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Christmas Bells A m ong C h ristm a s carols, so p o p u la r in A m erica is one, “ C h ristm a s B ells,” a sm all m elo dious song. W e h e a r it o fte n a t C h ristm a s tim e, an d little realize th a t it o rig in a te d in U k rain e. Christmas B ells called “ S h c h e d ry k ,” is a special k in d of carol. I t is n o t su n g on C h ristm a s E ve an d h oliday s, like o th e r ca ro ls b u t on N ew Y e a r’s E v e and la te r. T h ese caro ls a re called “ sh c h e d riv k y .” W h a t is th e d iffe re n c e ? T he re a l C h ristm a s caro ls in U k rain e r e fe r g e n e ra lly to relig io u s e v e n ts like th e b ir th o f Je su s C h rist, th e flig h t to E g y p t, an d so on. T he special caro ls — we could call th e m N ew Y e a r caro ls — deal w ith n a tu ra l e v en ts like th e farew ell o f w in te r tim e and a rriv in g sp rin g , w ith p ra isin g of n a tu ra l fo rces, th e sun, th e m oon, th e r a i n ; an d th e g re e tin g of fa m ily m em b ers, fo r w hom th e carols a re sung. A lth o u g h th e re a re relig io u s m o m en ts too, th e s e N ew Y e a r carols a re of old e r orig in . T h e ir m o tifs re m in i scen t o f p a g a n tim es, w hen th e n a tu ra l fo rces w ere w o rsh ip p ed an d a d ju re d . T h ey recall th e sol stice w h ich w as cele b ra ted a t C h ristm a s tim e. T h e re fo re, th e N ew Y e a r carols a re m ore jo y o u s th a n C h ristm a s c a r o ls ; an d a re o fte n accom panied by sm all p la y s an d o th e r p ro g ra m s. T h is p a rtitio n is q u ite n a tu ra l. C aro lin g ste m s fro m old p a g a n rite s , an d th e solstice holiday. W ith th e in fu sin g of C h ristia n ity , p a r t of th e songs acq u ired relig io u s c o n te n t; an d w ere de sig n ed fo r C h ristm a s use. T he o th e r p a rt, in th e older fash io n , e x p re ssin g jo y an d s p rin g expec ta tio n is su n g a fte rw a rd s. Its m o st a ttra c tiv e p e rfo rm a n ce is th e second C h ristm a s E v e b e fo re J a n u a ry 6 th , th e F e a s t th e T h ree K in g s. T h en , in U k ra in e , a f te r a H ig h M ass, w a te r w as conse c ra te d , an d th e C h ristm a s cyclus w as closed. H ow did th e sm all carol of U k ra in e e n te r in to A m erican C h ristm a s tim e ? A fte r W orld W a r I th e U k ra in ia n N atio n al R epublic se n t th e reno w n ed ch o ir (U k ra in sk a D erz h a w n a K ap ella) u n d e r th e fam o u s co n d u cto r A l ex an d e r K o sh etz th ro u g h W e st e rn co u n tries, inclu d in g th e U n ite d S ta te s. T h e sm all carol th e y sa n g d elig h te d e v e ry o n e ; an d is now h e a rd ev ery y e a r on n u m ero u s re c o rd s an d p ro g ra m s. A lth o u g h its com poser L eonto- vych is so m etim es noted, its ho m eland an d U k ra in e is n ev e r m en tio n ed . L ike m a n y o th e r cul tu ra l valu es, it c o n trib u te s to w orld cu ltu re. L e t u s a t la s t re m e m b e r its lan d of o rig in . O ur sm all “ sw al low ,” w ho cam e fly in g fro m U k rain e , filled up w ith h e r s o ft n ess an d b e a u ty . A lth o u g h n o t recogn ized it w a rm s m a n y a h u m an h e a rt a t C h ristm a s tim e w ith its lovely th o u g h t, an d its h a u n tin g ly b e a u tifu l m elody. J. W. P. НАШЕ ЖИТТЯ — ГРУДЕНЬ, 1963 17
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