A facsimile of Mykola Leontovych's manuscript of “Shchedryk” is currently displayed at Carnegie Hall, one of the world's most prestigious concert venues in New York.
The notes are displayed in the Composers Gallery, a memorial corridor located next to the entrance of the central hall of the Isaac Stern Auditorium, as reported by LB.ua.
Recently, a high-quality facsimile of the manuscript was donated to the Ukrainian Institute, symbolizing the historical continuity of Ukrainian music on this stage, from the North American premiere of the work in 1922 to Ukraine's contemporary cultural diplomacy. It was after its first performance in the United States that the melody gained worldwide popularity, eventually becoming known as the Christmas hymn "Carol of the Bells."
The world premiere of the famous "Shchedryk" took place on December 29, 1916, at the current National Philharmonic of Ukraine. Between 1919 and 1921, the piece was performed abroad during the European tour of the Ukrainian Republican Capella, conducted by Oleksandr Koshyts. On October 5, 1922, "Shchedryk" was performed for the first time at Carnegie Hall, with a second performance by the "Dudaryk" choir on June 18, 1990. The work has its roots in the archaic, pre-Christian layer of folklore and is based on the Volyn version of the carol from Polissya. Despite its apparent simplicity, Leontovych rewrote "Shchedryk" five times, and time has demonstrated the perfection of the form he ultimately achieved," said Lyubov Morozova, program manager of the Music Department at the Ukrainian Institute.
The Ukrainian Institute and Carnegie Hall have been collaborating since 2022. That year, Carnegie Hall hosted the "Notes from Ukraine" concert, which celebrated the centenary of the American premiere of "Shchedryk." The event was a tremendous success, with all 2,800 seats sold out. Martin Scorsese and Vera Farmiga served as hosts for the evening, and the Shchedryk Children's Choir made a special trip from Kyiv to New York for the occasion.