Carol of the Bells

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"Carol of the Bells" (also known as the "Ukrainian Bell Carol") is a Christmas song originally composed by the Ukrainian composer and orthodox priest Mykola Dmytrovych Leontovych. It is based on an ancient pagan Ukrainian New Years chant known as "Shchedryk", which is used as the ostinato 4 note melody throughout the piece. The composition was first performed in December 1916 by students at Kiev University and was introduced to the Western audiences when it was included in the repertoire of the Ukrainian National Chorus during its 1,000-plus concert tour around Europe and the Americas. It was introduced to American audiences on October 5, 1921 at Carnegie Hall and was adapted into English by Peter Wilhousky in the 1930's.

1 History
- 1.1 Origins and translation
2 Lyrics
3 Inaccuracies and interesting information
4 In Pop Culture
5 References
6 External links

[edit] History

[edit] Origins and translation

The song is based on a traditional folk chant whose language was thought to have magical properties. The original traditional Ukrainian text used a device known as hemiola in the rhythm (alternating the accents within each measure from 3/4 to 6/8 and back again). The chant based on an ostinato 4 note pattern within the range of a minor third is thought to be of prehistoric origins and was associated with the coming New Year which in Ukraine before the introduction of Christianity was originally celebrated in April.

With the introduction of Christianity to Ukraine, the celebration of the New Year was moved from April to January and the holiday the chant describes became associated with the Feast of Epiphany also known in Ukrainian as Shchedry vechir. The songs sung for this celebration are known as Schedrivky.

The original Ukrainian text tells the tale of a swallow flying into a household to proclaim the plentiful and bountiful year that the family will have."^[1] The title is derived from the Ukrainian word for "bountiful."

In Ukraine, the carol is currently sung on the eve of the Julian New Year (January 13th).

The 4 note melody over a minor 3rd of the chant was used by Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych as an ostinato theme in a number of arrangements he made. The arrangement for mixed voice choir a cappella was popularized by the Ukrainian Republic Capella directed by Oleksander Koshetz when it toured the West after 1920.

The English language lyrics below were written in 1936 by Peter Wilhousky of NBC Radio. The song reminded Wilhousky of beautiful ringing bells and he captured that imagery in his lyrics.

[edit] Lyrics

Hark how the bells,

sweet silver bells,

all seem to say,

throw cares away

Christmas is here,

bringing good cheer,

to young and old,

meek and the bold,

Ding dong ding dong

that is their song

with joyful ring

all caroling

One seems to hear

words of good cheer

from everywhere

filling the air

Oh how they pound,

raising the sound,

o'er hill and dale,

telling their tale,

Gaily they ring

while people sing

songs of good cheer,

Christmas is here,

Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas,

On on they send,

on without end,

their joyful tone

to every home

Ding dong ding dong... dong!

[edit] Inaccuracies and interesting information

One popular (but inaccurate) interpretation is that the original Ukrainian song is based on an old Slavic legend that every bell in the world rang in honor of Jesus on the night of his birth. This does not take into account the pagan origin of the song, nor the fact that the song became associated with "Bells" only due to Wilhousky's english adaptation.

It is somewhat unusual among Christmas carols for its minor key, fast pace (the lyrics are sung very quickly, often to the point of being difficult to understand) and brevity.

Peter Wilhousky is often incorrectly credited with composing the piece. However, he did write and copyright a version of the lyrics for which he received royalties.

During the night of January 22-23, 1921, the composer Mykola Leontovych was murdered by a Chekist (Soviet state security) agent Victor Grishchenko at the home of his parents.^[2]

[edit] In Pop Culture

For many years, the E & J Gallo Winery used an instrumental version of the song in holiday-themed television commericals for its André brand sparkling wines.
The song features prominently in the film Home Alone.
The song also features in The Santa Clause, while even showing a choir singing it, during the last of the opening credits.
The song is used notably in a famous scene in the 2006 remake of Black Christmas.
The song is the basis of an infamous internet meme popularly known as "Ding Fries are Done", in which a seemingly retarded Burger King employee uses the tune to sing a song about how he works at Burger King, makes French fries, and wears paper hats. This parody itself was parodied in the Family Guy episode "Deep Throats", during a cutaway scene in which Peter Griffin sings the song himself, apparently as a Burger King employee.
"Carol of the Bells" was also parodied in another Family Guy episode, "Perfect Castaway", as one of the featured songs on Peter's prospective Christmas album.
Mr. Mackey from South Park sang a multi-part (overdubbed), a cappella version of the carol in the episode "Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics". In Mr. Mackey's version, he inserts his catch phrase by changing "All seem to say/Throw cares away" to "All seem to say/Ding dong m'kay".
Guster parodied the song on the 2004 single "Carol of the Meows", replacing the lyrics with simulated cat noises.
Savatage and side project The Trans-Siberian Orchestra have a done a popular remake entitled "Christmas Eve/Sarajevo (12/24)" that plays on many radio stations around Christmas.
Minna Louise Hohman penned an alternate set of English lyrics for the song in 1947, under the title "Ring, Christmas Bells". This version has been recorded by the Ray Conniff Singers and Andy Williams, among others.
At holiday season concerts, the folk-rock group Gandalf Murphy and the Slambovian Circus of Dreams usually performs a version of their song "Slambovia" which is intertwined with the tune of "Carol of the Bells". This version was released on their live "Bootleg Series" album The Christmas Show 2004.
A remixed version of "Carol of the Bells" is also used in the 2002 film The Rules of Attraction. "The Remix", by tomandandy, is featured in the opening scene of the film, while introducing the three main characters.
The song is featured on X-mas In Hell By Sixx:A.M. on the album "The Heroin Diaries"
The song is used at the end of "Noël", a season 2 episode of The West Wing.
The theme of the song is also used in "The Killing Hand" by Dream Theater, on the 1989 album When Dream and Day Unite.
In 2008' Christmas Eve the song was covered by american christian melodic metalcore band August Burns Red.