Hope for Ukraine and the world
This traditional Ukrainian new year’s carol, arranged by Mykola Leontovych (1877–1921), is sung by the ACC in the original unaccompanied Ukrainian language version. Click on the ‘CC’ button beneath the video for English subtitles. The text of the original ‘Shchedryk’ tells of a little swallow flying into a house and promising its owner good things in the new year. This carol became popular in the USA when the Ukrainian National Chorus toured there in 1922. English language lyrics were subsequently added by American composer Peter Wilhousky. (The text bore no relation to the original words, and repurposed the song as a Christmas carol). With a new title, ‘Ukranian Carol of the Bells’, the work was recorded in over 150 versions. It was incorporated into a number of Hollywood soundtracks, most notably with an orchestration supplied by John Williams for the 1990 motion picture, ‘Home Alone’. In its Ukrainian language version, the carol serves as a reminder to humankind to remain optimistic in the face of adversity.
This carol features in the ACC’s Ceremony of Carols program, which is available to watch on demand on ACCess, the Australian Chamber Choir’s Excellent Streaming Service.