Sleigh Ride

The fourteenth piece in the concert (an encore), entitled Sleigh Ride, was written by Leroy Anderson (see below) in 1948.

“Sleigh Ride” was composed by Leroy Anderson from 1946 until 1948. 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.

The original recordings were instrumental versions: it was first recorded in 1949 by Fiedler and the Boston Pops. 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. Anderson also made arrangements for wind band and piano.

Leroy Anderson's own recording of “Sleigh Ride” was made on September 11, 1950, and was released on his album Leroy Anderson Conducts His Own Compositions on the Decca label in 1951. Also released that year as a 78-rpm single, then reissued as a 45-rpm single the following year when it reached #26 on the Cash Box bestsellers' chart.

The main melody of “Sleigh Ride” was used, but without crediting Anderson, as the main theme of Victor Young's score for the 1949 Western Streets of Laredo. Mitchell Parish (1900 - 1993) worked with Young at this approximate time, writing the lyrics for Young's recording of Hoagy Carmichael's previously instrumental ‘Stardust”. In 1950, the Andrew Sisters recorded the first vocal version of “Sleigh Ride”, using the lyrics Parish had written. Although the song is often associated with Christmas and appears on Christmas compilation albums, its lyrics do not mention any holidays.

The piece is noted for the sounds of a horse clip-clopping, and a whip used to get the horse moving. In most performances, percussionists provide these sounds on temple blocks and a slapstick, respectively. Toward the end of the piece, a trumpet imitates the sound of a horse whinnying.

According to the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), “Sleigh Ride” consistently ranks as one of the top 10 most-performed songs written by ASCAP members. ASCAP named “Sleigh Ride” the most popular piece of Christmas music in the U.S. between 2009 and 2012 based on performance data from over 2,500 radio stations. Anderson’s recording remains the most popular instrumental version, while Johnny Mathis's has become the most popular vocal version.

Biographer Steve Metcalf said, “ ‘Sleigh Ride’... has been performed and recorded by a wider array of musical artists than any other piece in the history of Western music.”

Leroy Anderson (1908 – 1975) was given his first piano lessons by his mother, who was a church organist. He continued studying piano at the New England Conservatory of Music as a youth. In 1925 Anderson entered Harvard University, where he studied composition, double bass and organ. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, Magna Cum Laude, in 1929 and a Master degree in foreign languages the following year. As a student, he conducted the Harvard band from 1928 until 1930. He became a music instructor at Radcliffe College from 1930 to 1932, then returned to Harvard as the band conductor from 1932 until 1935, earning a Master of Arts in Music during that time.

Anderson continued studying at Harvard, working towards a PhD in German and Scandinavian languages; Anderson spoke English and Swedish during his youth and eventually became fluent in Danish, Norwegian, Icelandic, German, French, Italian, and Portuguese. Also during his time at Harvard, he was working as an organist and choir director and conducting and arranging for dance bands around Boston.

In 1936, his arrangements came to the attention of Arthur Fiedler, who asked to see any original compositions that he could use to make the concerts he gave as the 18th conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra more enjoyable for his audiences. Anderson's first work for them was the 1938 Jazz Pizzicato, but at just over ninety seconds, the piece was too short for a three-minute 78-RPM single of the period. Fiedler suggested writing a companion piece and Anderson wrote Jazz Legato later that same year. The combined recording went on to become one of Anderson's signature compositions.

In 1942, Leroy Anderson enlisted in the U.S. Army, and was assigned to Iceland with the U.S. Counter Intelligence Corps as a translator and interpreter; in 1945 he was reassigned to the Pentagon as Chief of the Scandinavian Desk of Military Intelligence. Fortunately, his duties did not prevent him from composing. After the end of the war, Anderson became a reserve officer but was recalled to active duty during the Korean War. In 1951 Anderson wrote his first hit, “Blue Tango”, earning a Golden Disc and the No. 1 spot on the Billboard charts.

His pieces and his recordings during the fifties conducting a studio orchestra were immense commercial successes. Blue Tango was the first instrumental recording ever to sell one million copies. Later, the Boston Pops’ recording of Sleigh Ride was the first pure orchestral piece to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Pop Music chart.

Anderson's musical style often employs creative instrumental effects and occasionally makes use of sound-generating items such as typewriters and sandpaper. In 1958, Anderson composed the music for the Broadway show Goldilocks with orchestrations by Philip J. Lang. Even though it earned two Tony awards, Goldilocks did not achieve commercial success. Anderson never wrote another musical, preferring instead to continue writing orchestral miniatures. His pieces are performed by orchestras and bands ranging from school groups to professional organizations across the world.

Anderson would occasionally appear on the Boston Pops regular concerts on PBS to conduct his own music while Fiedler would sit on the sidelines. For The Typewriter, Fiedler would don a green eyeshade, roll up his sleeves, and mime working on an old typewriter while the orchestra played.

The music for Sleigh Ride was purchased for the band by The Spurrell Family.