Artist: Sultans of String
Song: “The Little Swallow (Carol of the Bells)/ Al Vuelo”
Album: Christmas Caravan
In Their Words: “This song ‘Shchedryk,’ known in English as ‘The Little Swallow,’ is a Ukrainian New Year’s carol. Many people know it by its later adaption to another song, ‘Carol of the Bells.’ Here we created a mashup with our original song ‘Al Vuelo,’ arranged in a Spanish bulerias style. We took this song full-circle, back to Europe, to record with the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. The most exciting part of the process was travelling to Prague. I knew that the musicians there would do an incredible job with this song, which we got to record in a Soviet-era studio. And I was praying for snow, so we could create a Christmas feel in the middle of their iconic square in the old town. Finally the snow came and we rushed down to the square to capture the moment!” –Chris McKhool, Sultans of String
