Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovich has been working on Shchedryk for over 20 years. The basis was the text of a folk song known since the pagan times. The words “flying swallow” have come to us from pre-Christian ages. Then the beginning of the year was celebrated in the spring when the birds returned from the clearing.
We have been separated from the first performance of the work for a century. For the first time, “Shchedryk” was made in 1916 at the University of Kiev. This melody has gained worldwide fame thanks to Peter Wilkhovsky, author of Carol of the Bells English. This magical tune has become a symbol of the New Year holidays in different corners of the globe.
It is performed on many musical instruments, so today there are about one hundred variations of Shchedrik. One of them is from the American band The Piano Guys on the cello.