Sleigh Ride

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"A Brush for the Lead", lithograph by Currier and Ives, 1867. In the song, the lyrics compare a sleigh ride to a "picture print by Currier and Ives".

"Sleigh Ride" is a popular light orchestral piece composed by Leroy Anderson. The composer had the original idea for the piece during a heat wave in July 1946; he finished the work in February 1948. The lyrics, about a person who would like to ride in a sleigh on a winter's day with another person, were written by Mitchell Parish in 1950. The orchestral version was first recorded in 1949 by Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops Orchestra. The song was a hit record on RCA Victor Red Seal 49-0515 (45 rpm) / 10-1484 (78 rpm), and has become the equivalent of a signature song for the orchestra. The 45 rpm version was originally issued on red vinyl. The Pops has also recorded the song with John Williams, their conductor from 1979 to 1995, and Keith Lockhart, their current conductor. Over the years, the song has become a Christmas standard.

Details

Leroy Anderson recorded his own version of "Sleigh Ride" in 1950 on Decca 9-16000 (45 rpm) / 16000 (78 rpm). This recording hit the Cashbox magazine best sellers chart when re-released in 1952.

Although "Sleigh Ride" is often associated with Christmas, and often appears on Christmas compilation albums, the song's lyrics never specifically mention any holiday or religion (apart from certain recordings, such as those by the Carpenters, Walter Schumann and Air Supply, that substitute "Christmas party" for "birthday party" in the song's bridge). In fact, the mention of "pumpkin pie" in the last verse might suggest an association with Thanksgiving rather than Christmas.

According to the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers [ASCAP] review of Christmas music, "Sleigh Ride" consistently ranks in the top 10 list of most performed songs written by ASCAP members during the Christmas season worldwide.[1]

ASCAP named "Sleigh Ride" the most popular piece of Christmas music in the USA for the four consecutive years 2009 through 2012, based on performance data tracked by airplay monitoring service, Mediaguide, from over 2,500 radio stations nationwide. To this day, Leroy Anderson's recording remains the most popular instrumental version, while Johnny Mathis' recording has become the most popular vocal version.[2]

According to author, Steve Metcalf, in his book, Leroy Anderson: A Bio-Bibliography [Praeger 2004], "'Sleigh Ride' ... has been performed and recorded by a wider array of musical artists than any other piece in the history of Western music."

The middle section, or bridge, utilizes an unusual, unprepared modulation to III, then to II, of the tonic key. The difficulty of singing this has caused several recordings to alter the chord changes, as in the Johnny Mathis version(where?), or omit the section altogether, as in the Phil Spector/Ronettes version—both very popular recordings.

Recording history

Explanations

  • Currier & Ives was a popular printing company in the 19th century. The company closed in 1907, 43 years before the song's lyrics were written.
  • The horse whinny five bars from the end is made by a trumpet half-valve glissando. Because this effect is just before the ending, it is traditional for the trumpet players to rise when the applause begins and take a bow, which is sometimes prolonged and over-dignified, to humorous effect. The joke is occasionally prolonged by the presentation of a bunch of carrots (in lieu of roses) to the players.
  • The whip cracks are made by a percussionist, preferably with a slapstick, although rimshots are also acceptable.

Classical "Sleigh Ride" pieces

Die Schlittenfahrt (Sleigh Ride) is also the popular name given to one of the Three German Dances composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The composition is sometimes mistakenly attributed to Wolfgang's father, Leopold Mozart (whose own Divertimento in F major is popularly known as Musical Sleigh Ride).

The "Winter Night" segment of Frederick Delius' Three Small Tonepoems is also commonly known as "Sleigh Ride".

The "Troika" movement from Lieutenant Kijé by Sergei Prokofiev is also a musical sleigh ride, referring to a three-horse team drawing a carriage (troika means "group of three").

References

  1. ↑ ASCAP Announces Top 25 Holiday Songs – "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting ...)" Tops List
  2. ↑ http://www.ascap.com/press/2012/1212-ascap-members-reign-over-top-ten-most-played-holiday-songs-list.aspx
  3. ↑ Rubiks'S Rock N Roll Reference Discography
  4. ↑ The Official Site of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir
  5. ↑ "discogs.com". Retrieved 2011-12-21. 
  6. ↑ JoJo Christmas in Washington Performance Retrieved November 29, 2011
  7. ↑ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9ZMU7Ka7_I
  8. ↑ http://newalbumreleases.net/60682/jonathan-butler-merry-christmas-to-you-2013/ Retrieved 3 January 2013

External links

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