Legendary Ukrainian Christmas Carol ‘Shchedryk’ Manuscript Now on Display at Carnegie Hall

The iconic Christmas melody “Shchedryk” by Mykola Leontovych is now permanently displayed at New York’s prestigious Carnegie Hall.

The Gaze reports on it, referring to the Ukrainian Institute on Facebook.

The Ukrainian Institute recently presented a high-quality facsimile of Leontovych’s original manuscript to Carnegie Hall, highlighting the historical and cultural presence of Ukrainian music on this world-renowned stage. From its North American premiere in 1922 to today, the piece — known globally as "Carol of the Bells" — has become a symbol of Ukraine’s rich musical heritage and ongoing cultural diplomacy.

“Shchedryk” was first performed on December 29, 1916, in what is now the National Philharmonic of Ukraine, and toured Europe with the Ukrainian Republican Choir under Oleksandr Koshyts between 1919 and 1921. Its Carnegie Hall debut came on October 5, 1922, followed by a 1990 performance by the Dudarik Choir under Mykola Katzal. 

The composition originated as a polyphony exercise given to Leontovych by Professor Boleslav Yavorsky and draws on archaic, pre-Christian folk traditions from the Volyn region. Despite its apparent simplicity, Leontovych revised the piece five times, perfecting its enduring form.

"Despite its apparent simplicity, Leontovych rewrote Shchedryk five times—and time proved the perfection of the form he found," said Lyubov Morozova, program manager for the Music department at the Ukrainian Institute. 

Mykola Leontovych (1877–1921) was a Ukrainian composer and choral conductor, born in a village in Vinnytsia (central Ukraine), then part of the Russian Empire. Despite strict restrictions on the public use of the Ukrainian language under Tsarist rule, Leontovych wrote the text of "Shchedryk" in Ukrainian, drawing on a traditional folk chant from Polissya. 

After gaining popularity in Ukraine, in 1936, American conductor and composer Peter Wilhousky heard the song performed by a Ukrainian choir and created English lyrics for it, transforming the melody into the Christmas carol "Carol of the Bells". He replaced the Ukrainian imagery of swallows with the motif of bells, which better suited an English-speaking audience. From its first performance at Carnegie Hall in 1922, the melody quickly gained popularity in the United States and eventually around the world.

"They have presented our country not only with the finest singing we have ever heard, but also placed Ukraine on the artistic map of the world," wrote American playwright Clay Green in the San Francisco Journal in 1924.

Lately, on December 19, Ukraine’s beloved Christmas carol "Shchedryk" was performed at one of DTEK’s severely damaged thermal power plants as part of a public appeal calling on the international community to bolster support for Ukraine’s energy sector amid continued Russian attacks. 

The performance highlighted not only the urgent need for international assistance but also the resilience and determination of Ukrainian workers and communities who continue to maintain energy infrastructure under extreme conditions.

Read also on The Gaze: Ukrainian Christmas in the Ancient Capital of Japan