How a Ukrainian Folk Song Welcoming Spring Became the Beloved Christmas Song ‘Carol of the Bells’

12Tone, the fast-talking, quick-doodling music theorist, explained how the classic Ukrainian folk song “Shchedryk”, which celebrated the rites of Spring, originated in folklore and became a song of identity and protest during the 1917 October Revolution and then was transformed to the beloved Christmas song “Carol of the Bells”, when it came to the United States.

The song that we now know as the Carol of the Bells began its life in Ukraine as a song called Shchedryk, by the composer Mykola Leontovych. Or, actually, it began its life a little earlier than that. Leontovych had been hired to arrange a  piece of music based on the centuries-old Ukrainian folk tradition of Shchedrivky, which were well-wishing songs sung by children to celebrate the new year. which might sound a little christmas-y, but an important thing to understand here is that, in pre-Christian Ukraine, the new year was celebrated not in winter, but at the start of spring. 

He explains that the traditional folk chant was arranged by Ukrainian composer and priest Mykola Leontovych in 1901. Leontovych’s version became very popular, becoming a song of cultural heritage, particularly during the Russian Revolution and the formation of a new state. Ukrainians were proud to share their music around the world, with “Shchedryk” as its center.

Leontovych’s folk-inspired lyrics were the norm, and while they were by no means a political song, the historical circumstances of the time made their political implications inescapable. Shchedryk premiered in 1916, and became popular in Ukraine during the early years of the Russian Revolution. As you might imagine, this made the concept of Ukrainian cultural identity…complicated. For much of the 19th century, Ukrainians had been subjected to harsh restrictions on the expression of their culture, in an effort by Russian rulers to assimilate them into Russian cultural norms. 

The story goes that Peter Wilhousky, a Ukrainian-American heard the song performed in Carnegie Hall and wrote the new lyrics, turning it into “Carol of the Bells”.

The Ukrainian National Chorus, after touring in Europe, they came to America, and their first stop was Carnegie Hall. it was a sold-out show, and somewhere in the crowd that night may have been the Ukrainian-American composer Peter Wilhousky. … he …fell in love with Shchedryk, and as an arranger for the NBC Symphony Orchestra, he had a great opportunity to help bring this song to a wider American audience. Instead of directly translating the Ukrainian lyrics, though, he decided to write new ones that more directly celebrated the Christmas season.