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From £37.99

Carols of Birds, Bells, and Sacred Hymns from Ukraine

An Anthology and Cultural Companion
By: Marika C. Kuzma

From £37.99

This anthology of Ukrainian carols is a prism through which Ukraine’s history, culture, and vibrant spirit are revealed. It includes the original “Carol of the Bells,” music scores, translations, and the gripping narratives of choral activism that helped a nation survive.

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,…
From £37.99
From £37.99
1-0364-0513-3 , , , ,
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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.

Marika C. Kuzma is a critically acclaimed conductor and choral historian who has performed repertoires from many centuries and diverse countries. She has directed music by composers from Hildegard to Dufay, Bach, Mozart, Verdi, Messiaen, Britten, Reich, Weston in venues such as Carnegie Hall, NYC, Stephansdom in Vienna, Austria, Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, USA and the Kyiv Mohyla Academy, Ukraine. Kuzma is a Professor Emerita of the University of California, Berkeley, USA. Her experience in producing a critical edition of Dmitry Bortniansky’s choral concertos (Carus Verlag) and in scrutinizing scores by Brahms and Stravinsky for scholarly articles has guided her process of researching and curating this anthology. She has given invited talks at universities across North America and at the Kyiv and Moscow conservatories. Of Ukrainian descent, she is honored to create this bridge to the culture of her forebears.

Hardback

  • ISBN: 1-0364-0513-3
  • ISBN13: 978-1-0364-0513-7
  • Date of Publication: 2024-09-05

Paperback

  • ISBN: 1-0364-5055-4
  • ISBN13: 978-1-0364-5055-7
  • Date of Publication: 2025-06-02

Ebook

  • ISBN: 1-0364-0514-1
  • ISBN13: 978-1-0364-0514-4
  • Date of Publication: 2025-06-02
459

Subject Codes:

  • BIC: AVGC8, HBJD, JFSL
  • THEMA: AVLC, NHD, JBSL
459
  • "Marika Kuzma's book provides an extraordinary introduction to Ukrainian Christmas music, offering an all-embracing understanding of its cultural significance.
    - This volume is a treasure trove for choral conductors and singers, destined to become both a classic reference and a cherished collection for exploration and performance. These carols embody a soulfulness that deeply moved me." Craig Hella Johnson

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