Carol of the Bells is perhaps best known for its starring role in 1990 Christmas classic Home Alone, and it has long been a cornerstone of Farnham Youth Choir’s Christmas programme. But the twinkling carol’s Ukrainian origins give it extra resonance this Christmas.

Originally called Shchedryk, meaning ‘generous evening’ in Ukrainian – was composed in 1914 by Mykola Leontovych, one of Ukraine’s pre-eminent composers, and is based on traditional Ukrainian folk songs.

It was first sung by the Ukrainian Republic Choir at a Christmas concert, and became an immediate hit in Ukraine. But in 1917, the Russian tsar was overthrown in the Bolshevik revolution and the Soviets refused to recognise Ukraine as a country and invaded.

Sounds familiar?

To alert the world to the Ukrainians’ plight, exactly 100 years ago in 1922, the Ukrainian Republic Choir toured Europe, the United States and several other countries, and introduced Shchedryk to a global audience.

The song is about a swallow flying into the house to tell the family about the bountiful year coming up for them – an uplifting message for those seeking to build a new, independent nation.

And just as it was in Ukraine, Shchedryk became a big hit everywhere it was sung

Its transformation into Carol of the Bells, the Christmas staple still loved to this day, followed in 1936 with its re-arrangement in New York by well-known choral director Peter Wilhousky.

Wilhousky, who was born in New Jersey of Ukrainian ancestry, wrote new English language words for the Shchedryk melody, including its now characteristic line “Christmas is here … Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas”.

It was then performed as part of the popular USA festive radio broadcast of Arturo Toscanini’s NBC Symphony Orchestra, and was again an instant hit – this time across the national airwaves.

Composer John Williams later cemented the carol as a Christmas classic in his score for 1990 comedy hit Home Alone.

Later ruminating on the carol’s success, Williams said: “I don’t particularly recall who suggested its inclusion in the film, but it was used to great effect in the church scene where the young protagonist first decides to protect his home from the villains of the story.

“I also interpolated the theme in the music I composed for the subsequent scene where Kevin sets his many ingenious booby traps throughout the house. I suppose for this reason, the music has become somewhat associated with the success of the film.”

It is only now, in a year in which Ukraine’s nationhood has again come into question, that the song is again being held up as a shining example of Ukraine’s contribution to global culture.