Carol of the Bells has become a staple of the Christmas season, it’s one of my favorite pieces and I’ve sung and played many arrangements of the song and enjoy the vast arrangements made by popular groups like Trans-Siberian Orchestra or Mannheim Steamroller. So, it came as quite a surprise to me when I found out – just days ago! – that the original Ukrainian song it was based on had no relation to Christmas.
A student from Rice University named Anthony Potoczniak wanted to study his roots and in part of that journey, he visited Ukraine. While there, he formed a small little group to go caroling. Of course, he knew Carol of the Bells was based on a Ukrainian tune, so it was in their rotation of carols to sing. But when they sang it, families would tell them it was ‘too early’ to be singing that song. Intrigued, Potoczniak made it part of his thesis to find the origins of the song in 2004.
The four note ostinato (a musical term for a series of notes that continually repeat through a piece of music) that make the melody to this song are from an ancient folk song called “Shchedryk”, which is derived from the word “shchedryj” which means “bountiful.” An appropriate title as the song speaks of a swallow coming to tell a farmer about the bountiful year he will have.
This well-wishing tune was usually sung on January 13th, which is New Year’s Eve on the Julian Calendar, as one of the tunes that looked forward to spring. It was often sung by groups of young girls who would go door to door singing these songs.
In 1916, composer Mykola Leontovich was commissioned to write a song based on Ukranian folk melodies. This was during a time when the Ukrainian government was still new and wish to create more art within their culture to spread around the world. Leontovich chose to write a piece based off the four-note melody of “Shchedryk” and wrote a new choral piece.
The Ukrainian National Chorus was formed by the same director that commissioned “Shchedryk” and they performed the piece when they performed internationally. Their international tour had at stop at Carnegie Hall on October 5th, 1921, where they performed for a sold-out audience.
One of the many Americans introduced to this song was Peter Wilhousky, who was reminded of bells when he heard the piece. He then felt inspired to write new lyrics to Leontovich’s choral setting, lyrics that he copyrighted in 1936 and became what we now know as “Carol of the Bells.”
Here is an English translation of the original Ukrainian lyrics to “Shchedryk.”
Shchedryk, shchedryk, a shchedrivka (New Year's carol)
A little swallow flew (into the household)
And started to twitter
To summon the master
"Come out, come out, O master (of the household)
Look at the sheep pen
There the ewes are nestling
And the lambkin have been born
Your goods (livestock) are great
You will have a lot of money, (by selling them)
Your goods (livestock) are great
You will have a lot of money, (by selling them)
If not money, then chaff: (from all the grain you will harvest)
You have a dark-eyebrowed (beautiful) wife"
Shchedryk, shchedryk, a shchedrivka
A little swallow flew
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