Leontovych-Ukrainian Carol arr. Madeira (SP)-4M/Cro.

This popular theme of the Christmas season - The Ukrainian Carol - is based on a Ukrainian folk tune, "Shchedryk," which actually has nothing to do with Christmas. First arranged for voices by Ukrainian composer Mikhail Leontovich, it was later adapted to an English text by Peter Wilhousky and given the Christmas-themed title "Carol of the Bells." This arrangement by David W. Madeira looks back to the Ukrainian version for inspiration, realizing the folk theme for percussive timbres. This arrangement was commissioned for the Belmont University School of Music, as seen on the PBS broadcast "Christmas at Belmont 2007".

For the most effective performance, the ideal formation for this piece is to have one performer per marimba, the instruments arranged in a line across the stage, from marimba 1 at stage right to marimba 4 at stage left, and the crotale player between marimbas 2 and 3. However, in case of spatial constraints or a limited number of instruments, players 1 and 4 may share an instrument, as may players 2 and 3. In either case, memorization is strongly encouraged so that the audience may easily see and hear the melodic motives being passed between all four marimba players.

Difficulty - Grade 4 (medium - medium-advanced)