Sleigh Ride

"Sleigh Ride"
Song
LanguageEnglish
Published1948 (1948) by Mills Music
GenreLight
Composer(s)Leroy Anderson
Lyricist(s)Mitchell Parish

"Sleigh Ride" is a light orchestra standard composed by Leroy Anderson. He formed the idea for the piece during a heat wave in July 1946, and finished it in February 1948. Its first performance was by the Boston Pops Orchestra, with Arthur Fiedler conducting, on May 4, 1948.[1]

The original recordings were instrumental versions: it was first recorded in 1949 by Fiedler and the Boston Pops.[2] As a 45 rpm version issued on red vinyl, "Sleigh Ride" was a hit record on RCA Victor Red Seal, and has become one of the orchestra's most well-known works. The Pops have recorded the piece numerous times, with Fiedler as well as John Williams, their conductor from 1979 to 1995, and Keith Lockhart, their current conductor.

The lyrics, about riding in a sleigh and other wintertime activities, were written by Mitchell Parish in 1950.[3] Anderson also made arrangements for wind band and piano.[4][5]

The Ronettes recorded a cover of "Sleigh Ride" in 1963 for Phil Spector's A Christmas Gift for You, which was commercially successful in the United States and featured in various media. The song has since been associated with the Christmas and holiday season.

  1. ^ "The story of how Sleigh Ride was written". Leroy Anderson Foundation.
  2. ^ Speed, Burgess (2004). Leroy Anderson: A Bio-bibliography. Eleanor Anderson, Steve Metcalf. Praeger. pp. 25–81. ISBN 0-313-32176-0. OCLC 55948259.
  3. ^ Christmas in New England, Commonwealth Editions 2006, pages 116–121
  4. ^ Pease, Andy (2020-12-14). "Sleigh Ride by Leroy Anderson". Wind Band Literature. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
  5. ^ LLC, Woodbury Music Company. "Sleigh Ride by Leroy Anderson". www.leroyanderson.com. Retrieved 2022-02-15.

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