Basilica Carol Sing draws crowds eager to hear the story of Christ's birth through song (Photos/ Video)

Over 1,300 candles burned for three days lighting up the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart for the 51st Candlelight Carol Sing, this year held on Dec. 14 and 15.

The choir began preparing in September, music director and concert conductor John Miller said.

“The challenge is the choir will be singing in nine languages — English, Latin, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Polish, Czech, and Ukrainian,” Miller said.

Historically the apex of the evening is the “Silent Night” finale when the electric lights are turned off and the audience sings along with the choir holding up their own candles. The entire church is bathed in candlelight.

But this year, “Shchedryk,” or “Carol of the Bells” as known in the U.S., may have stolen the concert. Many don’t know that the song is actually a Ukrainian folk song that has nothing to do with Christmas. It was written in 1916 by Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovich and is a winter song sung by young girls who go door to door on Jan. 13 — the Ukrainian New Year. It tells of a swallow flying into a household to proclaim a plentiful year.

This year marked the 100^th anniversary since “Shchedryk” was first sung in America at Carnegie Hall by the Ukrainian National Chorus in October 1922, Miller noted. Like today, it was a time of great upheaval as Soviet Ukraine was trying to become independent.

In 1936, American composer Peter Wilhousky thinking the melody lent itself to bells gave the song English words that includes bells and “Merry, Merry, Merry Christmas,” according to Anthony Potoczniak, a Rice University anthropology graduate student who studied the song’s history in 2004.

On Dec. 14 and 15, the basilica choir sang the Ukrainian version twice in honor of the anniversary and the war Ukraine is now fighting due to the Russian invasion.

History of the Carol Sing

The Carol Sing has its origin in a surprising twist of events. In 1969, then-Cathedral Director of Music John Rose prepared an organ recital for mid-December as part of the Cathedral Concert Series, which was in its second season, according to history provided by Sacred Heart’s music ministry.

Due to a terrible snowstorm, the organist scheduled to perform that evening could not travel to Newark. With about 50 disappointed concertgoers on hand, Rose reacted quickly and invited everyone to the gallery to hear the music he was preparing for Christmas.

Then he led them in the singing of a few Christmas carols. Despite the bad weather, the evening was so enjoyable that some suggested repeating the impromptu experience the following year, according to the ministry.

In December 1970, the Cathedral Concert Series planned a program entitled The Carol Sing – a simple gathering of people in the Cathedral to sing carols. The event was a huge success and has continued each year.

Since then, The Candlelight Carol Sing in the Cathedral Basilica has become one of northern New Jersey’s highlight events drawing standing-room-only crowds. The success of this annual event has encouraged many churches to imitate the tradition within their communities, according to the ministry.

The life of The Candlelight Carol Sing has developed over the years. The cathedral choir became an important part of the event, as did the addition of instrumentalists, soloists, and the many candles.

Following years of isolation during the pandemic where we have been wearied and worried, Auxiliary Bishop Elias Lorenzo O.S.B. said, we need to see and hear the story of Christ’s birth now more than ever.

“We need to linger longer, look more deeply and listen more intentively so we can rediscover the wonder in God’s God’s love revealed in the birth of His beloved Son,” Bishop Lorenzo said.