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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 or before 1916; the English-language lyrics were written in 1936 by American composer of Ukrainian origin Peter Wilhousky. [1] [2]
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.
Peter Joseph Wilhousky [a] (13 July 1902 – 4 January 1978) was an American composer, music educator, and choral conductor of Rusyn descent. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ] During his childhood he was part of the New York Russian Cathedral Boys Choir and gave a performance at the White House to President Woodrow Wilson . [ 4 ]
He was the eldest of five surviving children (Mykola, Oleksandr (born in 1879), Maria (born in 1885), Victoria (born in 1886), and Olena). [2] His father, grandfather, and great grandfather were village priests. [3] Both his mother, Mariya Yosypivna Leontovych, and his father, Dmytro Feofanovych Leontovych, were singers. [4]
The American composer Katherine Kennicott Davis wrote the song in 1941. She originally called it “Carol of the Drum” and wrote it under the pseudonym C.R.W. Robertson.
Alexander Koshetz (12 September 1875 – 21 September 1944) was a Ukrainian choral conductor, arranger, composer, ethnographer, writer, musicologist, and lecturer. He helped popularize Ukrainian music around the world. His name is sometimes transliterated as Oleksandr Koshyts (Ukrainian: Олександр Кошиць).
"Carol of the Bells/The Bells of Christmas" (Adrienne Anderson, Barry Manilow, Peter J. Wilhousky) - 4:48 "Joy to the World/Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" (Ralph Blane, Hugh Martin, Traditional) - 3:46 "We Wish You a Merry Christmas/It's Just Another New Year's Eve" (Barry Manilow, Marty Panzer, Traditional) - 4:47 [2]
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.