Did you know that one of our most popular Christmas songs has a deep history and origin from the country of Ukraine?
“Carol Of The Bells” is not a traditional Christmas Carol, but rather what is referred to in Ukrainian as a “Shchedryk”, a four note melody dating back to the pre-Christian era that Ukrainians sang in the spring when swallows returned from their winter migration. The song was part of New Year celebrations meant to bless each other with a prosperous harvest written and composed by Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych in 1914, with new lyrics added some later by American born Peter J. Wilhousky for NBC Network Symphony Orchestra Radio around the the time of The Great Depression, and later copyrighted in 1936, despite the song having been published almost two decades earlier in the Ukrainian National Republic. American recordings by various artists began to surface on the radio in the 1940s.
But let’s back up...
In 1918, Ukraine declared independence from the Russian empire but the newly formed government "had to fight" for recognition in the international community. The head of state in Ukraine decided to use the song as a tool for diplomacy, directing Oleksandr Hoshyts, a conductor, regent, and composer to assemble a choir of 100 singers for a European tour. The choir was directed to get to Paris, where at that time, the world leaders were meeting for the “Paris Peace Conference” to redraw European borders following World War I. It was the hope of Ukraine’s leader that the choir would help them gain formal international recognition — and also fuel international support for Ukraine’s fight against Bolshevik Russia.
Ukraine’s choir was able to leave Kyiv on Feb. 4, 1919, just one day before Russia captured the city: Only 30 singers left for the tour.
During the upheaval and Russia’s attempt to completely subjugate Ukraine, it’s lands, and its’ culture at that time, composer Mykola Leontovych was murdered by a Russian agent in 1921, and he is known to this day as a martyr in the Eastern Orthodox Church where he is also remembered for his Liturgy the first composed in the vernacular, specifically in the modern language of Ukraine we are familiar with today.
Sound familiar?
On December 4th of this year, the song “Carol Of The Bells” was performed once again:
Exactly a century after the song's North American debut, and during Ukraine's latest fight for freedom, Ukrainian musicians brought Shchedryk back to Carnegie Hall this weekend.
SNIP
It aimed to celebrate the 100th anniversary of that first performance, shine a spotlight on Ukraine's distinct culture and support its efforts to defend — and rebuild — itself from Russian attacks.
"A 1919 review of the Ukrainian Republic Choir in the Genevan journal La Patrie Suisse mused that the Ukrainian National Republic established its independence through the motto, 'I sing, therefore I am,' " concert organizers wrote. "Ukraine continues to sing and continues to be."
wusfnews.wusf.usf.edu/...
So now you know the story behind that catchy little Christmas song that we we hear playing at this time of year on the radio, in our homes, made famous by the movie “Home Alone”, or overplayed in shopping malls as we go about our daily lives.
Here now is that version of the beautiful piece of music, dedicated to those struggling for their freedom once again against the powers and genocidal motives of Putin, and his Russian empire all these years later.
Slava Ukraini and Happy Holidays!
