For a long time the song lived in Ukrainian folklore until a talented Ukrainian conductor and composer, Mykola Leontovych, heard it. Taking a simple monophonic melody he went on to create a choral masterpiece.

Leontovych spent a long time working on the arrangement of Shchedryk.

This new choral version of Shchedryk was premiered at a performance in Kyiv in December 1916 at the Kyiv Philharmonic. The choir was led by a well-known conductor, Oleksandr Koshyts.

In 1918, Ukraine declared independence and had to fight for its recognition by the international community. The head of the newly created Ukrainian state, Symon Petliura, former well-known journalist, editor and art critic, chose a song as one of his tools of diplomacy.

On January 1, 1919, at one of Oleksandr Koshyts’ concerts, Petliura heard a composition by Leontovych. This wasn’t Shchedryk, but a song called Legend. He liked it so much that he directed Koshyts to assemble a choir of 100 of the best singers to go on a European tour.

The choir had to be formed immediately in order to accomplish an important mission – “to sing for the independence of Ukraine”.
At that time, the Paris Peace Conference convened its deliberations in France, during which leaders of nations, victorious in World War I, set about redrawing European borders. It was there that the fate of Ukraine was also decided.And with the help of the touring choir, Symon Petliura wanted to gain international recognition for Ukraine and foreign support in the fight against Bolshevik Russia.

But the road to Paris was not easy. Russia’s Bolshevik army entered Kyiv and the evacuation began. The choir managed to leave Kyiv on February 4, 1919, just one day before Russian Bolsheviks captured the city.

Only 30 singers dared to go on tour. First they left for Kamyanets-Podilsky, where the rest of the choristers were selected. Then they proceeded to Stanislaviv (now Ivano-Frankivsk), where the choir gave its first two concerts. And eventually they travelled abroad.

Austria was the next country in the Ukrainian choir’s tour. The premiere of Shchedryk took place in the famous Wiener Konzerthaus.

The Austrian press wrote: “Ukraine’s cultural maturity must become the legitimization of its political independence in the world”. The Ukrainian choir performed 11 concerts here, and more than 70 reviews were published in local newspapers.

The next stop was Switzerland. The ambassador of France who was present at the concert in Bern, was so fascinated by the choir’s singing that he facilitated its entry to Paris.

Finally, the Ukrainians arrived in France. The choir reached its destination only nine months after the beginning of their tour, as the French government had long denied visas to singers from an unrecognized state.

In France the touring choir performed not only in Paris, but also in Toulouse, Bordeaux, Nice, Marseille and Lyon. In total, 25 concerts were sung, and everywhere Shchedryk was rewarded by encores.

After France, the Ukrainian chorus continued to tour Europe. During 1920-1921, Oleksandr Koshyts’ choir presented close to 100 concerts in Belgium, the Netherlands, Great Britain, Germany, Poland and Spain.

Their concerts were attended by the members of royal families, heads of state, famous academics and music critics. In particular, Queen Elizabeth of Belgium was among the guests who admired the Ukrainian music and the singing.

Leontovych’s song became one of the most loved in the program of the Ukrainian choir. Shchedryk was translated into different European languages and performed by foreign choirs.

But despite the fascination with these Ukrainian songs, the Western leaders did not recognize Ukraine’s independence. In 1921, Ukraine was occupied by Bolshevik Russia. And the punitive Soviet authorities immediately began purging the Ukrainian intelligentsia.

Mykola Leontovych, the author of Shchedryk, was also targeted by a VChK (All-Russian Extraordinary Commission) agent. On January 23, 1921, he was killed in his parents’ house in Vinnytsia region.

Shortly after their arrival in the USA, the choir recorded several songs, including Shchedryk, with the New York record company Brunswick. This old recording is still available for listening today.

This was the start of the American triumph of Leontovych’s melody. On October 6, the Ukrainians performed at the Academy of Music of Philadelphia, and on October 7 – at Princeton University. Then Yale, Harvard, Washington, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Dallas and St. Louis. In total, more than 40 cities and 60 concerts in the most prestigious music halls and universities across the United States took place. And this was only in the first two and a half months of touring.

Music critics, press, famous musicians, deans and presidents of American universities – all of them admired the Ukrainian choir and the performances they heard.

After a successful tour in the United States, the choir went on to perform in Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Cuba and Canada. Everywhere Shchedryk was heard, there were calls for encores. In May 1924, the choir stopped touring.