Shchedryk (from the Ukrainian word shchedryi; "bountiful") is a Ukrainian shchedrivka, or New Year's carol. It was arranged by composer and school teacher Mykola Leontovych in 1916, and tells a story of a swallow flying into a household to sing of wealth that will come with the following spring. Shchedryk was originally sung on the night of January 13 (Old Style), which is Shchedry Vechir (Ukrainian: Щедрий вечiр, 'Bountiful Evening') to Ukrainians, New Year's Eve by the Julian Calendar.
Shchedryk was later adapted to an English Christmas carol, Carol of the Bells, by Peter J. Wilhousky following a performance of the original song by the Ukrainian National Chorus at Carnegie Hall on October 5, 1921. Wilhousky copyrighted and published his new lyrics (which were not based on the Ukrainian lyrics) in 1936, and the song became popular in the United States, where it became strongly associated with Christmas.
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Origins and translation
The song is based on a traditional folk chant whose language was thought to have magical properties. The original traditional Ukrainian text used a device known as hemiola in the rhythm (alternating the accents within each measure from 3/4 to 6/8 and back again). The chant based on an ostinato 4 note pattern within the range of a minor third is thought to be of prehistoric origins and was associated with the coming New Year which in Ukraine before the introduction of Christianity was originally celebrated in April.
With the introduction of Christianity to Ukraine, the celebration of the New Year was moved from April to January and the holiday the chant describes became associated with the Feast of Epiphany also known in Ukrainian as Shchedry vechir. The songs sung for this celebration are known as Schedrivky.
The original Ukrainian text tells the tale of a swallow flying into a household to proclaim the plentiful and bountiful year that the family will have."[1] The title is derived from the Ukrainian word for "bountiful."
In Ukraine, the carol is currently sung on the eve of the Julian New Year (January 13th).
The 4 note melody over a minor 3rd of the chant was used by Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych as an ostinato theme in a number of arrangements he made. The arrangement for mixed voice choir a cappella was popularized by the Ukrainian Republic Capella directed by Oleksander Koshetz when it toured the West after 1920.
The first of the English language lyrics below were written in 1936 by Peter Wilhousky of NBC Radio. The song reminded Wilhousky of beautiful ringing bells and he captured that imagery in his lyrics.
Comparison of Lyrics
Although Carol of the Bells and Shchedryk share the same melody, the meanings of both their lyrics are unrelated. Compare the lyrics of Shchedryk with the lyrics of Carol of the Bells (both below):
| Ukrainian lyrics to Shchedryk | Transliteration (BGN/PCGN) | English translation |
|---|---|---|
|
Щедрик щедрик, щедрiвочка, |
Shchedryk shchedryk, shchedrivochka, |
Shchedryk, shchedryk, a shchedrivka [New Year's carol]; |
Lyrics to Carol of the Bells:
Hark how the bells,
sweet silver bells,
all seem to say,
throw cares away
Christmas is here,
bringing good cheer,
to young and old,
meek and the bold,
Ding dong ding dong
that is their song
with joyful ring
all caroling
One seems to hear
words of good cheer
from everywhere
filling the air
Oh how they pound,
raising the sound,
o'er hill and dale,
telling their tale,
Gaily they ring
while people sing
songs of good cheer,
Christmas is here,
Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas,
Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas,
On on they send,
on without end,
their joyful tone
to every home
Ding dong ding… dong!
See also
References
External links
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