Music plays a major part in the holidays as the songs of the season can evoke strong emotions and memories. On Sunday, the Master Chorale of Flagstaff performs its annual holiday concert, and since songs are essentially poems set to music, we figured it would be fun to feature some holiday music in this week’s Poetry Friday segment. Today, we hear from Ben Saunders, artistic director for the Master Chorale, and we drop in on one of their rehearsals for a ‘Sleigh Ride’ serenade.
BS: For a holiday concert, I think it’s important that we realize that everyone celebrates the holidays in different ways. There’s a strong religious connection to the holidays, but there’s also a strong secular connection to the holidays, and I think it’s appropriate and important to make sure that the music encompasses all beliefs and all traditions because we all celebrate the holidays in different ways.
We’ve selected some traditional sacred songs, such as Hark! The Herald Angels Sing. The handbell choir will be playing It Came Upon The Midnight Clear. We’re doing an African Christmas carol called Beta Le Hamu that’s actually sung in Yoruba. We’re also doing a Hebrew piece in celebration of the Hanukkah tradition. We have some secular pieces; the traditional Sleigh Ride, by Leroy Anderson. We really enjoy the piece. It’s a lot of fun. Everybody in the audience will be familiar and will have heard this song or sung this song, and it’s a great piece that features both the orchestra and the choir. So, we’ll hear different sounds from the choir and some fun sounds from the orchestra, especially at the end.
Sleigh Ride, by Leroy Anderson
Just hear those sleigh bells jingling,
ring ting tingling too
Come on, it's lovely weather
for a sleigh ride together with you
Outside the snow is falling
and friends are calling "yoo hoo",
Come on, it's lovely weather
for a sleigh ride together with you.Giddy yap, giddy yap, giddy yap,
let's go, Let's look at the show,
We're riding in a wonderland of snow.
Giddy yap, giddy yap, gidd yap,
it's grand, Just holding your hand,
We're gliding along with a song
of a wintry fairy land
Our cheeks are nice and rosy
and comfy cozy are we
We're snuggled up together
like two birds of a feather would be
Let's take that road before us
and sing a chorus or two
Come on, it's lovely weather
for a sleigh ride together with you.There's a birthday party
at the home of Farmer Gray
It'll be the perfect ending a of perfect day
We'll be singing the songs
we love to sing without a single stop
At the fireplace while we watch
the chestnuts pop. pop! pop! pop!
There's a happy feeling
nothing in the world can buy
When they pass around the coffee
and the pumpkin pie
It'll nearly be like a picture print
by Currier and Ives
These wonderful things are the things
we remember all through our lives!Just hear those sleigh bells jingling,
ring ting tingling too
Come on, it's lovely weather
for a sleigh ride together with you
Outside the snow is falling
and friends are calling "yoo hoo",
Come on, it's lovely weather
for a sleigh ride together with you.It's lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you
It's lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you
Poetry Friday is produced by KNAU's Gillian Ferris. If you have an idea for a segment, drop her an email at Gillian.Ferris@nau.edu.
