Carol of the Bells: Difference between revisions
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:* [[Jessica Simpson]] has also recorded a version of the song on her 2010 Christmas album ''[[Happy Christmas (Jessica Simpson album)|Happy Christmas]]''.<ref>[http://www.allmusic.com/album/happy-christmas-r2068003 Track listing on Allmusic]</ref> |
:* [[Jessica Simpson]] has also recorded a version of the song on her 2010 Christmas album ''[[Happy Christmas (Jessica Simpson album)|Happy Christmas]]''.<ref>[http://www.allmusic.com/album/happy-christmas-r2068003 Track listing on Allmusic]</ref> |
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:* [[Pink Martini]] recorded a version of "Shchedryk (Carol of the Bells)" for the album ''[[Joy to the World (Pink Martini album)|Joy to the World]]''<ref>[http://www.allmusic.com/album/joy-to-the-world-r2020659 Allmusic review]</ref> |
:* [[Pink Martini]] recorded a version of "Shchedryk (Carol of the Bells)" for the album ''[[Joy to the World (Pink Martini album)|Joy to the World]]''<ref>[http://www.allmusic.com/album/joy-to-the-world-r2020659 Allmusic review]</ref> |
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*'''2012''' |
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:*[[Pentatonix]] recorded a version of the song in almost exactly the way it was inteded to be sung (''a capella'' by mixed four-voice choir), and published the video of the song on YouTube on November 14, 2012.<ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSUFzC6_fp8</ref> The version of the song has seen very good reception with several million views in late 2012, and nearly 10 million views as of December 4, 2013. |
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Revision as of 17:33, 4 December 2013
"Carol of the Bells" is a popular Christmas carol, composed by Mykola Leontovych with lyrics by Peter J. Wilhousky. The song is based on a folk chant known in Ukrainian as "Shchedryk". Wilhousky's lyrics are copyrighted, although the original musical composition is not.
The song is recognized by a four-note ostinato motif (see image to the right). It has been arranged many times for different genres, styles of singing and settings and has been covered by artists and groups of many genres: classical, metal, jazz, rock, and pop. The piece has also been featured in films, television shows, and parodies.
Background
Origins
 | This section needs additional citations for verification. (March 2013) |
The song is based on a traditional folk chant. It was associated with the coming New Year which, in pre-Christian Ukraine, was originally celebrated with the coming of spring in April. (This explains the reason why the original Ukrainian text speaks about a swallow returning and lambs being born.)
With the introduction of Christianity to Ukraine, and the adoption of the Julian calendar, the celebration of the New Year was moved from April to January, and the holiday with which the chant was originally associated became 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". The period for the birth of animals and the return of swallows to Ukraine, however, does not correspond to the current calendar season of winter.
In Ukraine, the chant is currently sung on the eve of the Julian New Year.
Composition and translation
It was introduced to Western audiences by the Ukrainian National Chorus during its concert tour of Europe and the Americas, where it premiered in the United States on October 5, 1921 at Carnegie Hall.[2] A copyrighted English text was created by Peter Wilhousky in the 1930s,[citation needed] and since then it has been performed and sung during the Christmas season. Its initial popularity stemmed largely from Wilhousky's ability to perform it to a wide audience in his role as arranger for the NBC Symphony Orchestra, trained especially for Arturo Toscanini.[3] The song would later be assisted to further popularity by featuring in television advertisements for champagne.[3] An alternate English version ("Ring, Christmas Bells") featuring more Nativity-based lyrics, written by Minna Louise Hohman in 1947,[4] is also common.[citation needed]
The original work was intended to be sung a cappella by mixed four-voice choir. Two other settings of the composition were also created by Leontovych: one for women's choir (unaccompanied) and another for children's choir with piano accompaniment. These are rarely performed or recorded.
Notable performances
Recordings
| This section needs additional citations for verification. (March 2013) |
(In chronological order)
- 1946 The Robert Shaw Chorale recorded it that year, and later re-recorded it in stereo. Both the Chorale and the Atlanta Symphony Chorus, which Robert Shaw conducted from 1967 until 1988, and on special occasions until his death in 1999, performed it many times in live concert.[5]
- 1978 Richard Carpenter played piano in an orchestral version arranged by Peter Knight on The Carpenters' Christmas Portrait album released in October 1978.[6]
- 1980s
- 1981 Kenny Rogers performed the song on his Christmas album. It was re-released in 1985.[7]
- 1988 Chip Davis and his band Mannheim Steamroller recorded an original arrangement released on their album A Fresh Aire Christmas in 1988. Recording label: American Gramaphone.[8]
- 1990s
- 1994 French pop music icon Charles Aznavour, Norwegian crossover soprano Sissel Kyrkjebø, and Spanish operatic tenor Plácido Domingo recorded "Carol of the Bells" together at the third Christmas in Vienna concert on December 22, 1994.
- 1995 Savatage and side project The Trans-Siberian Orchestra recorded "Christmas Eve/Sarajevo (12/24)" which includes the song.[9]
- 1997 John Tesh charted the song. Billboard Adult Contemporary survey, 1997.[10]
- 2000s
- 2001 Destiny's Child performed a slow-paced version of the song under on their album 8 Days of Christmas under the name "Opera of the Bells."
- 2006 Irish singer Moya Brennan recorded a version for her Celtic-themed Christmas album, An Irish Christmas (2006)
- 2007 Jennifer Hudson sang the song on Elmo's Christmas Countdown in December 2007
- 2008 Irish group Celtic Woman recorded this song twice, in 2006 for their album Celtic Woman: A Christmas Celebration and in 2008 for their album Celtic Woman: A Celtic Family Christmas.
- 2009
- Family Force 5's Christmas Pageant album (2009) features a version of this song.
- Hayley Westenra recorded the song for her album Winter Magic, released in 2009. She did her own voice accompaniments in parts of the song, rather than using a backing choir or other background singers.[11]
- 2010s
- 2010
- Jessica Simpson has also recorded a version of the song on her 2010 Christmas album Happy Christmas.[12]
- Pink Martini recorded a version of "Shchedryk (Carol of the Bells)" for the album Joy to the World[13]
Film, television, parodies, and other media
- The song appears in the 1990 20th Century Fox film Home Alone as arranged by John Williams.
- A skit the December 12, 1990, episode of Saturday Night Live purported to be an advertisement for the musical album A Dysfunctional Family Christmas. This included a parody of "Carol of the Bells" featuring Dana Carvey singing the lyrics "Leave me alone, just go away...".[14]
- Mr. Mackey performs a version of the Song in the South Park episode Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics singing "Hark, hear the Bells, sweet silver bells, all seem to say, Ding Dong M'Kay".
- The Muppets' 2009 parody of the song climaxes with a large bell (set up by Animal) falling on the increasingly frenetic Beaker.[15]
- Community had it featured in the end tag, in their 2011 Christmas special Regional Holiday Music, with the heads of the Dean, Chang, Starburns, Magnitude and Leonard singing the song.[16]
- The song was used in the American Dad! episode, "For Whom the Sleigh Bell Tolls", aired on December 12, 2010. This was the version produced by August Burns Red and was used as a theme song for Santa Claus who was arriving to kill the Smith family.
- A far darker rendition of the song was used as the Joker's theme in Batman: Arkham Origins.[citation needed]
References
- ^ "Quote from Rice University News". Media.rice.edu. Retrieved 2011-11-30.
- ^ "'Carol of the Bells' wasn't originally a Christmas song". Retrieved 2012-12-26.
- ^ a b Carol of the Bells, Sean Spurr, Carols.co, Accessed July 26, 2011.[unreliable source?]
- ^ "Information about the piece". Cpdl.org. Retrieved 2011-11-30.
- ^ Song on Pandora
- ^ Christmas Portrait - Tracklist on Allmusic.com
- ^ Christmas Wishes - Tracklist on Allmusic.com
- ^ Fresh Aire Christmas - Tracklist on Allmusic
- ^ Christmas Eve and Other Stories - Tracklist on Allmusic.com
- ^ Single on Allmusic
- ^ Winter Magic on iTunes
- ^ Track listing on Allmusic
- ^ Allmusic review
- ^ "Dysfunctional Family Christmas". Snltranscripts.jt.org. Retrieved 2012-01-09.
- ^ "The Muppets: Ringing of the Bells". YouTube. 2009-12-10. Retrieved 2012-01-09.
- ^ Carp, Jesse (2011-12-09). "Community Watch: Episode 10 - Regional Holiday Music". TV Blend. Retrieved 2011-12-26.