The Vilnius-based choir Bel Canto supported Euromaidan by releasing a special video based on their archival recording of the song “Shchedryk.”
To create the video, the ensemble used footage of their own performance from the concert “An Evening with Bel Canto,” which took place on November 6, 2010, at St. Catherine’s Church in Vilnius, Lithuania. They added the national flag of Ukraine, the flag of the European Union, and subtitles with words of support in English.
The video instantly spread across social networks, gaining thousands of views on YouTube and providing vital moral support for the people on the freezing Maidan Nezalezhnosti.
Global Recognition and Cinema
In 2023, Bel Canto Choir Vilnius’s recording of “Shchedryk” was included in the soundtrack of the European feature film “Sisi & I” (Sisi & Ich). The drama’s premiere at the Berlinale allowed the Ukrainian melody to resonate on cinema screens worldwide.
READ MORE on the choir’s official website: Bel Canto Choir Vilnius Featured in Sisi & Ich Soundtrack Premiered at Berlin Film Festival
Powerful International Collaborations: From 2023 to 2024
The tradition of grand joint performances of “Shchedryk” with foreign artists began during the choir’s previous winter festivals in Vilnius.
December 2023 (Merger with a Men’s Choir from Sweden):On December 3, 2023, as part of the “Open to the World ’23” festival, the Bel Canto choir joined forces on the stage of St. Catherine’s Church with the famous Swedish men’s choir Zero8. Under the artistic direction and baton of Rasmus Kregström, more than a hundred artists performed the classical, monumental version of “Shchedryk” in the original arrangement by Mykola Leontovych. The recording of this live performance became a special manifesto of cultural solidarity of Lithuania and Sweden with Ukraine.
December 2024 (Jazz Reimagining): The following year, on December 15–16, 2024, within the “Open To The World ’24” festival, Bel Canto choir continued this tradition. They once again invited their Swedish colleagues — the jazz-pop group The Real Group and the Lemon Squeezy quartet — but this time presented a completely different, modern, and dynamic a cappella version of “Shchedryk” based on the arrangement by the group Pentatonix. This unique performance, combining Ukrainian Christmas classics with elements of modern jazz and barbershop style, united over 50 artists on one stage and became a triumphant finale to the holiday show.