Carol of the Bells

The song is originally a Ukrainian folk song that was written as a winter well-wishing song. "Shchedryk" "tells the tale of a swallow flying into a household to proclaim the plentiful year that the family will have. The title is derived from the Ukrainian word for "bountiful." In Ukraine, the song is sung on the eve of the Julian New Year (January 13th). One popular interpretation is that the original Ukrainian song is based on an old Slavic legend that every bell in the world rang in honor of Jesus on the night of his birth. It is somewhat unusual among Christmas carols for its minor key (usually Em), fast pace.I tuned down the top string several octaves to obtain the cello effect, and tap out the violins in the upper register.