Scripture Verse

Christ is risen from the dead…the firstfruits of them that slept. 1 Corinthians 15:20

Introduction

Words: Ano­ny­mous, in Car­ols Old and Car­ols New, by Charles L. Hut­chins (Bos­ton, Mas­sa­chu­setts: Par­ish Choir, 1916), num­ber 501.

Music: Mo­na­ghan C. S. Bak­er (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know the au­thor, Bak­er’s full name, or where to get a good pho­tos of them (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

Lyrics

illustration

Gems and flow­ers of sweet per­fume,
On the al­tar lay;
Jesus ris­ing from the tomb
Sanctifies this day:
Ring the bells out joy­ful­ly,
Swell the glad­some lay;
Crucified on Cal­va­ry,
Christ is ris­en to­day.

Refrain

Easter bells, chime the lay,
Christ is ris­en to­day;
Easter bells, chime the lay,
Christ is ris­en to­day.

Darkly se­pul­chral gloom
Wrapped His mor­tal clay,
Till the an­gel, from the tomb
Rolled the stone away.
Then His life-im­part­ing breath
Bade the dead arise;
And the pal­lid hosts of death
Followed to the skies.

Refrain

Still the length­en­ing ag­es tell
His un­dy­ing love;
How He, con­quer­ing death and hell,
Ever reigns ab­ove.
Oh! that all might share the grace
Purchased by His pain;
Prince and Sav­ior! Thine the praise,
Ours the bound­less gain.

Refrain

The lyrics ab­ove al­so ap­peared 45 years ear­li­er, un­at­trib­uted and with­out mu­sic, in an 1871 Eas­ter Day bul­le­tin (pdf) at St. An­drew’s Epis­co­pal Church, Stam­ford, Con­nec­ti­cut. The lyr­ics used the fol­lowing re­frain, in­stead of the one ab­ove:

Easter bells, chime the day [sic]
Christ is risen to-day:
Ring the bells out joy­ful­ly,
Swell the glad­some lay.