Carols of Birds, Bells, and Sacred Hymns from Ukraine

Ukraine’s abundant heritage of singing includes thousands of carols. This anthology introduces an ancient culture that is nevertheless new to world audiences. In this book, the carols become a prism through which all of Ukraine’s history, culture, and vibrant spirit are brought to light. It includes the internationally celebrated “Carol of the Bells”—in its original version as a winter song of gratitude and resilience, and it covers sacred and secular pieces for the Christmas to New Year’s season: from early chant to elaborate new choral fantasies. Transliterations and translations make the carols accessible to a broad audience. Along with music scores, it shares the stories behind each carol: historical context, biographies of composers, explanations of winter rituals. Written during Russia’s war on Ukraine, the book is also journalistic. These carols often carry gripping narratives of a unique choral activism that has helped Ukraine, its language, and its people to survive.