Last year, I blogged a few times about some of my favorite Christmas Carols. I thought I would do it again. My first song this year is one that even the smallest child can sing.
"Jingle Bells," written by James S. Pierpont, first made its appearance not at a Christmas concert, but at a Thanksgiving celebration in 1840. Pierpont's father, the pastor of the Medford, Massachusetts Unitarian Church, asked his musically gifted son to create a song of celebration for the church's annual Thanksgiving feast. James had no idea where to begin, so he started watching the young men playing with their sleds in the snow. After spending some time cheering on the races, James had a tune in his head. He headed to a neighbor, the only person in the town with a piano, knocked on the door and told the mistress of the house that he had a tune in his head. Upon hearing this, she stepped aside and let James plunk away on her piano.
As he left the neighbor's house, the very wise woman told him that it was a very catchy tune and the whole town would be singing it before long. Boy was she right! James presented a fully orchestrated choral arrangement for the feast and title it "One Horse Open Sleigh." The town loved it, and even though it spoke of racing and gambling, they asked that it be part of the Christmas program. People from all over the area came to celebration and heard "One Horse Open Sleigh." It was a huge success, and since it was heard at a Christmas concert, the song was then associated to Christmas as it was passed all over Massachusetts.
By 1857, James had the song published and it became one of, if not the, most recognizable Christmas songs in the world. Today, we hardly see a Santa without a jingle bell laden reindeer. One of the most popular recordings of "Jingle Bells," as it came to be known, was done by Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters in 1945. Unfortunately the only video with a good enough quality to share is a video of a record playing. Some of you may never have seen a record, so enjoy a glimpse into the past. Cheers!
"Jingle Bells," written by James S. Pierpont, first made its appearance not at a Christmas concert, but at a Thanksgiving celebration in 1840. Pierpont's father, the pastor of the Medford, Massachusetts Unitarian Church, asked his musically gifted son to create a song of celebration for the church's annual Thanksgiving feast. James had no idea where to begin, so he started watching the young men playing with their sleds in the snow. After spending some time cheering on the races, James had a tune in his head. He headed to a neighbor, the only person in the town with a piano, knocked on the door and told the mistress of the house that he had a tune in his head. Upon hearing this, she stepped aside and let James plunk away on her piano.
As he left the neighbor's house, the very wise woman told him that it was a very catchy tune and the whole town would be singing it before long. Boy was she right! James presented a fully orchestrated choral arrangement for the feast and title it "One Horse Open Sleigh." The town loved it, and even though it spoke of racing and gambling, they asked that it be part of the Christmas program. People from all over the area came to celebration and heard "One Horse Open Sleigh." It was a huge success, and since it was heard at a Christmas concert, the song was then associated to Christmas as it was passed all over Massachusetts.
By 1857, James had the song published and it became one of, if not the, most recognizable Christmas songs in the world. Today, we hardly see a Santa without a jingle bell laden reindeer. One of the most popular recordings of "Jingle Bells," as it came to be known, was done by Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters in 1945. Unfortunately the only video with a good enough quality to share is a video of a record playing. Some of you may never have seen a record, so enjoy a glimpse into the past. Cheers!
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