Schedryk

Schedryk (Щедрик in Ukrainian language) is a Ukrainian carol composed in 1916 by the composer Mykola Leontovich. The piece tells the story of a swallow that flies through the center of a neighborhood to announce that it is approaching next spring. The carol is usually sung on the night of January 13 in accordance with the Julian calendar (equivalent to December 31) in which the "Afternoon of generosity" is celebrated. The first interpretations were made by students of the University of Kiev.

Years later, composer Peter J. Wilhousky adapted the song to English under the title of Carol of the Bells, which was performed on October 5, 1921 by the National Choir of Ukraine in the Carnegie Hall. In 1936 he took up the rights of the carol adapting the text within a context more Christmas than the original. In the United States it is considered one of the most popular of the time.

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