Carol of the Bells

Mykola Leontovych: Carol of the Bells (Shchedryk) – Orchestra transcription by Sergey Bryukhno

This is an orchestral transcription by Sergey Bryukhno of famous Ukrainian carol “Shchedryk” (Ukrainian: Щедрик, from Щедрий вечір, “Bountiful Evening”), now known as for English speaking world as “Carol Of The Bells”. Originally “Shchedryk” was a four-note tune dating back to the pre-Christian era that Ukrainians sang in the spring when swallows returned from their winter migration. Centuries later, in 1916, Ukrainian conductor and composer Mykola Leontovych turned it into “a choral masterpiece.” It premiered at the Kyiv Philharmonic in December that same year.