Mormon Tabernacle Choir | News and Views

Christmas Music, Part 1 – Sleigh Ride

I’ve always liked Leroy Anderson’s Sleigh Ride as a secular Christmas song 🙂 It’s not technically a Christmas song since the words never mention Christmas but it’s often played now so it seems like a way to ease into the season.

http://youtu.be/0w2UZAKTOVI

Anderson had the original idea for the piece 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 and has become the equivalent of a signature song for the orchestra.

A fun arrangement has been made for piano duet.

Leave a comment

Posted by MaryO on December 1, 2023 in Christmas, Christmas Music, Holidays, Posts of Interest

Tags: Arthur Fiedler, Boston Pops, Leroy Anderson, Mormon Tabernacle Choir, music, piano duet, secular, Sleigh Ride, video

Have a Safe and Happy Independence Day!

04 Jul

Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from Great Britain.

Independence Day fireworks are often accompanied by patriotic songs such as the national anthem “The Star-Spangled Banner”, “God Bless America”, “America the Beautiful”, “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee”, “This Land Is Your Land”, “Stars and Stripes Forever”, and, regionally, “Yankee Doodle” in northeastern states and “Dixie” in southern states. Some of the lyrics recall images of the Revolutionary War or the War of 1812.

A bit of audio for your listening pleasure, as played by Vladimir Horowitz…

Leave a comment

Posted by MaryO on July 4, 2023 in Holidays, Independance Day, Posts of Interest

Tags: America the Beautiful, Dixie, Fourth of July, God Bless America, Independence Day, Kingdom of Great Britain, Mormon Tabernacle Choir, My Country 'Tis of Thee, Revolutionary War, Star-Spangled Banner, United States, video, Vladimir Horowitz, War of 1812, Yankee Doodle

Charles Wesley: Hark the Herald Angels Sing

18 Dec

In Honor of Charles Wesley ‘s birthday today. Wesley (1707-1788), the younger brother of John Wesley wrote the words to this Christmas Carol.

Charles was a hymn writer and a poet, also known as one of the people who began the Methodist movement in the Church of England. Hark the Herald Angels Sing appeared in 1739 in a book called Hymns and Sacred Poems.

Wesley envisioned this being sung to the same tune as his hymn, Christ the Lord Is Risen Today, and in some hymnals it is included along with the more popular version.

This hymn was regarded as one of the Great Four Anglican Hymns and published as number 403 in “The Church Hymn Book” (New York and Chicago, USA, 1872).

To celebrate the invention of the printing press, Felix Mendelssohn composed a cantata in 1840 called Festgesang or “Festival Song”. The melody of Mendelssohn’s cantata was then used by William H. Cummings and adapted it to the lyrics of Wesley’s “Hark the Herald Angels Sing”.

Hark the herald angels sing
“Glory to the newborn King!
Peace on earth and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled”
Joyful, all ye nations rise
Join the triumph of the skies
With the angelic host proclaim:
“Christ is born in Bethlehem”
Hark! The herald angels sing
“Glory to the newborn King!”

And, of course, no one can do it better than The Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

Leave a comment

Posted by MaryO on December 18, 2020 in Christmas Music, Holidays, Posts of Interest

Tags: Cantata, carol, Charles Wesley, Christ the Lord Is Risen Today, Christmas, Christmas Music, Church of England, Felix Mendelssohn, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, hymn, hymnal, John Wesley, Methodist, Mormon Tabernacle Choir, music, William H. Cummings

Happy 4th of July!

04 Jul

Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from Great Britain.

Independence Day fireworks are often accompanied by patriotic songs such as the national anthem “The Star-Spangled Banner”, “God Bless America”, “America the Beautiful”, “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee”, “This Land Is Your Land”, “Stars and Stripes Forever”, and, regionally, “Yankee Doodle” in northeastern states and “Dixie” in southern states. Some of the lyrics recall images of the Revolutionary War or the War of 1812.

A bit of audio for your listening pleasure, as played by Vladimir Horowitz…

Leave a comment

Posted by MaryO on July 4, 2017 in Holidays, Independance Day, Posts of Interest, Videos

Tags: America the Beautiful, Dixie, Fourth of July, God Bless America, Independence Day, Kingdom of Great Britain, Mormon Tabernacle Choir, My Country 'Tis of Thee, Revolutionary War, Star-Spangled Banner, United States, video, Vladimir Horowitz, War of 1812, Yankee Doodle

Have a Safe and Happy Independance Day!

04 Jul

Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from Great Britain.

Independence Day fireworks are often accompanied by patriotic songs such as the national anthem “The Star-Spangled Banner”, “God Bless America”, “America the Beautiful”, “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee”, “This Land Is Your Land”, “Stars and Stripes Forever”, and, regionally, “Yankee Doodle” in northeastern states and “Dixie” in southern states. Some of the lyrics recall images of the Revolutionary War or the War of 1812.

A bit of audio for your listening pleasure, as played by Vladimir Horowitz…