Sleigh Ride

According to Wikipedia...
"Sleigh Ride" is a popular light orchestral piece composed by Leroy Anderson. The composer had the original idea for the piece during a heat wave in July 1946; he finished the work in February 1948.

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 except certain "Sleigh Ride" versions (the Carpenters and Air Supply being examples). In fact, the mention of pumpkin pie in the last verse might suggest an association with Thanksgiving rather than Christmas.


My favorite holiday song is the instrumental version as arranged by the great Leroy Anderson. It is such a delight to finally have a visual of what produced all the beautiful sounds. To my non-musician ears, the perfect orchestration of violins, bells, cellos, trombones, trumpets, xylophones, and a "clapper" is a whimsical display of Anderson's musical genius. The horse whinny near the end came from a trumpet called glissando; which never fails to bring a smile to my face.

The uplifting and energizing musical interlude is a perfect accompaniment during a cold weekday morning drive to work. Something shifts in the air as the music ushers a season meant to bring cheers and fun. Whether you celebrate the holidays or not, one cannot help being buoyed by the excitement that songs like "Sleigh Ride" bring.

The giddy, happy feeling that the song conveys, even if just for the duration of the song, is certainly welcome during these trying times. Finger-tapping good. The kind that makes you wish you can conduct the orchestra yourself.

In 2011, Sleigh Ride was voted the most popular holiday song.

The charming lyrics by Mitchell Parish paint a great picture of a sleigh ride over snow-covered roads a la Currier and Ives. Although I'm a fan of the versions by the Carpenters and Johnny Mathis, the instrumental version is the quintessential feel-good holiday song for me.