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Shchedryk (The Little Swallow)
Mykola Leontovych’s choral setting (1916) of a Ukrainian New Year’s song, the soprano line sung on “lah”: a four-note motif sixteen times, a higher middle part with two quick rising runs, then the motif again.
Mykola Leontovych made this a cappella choral piece from a Ukrainian folk New Year's song. The first version dates from 1901, it premiered in Kyiv on 29 December 1916, and the final version is from 1919. The song tells of a swallow that flies into a house to sing of a rich year to come. You sing the soprano line on “lah” in one pass: 135 notes in 34 seconds at 168 beats per minute, in 3/4 time and a minor key.
How to do it
- Wait for the two count-in clicks. The piano plays the first phrase alone, then plays along with you.
- Sing the four-note motif 16 times: a half step down and back up, then a minor third down.
- Move to the related figure four times, a whole step down and back, then a major third down.
- In the middle part, begin on the octave and step down. Then climb the two quick runs from a fourth below the root up to the fifth above it.
- Finish with the motif four more times. Use the tempo slider to practice slower first.
Coach's tip: Sing the motif exactly the same every time: a half step down and back, then a minor third down. In the runs, climb evenly from the lowest note and don’t rush.
What to watch out for
The motif is easy to get wrong after many repetitions. It drifts flat, or it rushes because the eighth notes are fast. Sing it the same way every time: a clean half step down and back, then the minor third. In the runs, start from the lowest note, climb evenly and don't rush, because they cover a long way in a short time. The range spans an octave and a fourth, so check the top. If you hear strain, stop and lower the tempo.
Who it's for
Level 3, for singers who have the stamina for 34 seconds of fast notes and can hold a steady pitch through long repetition. Prepare with Interval: minor third and Fast 5-note scale, and follow with Trill 1-2-1-2-1-2-1 to keep quick repeated figures light. No program lists it. The daily training offers it only from 1 December to 6 January, but it is in the library all year.
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