Pop Goes the Orchestra-Part I

Leroy Anderson

On January 10, 2011, Orchestra Kentucky will present a concert of original compositions and arrangements by Leroy Anderson. Anderson is one of those people whose name you might not know, but whose music is very recognizable. With Christmas coming this week, you have probably heard Anderson's most popular tune, Sleigh Ride. But he is not a one-hit wonder. I will devote the next several blogs to the music and the man. Today, I discuss his early life and his biggest hit, Sleigh Ride.

Leroy Anderson (June 29, 1908 – May 18, 1975) was an American composer of short, light concert pieces, many of which were introduced by the Boston Pops Orchestra under the direction of Arthur Fiedler. John Williams described him as "one of the great American masters of light orchestral music."

Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts to Swedish parents, Anderson 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. In 1925 Anderson entered Harvard University, where he studied theory with Walter Spalding, counterpoint with Edward Ballantine, harmony with George Enescu, composition with Walter Piston and double bass with Gaston Dufresne. He also studied organ with Henry Gideon. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1929 and Master of Arts in 1930.

Anderson's Biggest Hit

Anderson had the idea for Sleigh Ride during a heat wave in July 1946; he finished the work in February 1948. 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, and has become the equivalent of a signature song for the orchestra.

Leroy Anderson recorded his own version of "Sleigh Ride" in 1950 on Decca. 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.

According to author Steve Metcalf in the 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."

Watch John Williams conduct the Boston Pops in a performance of Sleigh Ride.