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76 CHRISTMAS SATB and piano, organ, or other instruments for online perusal only Shchedryk JamesWhitbourn
77 Shchedryk One little bird, high in the hall, Chirruped aloud, summoning all: ‘Come, see the sight! Bountiful night! Darkness has been turned into light! Shepherds have seen wonderful things: Heavenly Host, tidings it brings!’ Cattle look on, wondering too, Seeing the Lamb born anew. Can this be bountiful love Given for all, sent from above? Carolling, let us sing for the little Lamb who shall be our King. Let us sing: Gloria! Hosanna! Bountiful night, bountiful love, Given for all, sent from above. Words by JamesWhitbourn, based on the Ukrainian folksong Note on the text for online perusal only The world knows Shchedryk as a Christmas carol thanks to Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych, who presented an arrangement of the traditional folksong in 1916. In 1920, it premiered in London as a part of a world tour by the Ukrainian Republic Capella choir, conducted by Oleksandr Koshyts, and went on to achieve particular success in the USA. In 1936 an American conductor of Ukrainian descent, Peter Wilhousky, published a musical score with the new lyrics ‘Carol of the Bells’, and for decades the song has been accompanying the Christmas period under this title. For this publication JamesWhitbourn has written new lyrics that return the imagery to the original version: the Ukrainian folksong Shchedryk. The folksong depicts a swallow calling for a master to take a look at all the goods he has, and predicting a prosperous year. The Ukrainian word ‘Shchedryi’ means ‘bountiful’. In the pre-Christian era, people celebrated the New Year in spring when the swallows returned home after the winter. People blessed one another with ritual songs, witnessing the coming of light, celebrating the richness of nature, and wishing for a bountiful year. This is why the original text does not contain any references to Christmas. Nowadays, a swallow also symbolises a bird of God that unites heaven and earth, signifies the miracle of God’s Son coming in the human form, and brings hope for the salvation of humanity. Whitbourn’s new lyrics reveal the original meaning of the song and its new powerful senses brought by Christianity. Viktoriia Khalanchuk, 2023 based on works by historian and researcher Tina Peresunko
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