The Ukranian Bell Carol was adapted from "Shchedryk” by Mykola Dmytrovyc Leontovych, which was first performed in December 1916 by students at Kiev University. It was a part of the Ukrainian National Chorus repertoire during its 1,000-plus concert tour around Europe and the Americas. It was introduced to American audiences on October 5, 1921 at Carnegie Hall. 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 Canadian band Barenaked Ladies performed a modern, re-arranged version of “Bell Carol” on their Christmas album Barenaked for the Holidays.
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