Thursday, December 22, 2022

Bountiful, bountiful

It may surprise you to learn that today’s Advent carol originated in Ukraine. It’s known around the world as “Carol of the Bells”, but it was written in 1914, based on the Ukrainian folk chant “Shedryk”, about a swallow that sings the first song of Spring. (Way back when, the New Year began in Spring, and “Shedryk” is kinda focused on the New Year.)

I imagine you could hear a lot of versions of this all over Ukraine, despite the Russian invasion; Ukrainians aren’t the type of folks to let bullies (no matter how many missiles they use) interfere with what’s important to them. So here’s Chornobrivtsi singing it at a Christmas concert in Lviv, 12 years ago.

May the New Year bring the peace and solace that 2022 has failed to deliver.

 

 


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