Ezra Read was prolific in providing accessible sheet music for amateur players, and this piece showcases his accessible writing style. It focuses on traditional harmonic patterns and singable melodies.
At Henle 2 this is a beginner-level piece, where steady coordination between the hands is the main hurdle. The main demands: Alberti-bass accompaniment kept quiet and even under the melody; a true singing tone, with the melody floating above the accompaniment; and careful pedaling — clarity depends on the foot as much as the fingers.
The primary challenge is balancing the left-hand accompaniment so as not to overwhelm the melody.
Comparable difficulty and character — good candidates for what to learn next.
Where this piece's skills lead: slightly harder works making similar technical demands.
Christmas Bells is rated Henle level 2 of 9 — beginner repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 2–3. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 2.
You should be comfortable at Henle level 2 — meaning you can already play level 1–2 pieces cleanly. Learning it one level early is possible as a stretch piece, but more than that usually leads to months of frustration.
A typical performance of Christmas Bells lasts about 3 minutes.
Christmas Bells is available as free public-domain sheet music on IMSLP — the score is linked directly from this page.
Pieces at a comparable difficulty and character include Au matin by Paul Wachs, Bach's Air Simplified by Johann Sebastian Bach, Berceuse by Rudolf Friml — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.