Carol of the Bells
This piece, "Shchedryk", was written by Ukrainan composer Mykola Leontovych in 1916, as an assignment for a harmony course. The
ostinato is an ancient new year's chant. Peter Wilhousky wrote the English
lyrics in 1936, transforming the song into a Christmas carol.
The looping ostinato and the stepwise harmonic progressions lend the
composition a chiptune-like character to begin with, which made it a perfect
choice for this little 8-bit greeting. Merry Christmas!