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"Carol of the Bells" is a popular Christmas carol, which is based on the Ukrainian New Year's song "Shchedryk". The music for the carol comes from the song written by the Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych in 1914; the English-language lyrics were written in 1936 by American composer of Ukrainian origin Peter Wilhousky.
Although "Carol of the Bells" uses the melody from "Shchedryk", the lyrics of these two songs have nothing in common. The ostinato of the Ukrainian song suggested to Wilhousky the sound of ringing bells, so he wrote lyrics on that theme. Several other lyricists have written for the same melody, usually retaining Wilhousky's bell theme.
Both of the tunes used in "Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24" were in the public domain in 1995: "Shchedryk" was released in 1918 (although the English lyrics to "Carol of the Bells," dating to 1936, were still under copyright and were not included in the recording), while "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" dated back several centuries.
The Christmas carol can be traced back to Austria. It was written by Joseph Mohr, a priest at the Catholic St. Nicholas Church in Oberndorf and first performed in 1818. ... "Carol of the Bells ...
Created as an appeal for peace during the Cuban Missile Crisis, this carol is now sung during Christmas and tells the story of Jesus' birth. 5. "The Little Drummer Boy" — The Harry Simeone Chorale
The Ukrainian carol most known in the Western world is the "Carol of the Bells", with English lyrics by the American composer of Ukrainian descent Peter J. Wilhousky, composed by the Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych as "Shchedryk", and premiered in December 1916 by a choral group made up of students at Kyiv University.
Inspired by a French Christmas carol of the mid 1800s and set to the tune of the ancient hymn “Gloria,” this song is a glorious musical celebration of the birth of Christ.
In 2008, a contemporary Christian music group, Casting Crowns, scored their eighth No. 1 Christian hit with "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day", from their album Peace on Earth. [17] The song is not an exact replica of the original poem or carol, but an interpolation of verses 1, 6, 7 and 3 (in that order), interposed with a new chorus.