills? “A quavering or vibratory sound, especially a rapid alternation of sung or played notes,” says a source.)
Listen (URL link below) to a trills-less version played on the piano:
Lyrics (URL link below):
My grandma loved this song
Also and always had me play
On the piano too.
“Silver Bells” and “Yellow Bird” were
Her favorites.