| DECEMBER 24, 2010 -- "Sleigh Ride" by the late composer Leroy Anderson, who lived in Woodbury, has once again rated number on of ASCAP’s list of the most-aired Christmas songs on radio.
ASCAP, (the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) is the oldest and largest of the three performance rights societies, has compiled holiday song data tracked by airplay monitoring service, Mediaguide, from over 2,500 radio stations nationwide, according to a release.
"Sleigh Ride" has already aired over 100,000 times since Oct. 1. Last year, "Sleigh Ride" was also the number one played holiday song. Though it is known as a Christmas song, the word “Christmas” does not appear in the lyrics.
Mr. Anderson first conceived of "Sleigh Ride" one hot day in the summer of 1946, when he was living on Painter Hill road in Woodbury.
Eleanor Anderson, the composer's widow and president of Woodbury Music Company, publisher of many of Mr. Anderson's compositions, said, "Leroy conceived of 'Sleigh Ride' one hot July day in 1946. He was digging trenches in an attempt to locate an abandoned pipe that might bring water to a dried-up well that served our small Connecticut cottage. He didn't find the pipe, but he came in saying he had the idea for a new composition. He thought he would begin it with rhythmic sleigh bells. So, he didn't find the pipe, but he found 'Sleigh Ride' instead. None of us could have guessed that it could just ride on and on, and become the most-played holiday song in 2010."
He worked off and on "Sleigh Ride" for the next two years, along with other compositions, completing it for its premiere by Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops on May 4, 1948. Mills Music published it that same month. Mitchell Parish added lyrics in 1950.
"Sleigh Ride" has become popular around the world. A writer reported that Malaysian stores all play “Sleigh Ride." A Woodbury native, visiting in Africa, wrote that he was thrilled to hear "Sleigh Ride" in Malawi - it was a message from home.” Commercials using "Sleigh Ride" are airing in Mexico, Romania and Spain this year. Baskin Robbins has used "Sleigh Ride" for a commercial in South Korea and a German company has made many musical products that play "Sleigh Ride."
There are over 1,000 different versions of "Sleigh Ride" available for download at Amazon.
"Sleigh Ride" will be heard at almost every band and orchestra holiday concert, from professional to middle school. The Coast Guard Band performed "Sleigh Ride" at the national tree lighting ceremony on Dec. 9 and Shaquille O’Neil conducted the Boston Pops playing "Sleigh Ride" at its Dec. 20 concert. The Hollywood Bowl Orchestra played "Sleigh Ride" as their final encore for the summer season!
The Leroy Anderson Christmas public radio special is an hour-long program that is in its third year of broadcasts on public radio stations nationwide. It features "Sleigh Ride" and the composer's arrangements of Christmas music: "A Christmas Festival"; "Suite of Carols for String Orchestra"; "Suite of Carols for Woodwind Ensemble" and "Suite of Carols for Brass Choir." Program hosts are conductor Leonard Slatkin and the composer's son Kurt Anderson. Also heard is the composer talking about Christmas and his Christmas music. WMNR Fine Arts Radio in Monroe, at 88.1 FM, will be airing the program Christmas Day at noon. |
