Mykola Leontovych composed « Carol of the Bells » in 1916 and used as his musical materials the traditional Ukrainian folk chant and melodies he was familiar with. The first performance took place at Kyiv University in December of that year. While the original work was written for SATB choir the American composer, Peter Wilhousky, who was familiar with the carol, arranged the music in 1936 for the NBC Radio Network’s Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. He decided to add new English lyrics to the carol and his choice of lyrics was centred on the theme of bells, because the melody reminded him of hand bells. The work received its first airing on NBC in December of that year. Its initial popularity stemmed largely from Wilhousky’s ability to reach a wider audience through the medium of radio and through the new lyrics he had written. They struck a chord with listeners. As a result « Carol of the Bells » has come to be strongly associated with Christmas: its references to bells, carolling, and especially the line « merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas” have all contributed to this association.