Ukraine's Gift To The World, "Carol of the Bells," Sung At Carnegie Hall Dec 4

[ancianita]

Slava ukrayine and Merry Christmas!

from Daily Kos:

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, its 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.

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2022/12/20/2142914/--Carol-Of-The-Bells-A-Ukrainian-Musical-Gift-To-The-World?pm_source=story_sidebar&pm_medium=web&pm_campaign=recommended

[Backseat Driver]

1. Another DUer was complaining about holiday music, and now I feel

very foolish indeed, posting a pantomine skit w/this tune about what those Christmas shepherds did while guarding their flocks by night sort of Modern "Boomwhacker Style." Truly, no disrepect intended; it was a humorous skit. Thank you for the history of one of my favorite holiday tunes...you know, for the longest time I didn't realize this tune had any words at all -- but it's beauty makes it one of my favorites - Yes, indeed, Merry Christmas!

PSA: If you are impacted by this wide-spread winter storm bearing down out of the Plains and spreading into Great Lakes and the South, don't forget to to bring in your pets--the wind-chill will be horrific--and feed the birds!

[FakeNoose]

2. Thanks for sharing this enlightening story - it's all new to me

... and perhaps many others.

I was aware that this song originated in a foreign (not English) language, however I didn't know that it came from Ukraine. What a sad but beautiful history.

[ancianita]

3. A pleasure, FakeNoose. It was all new to me, too, and given the season, felt so much like a gift.

We have much in the West to be proud enough to fight for, and Ukraine is part of that.

[Tomconroy]

4. A NATO version:

[ancianita]

5. So touching, thank you!

Long live NATO!

[yellowdogintexas]

6. sung by Ukranian women in gorgeous native garb

[ancianita]

7. Thanks, yellowdogintexas!