Welcome to Hyperion Records, an independent British classical label devoted to presenting high-quality recordings of music of all styles and from all periods from the twelfth century to the twenty-first.

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Carol of the bells

composer
Mykola Leontovych (1877-1921)
1916; Shchedryk
arranger
Richard Hayman (1920-2014)

 
The ancient Ukranian song Shchedryk is not a Christmas carol but a hymn to the Ukranian New Year, celebrated on 13 January, and the original words wish for a bountiful harvest. This traditional tune found favour with many arrangers, Leontovich even managing to copyright his version of the melody in 1936. But it was the new English words and the title Carol of the bells added to the tune by an American schoolteacher, Peter Wilhousky, that set the seal on what has become one of the most venerated of Christmas carols.

from notes by David Wishart © 2003

La vieille chanson ukrainienne Shchedryk n’est pas un chant de Noël, mais un hymne au Nouvel An ukrainien, qui se fête le 13 janvier; son texte original formule des vœux pour que la moisson soit bonne. Cette mélodie traditionnelle a séduit de nombreux arrangeurs, Leontovich parvenant même à obtenir un copyright pour sa version de 1936. Mais c’est grâce au nouveau texte anglais et au titre Carol of the bells ajoutés par un instituteur américain, Peter Wilhousky, que cette chanson est finalement devenue un chant de Noël si aimé.

extrait des notes rédigées par David Wishart © 2003
Français: David Ylla-Somers

Die alte ukrainische Weise Schtschedrik ist kein Weihnachtslied, sondern eine Hymne aufs ukrainische Neujahrsfest, das am 13. Januar gefeiert wird, und der Originaltext bringt den Wunsch nach reichlicher Ernte zum Ausdruck. Diese Volksweise fand Anklang bei vielen Bearbeitern, von denen es Leontowitsch sogar schaffte, seine Version 1936 urheberrechtlich zu schützen. Doch es war der neue englische Text unter dem Titel Carol of the bells, den der amerikanische Lehrer Peter Wilhousky auf die Melodie schrieb, der sie schließlich in eines der beliebtesten Weihnachtslieder überhaupt verwandelte.

aus dem Begleittext von David Wishart © 2003
Deutsch: Anne Steeb/Bernd Müller

Recordings

Christmas at St George's Windsor
St George's Chapel Choir Windsor, James Vivian (conductor), Luke Bond (organ)
Studio Master: CDA68281Studio Master FLAC & ALAC downloads available
Christmas Classics
The Hallé Orchestra, Carl Davis (conductor)
CDHLL7504Download only
The King's Singers Christmas Songbook
The King's Singers
Studio Master: SIGCD459Download onlyStudio Master FLAC & ALAC downloads available

Details

St George's Chapel Choir Windsor, James Vivian (conductor)
Track 14 on CDA68281 [1'20]
The Hallé Orchestra, Carl Davis (conductor)
Track 8 on CDHLL7504 [2'59] Download only
The King's Singers
Track 5 on SIGCD459 [2'43] Download only

Track-specific metadata

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