"A Christmas Festival" for Orchestra by Leroy Anderson: Complete reference: recordings, audio files, published music, performances, official website
Composition: "A Christmas Festival" for Orchestra Composer: Leroy Anderson Completed: June 12, 1950 Woodbury, Connecticut Instrumentation: Symphony Orchestra Structure: Overture First Performed: June 12, 1950, Boston Pops Orchestra, Boston, Massachusetts; Arthur Fiedler, conductor; Publisher: Woodbury Music Company LLC; Available from Alfred Publishing
Arthur Fiedler asked Leroy Anderson to write a special concert piece for a Christmas recording in 1950. Anderson selected eight of the most popular Christmas carols and one Christmas song, "Jingle Bells". Using the themes, Anderson built a concert overture that was nine minuutes in length (8:48), whose title at the time of the June 12, 1950 recording was "Christmas Festival". For publication in 1952, Anderson eliminated "The First Noel" and shortened the overture overall to a length of 5:45. Anderson adjusted the title to "A Christmas Festival".
Christmas Festival 1950 (8:48) Choral setting A Choral setting for this original longer version of "A Christmas Festival" will be available through Alfred in 2022. See the Printed Music page on this website to purchase the music from Woodbury Music Company LLC.
Joy to the World
music: Handel (1685-1759), arr. Lowell Mason (1839)
texte: Isaac Watts (1719) @ 0:00
Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly
music & texte: John Parry (1741)
from a traditional Welsh carol @ 0:45
God Rest ye Merry Gentlemen
music & texte: 16th century traditional English carol @ 1:39
Good King Wenceslas
music & texte: John Mason Neale (1853) @ 2:45
Hark the Herald Angels Sing
music: Félix Mendelssohn (1809-1847);
texte based on poem: Charles Wesley @ 3:26
The First Nowell
music & texte: Davies Gilbert (1767-1839)
from a traditional Welsh carol @ 4:18
Silent Night (1818)
music: Franz Xaver Gruber;
texte: Joseph Mohr @ 5:26
Jingle Bells
music & texte: (1857) James Lord Pierpont (1822-1893) @ 6:45
O Come All Ye Faithful (Adeste Fideles)
music & texte: John Francis Ward (1710-1786) @ 7:30
Choral setting
A Choral setting by Nathan Zemp for this original longer version of "A Christmas Festival" will be available through Alfred in 2022. See the Printed Music page on this website to purchase the music from Woodbury Music Company LLC.
"A Christmas Festival" 1952 (5:45)
Joy to the World
music: Handel (1685-1759), arr. Lowell Mason (1839)
texte: Isaac Watts (1719)
Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly
music & texte: John Parry (1741)
from a traditonal Welsh carol
God Rest ye Merry Gentlemen
music & texte: 16th century traditonal English carol
Good King Wenceslas
music & texte: John Mason Neale (1853)
Hark the Herald Angels Sing
music: Félix Mendelssohn (1809-1847);
texte based on poem: Charles Wesley
Silent Night (1818)
music: Franz Xaver Gruber;
texte: Joseph Mohr
Jingle Bells
music & texte: (1857) James Lord Pierpont (1822-1893)
O Come All Ye Faithful (Adeste Fideles)
music & texte: John Francis Ward (1710-1786)
Choral setting
A Choral setting for this shorter version of "A Christmas Festival" is available through Alfred.
Sheet music available for purchase through: TotalSheetMusic.com.
Website: https://www.totalsheetmusic.com/digital-sheet-music/a-christmas-festival-674713/
Alfred Publishing Co., Inc.
https://www.totalsheetmusic.com/digital-sheet-music/a-christmas-festival-674713/
A Christmas Festival - Copyright
Copyright to "A Christmas Festival" (1950 & 1952) and other music by Leroy Anderson was assigned to Woodbury Music Company LLC in the Extended Renewal Term.
Recordings in Chronological Order:
Orchestra
Conductor
Length
Year
Format
Label ID #
Boston Pops Orchestra
Arthur Fiedler
8:24
1950
Mono 45
RCA Victor 12-1289
Pops Concert Orchestra
Leroy Anderson
8:53
1952
Mono 78
Decca 16041 (45-83582)
Pops Concert Orchestra
Leroy Anderson
8:53
1955
Mono LP
Decca DL-8193
Boston Pops Orchestra
Arthur Fiedler
8:37
1959
Stereo LP
RCA LSC-2329
Pops Concert Orchestra
Leroy Anderson
8:57
1959
Stereo LP
Decca DL-78925
Pops Concert Orchestra
Leroy Anderson
8:57
1980
Stereo LP
Pickwick SPC-1036
Boston Pops Orchestra
John Williams
9:10
1980
Stereo LP
Philips Classics 416 287-1
Boston Pops Orchestra
John Williams
9:10
1980
Stereo LP
Philips Classics 416 287-1
Rochester Pops Orchestra
Erich Kunzel
6:27
1984
Stereo CD
Pro Arte CDD 220
Black Dyke Mills Band United Kingdom
Roy Newsome
6:24
1988
Stereo CD
Chandos 8679
Pops Concert Orchestra
Leroy Anderson
8:57
1990
Monaural CD
MCA
Boston Pops Orchestra Tanglewood Festival Chorus
John Williams
9:27
1992
Stereo CD
Sony Classical SK 48232
Boston Pops Orchestra
Arthur Fiedler
8:37
1994
Stereo CD
BMG Classics RCA 61685-2
Philharmonic Symphony and Chorus
Richard Hayman
1994
Stereo CD
Naxos
U.S. Army Air Force Symphony Orchestra
1997
Stereo CD
Altissimo
Concordia University Wind Symphony
Richard Fischer
1999
Stereo CD
Mark Masters Records
Philadelphia Pops Orchestra
Peter Nero
7:35
2001/2003
Stereo CD
DRG 91478
Philharmonic Symphony and Chorus
Richard Hayman
2006
Stereo CD
Naxos
BBC Concert Orchestra
Leonard Slatkin
2008
Stereo CD
Naxos Records
Keystone Wind Ensemble
Jack Stamp
2008
Stereo CD
Klavier Records
Denver Brass
Warren Deck
2012
Stereo CD
Denver Brass Records
Dallas Wind Symphony
Jerry Junkin
2012
Stereo CD
Reference Recordings
The Salvation Army Legacy Brass Band, Canada
Geoffrey Linklater
7:26
2015
Stereo CD
California State University Northridge Wind Ensemble
Lawrence Stoffel
2016
Stereo CD
Mark Records
University of Florida Clarinet Ensemble
Mitchell Estrin
2016
Stereo CD
Mark Records
Pops Concert Orchestra
Leroy Anderson
8:53
2019
Monaural CD
Real Gone Music RGM-0954
Pops Concert Orchestra
Leroy Anderson
8:57
2019
Stereo CD
Real Gone Music RGM-0954
Royal Scottish National Orchestra Royal Scottish National Junior Chorus
Composer quotes:
(From a 1960's interview with Dick Bertel of WTIC Radio, Hartford, Connecticut)
Question: When you wrote "The Christmas Festival", what were you trying to
achieve?
Leroy Anderson: "Well, I was trying to write a Christmas festival. You see, there are
all types of things that have been written for various occasions and in this particular
case I was working at the time for the Boston Pops, I was the arranger and orchestrator
for them for years, and they wanted to record a special concert number, using Christmas
songs, carols and other Christmas music, for records, so they asked, Arthur Fiedler asked
me to do a concert overture, and this is how it came about. I selected the ones that were
the most popular and best known, and then I took them and tried to give instrumental
treatment to them; in other words, it's not a medley, that isn't what we wanted to do
here, certainly what I didn't want to do. I rather took the themes and built you might say
a concert overture, around the Christmas songs. They're not just carols because in this we
end with "Jingle Bells", that is, of course, a secular song, it's not a carol,
but it's associated so much with the gaiety and spirit of Christmas that you certainly
couldn't leave it out."
Question: You were telling me earlier that the days of 78 rpm
records presented a problem to you as far as composing was concerned.
Leroy Anderson: "That's right, when this was done, I think
it was in 1950 or 1951, they still had single records as the main part of the market; LP's
were just about coming in. so while it was played all the way through, that is, when it
was recorded, for the LP, we also had to make a split after four minutes - the Christmas
Festival runs about 8 minutes so that meant that when I wrote it I had to make a place in
the middle where you could stop and this is a problem I had with many other things I did
for the Boston Pops such as the musical comedy selections, where they ran 7 or 8 minutes
and had to go on two sides of a record, it was necessary to write so there was a spot in
the middle where you could make a logical break, and at the same time also pick up again
for the other side, and it had to be as satisfactory as it could for that purpose; but, at
the same time, it had to be done so it wasn't noticeable when you played the whole thing
all the way through. In other words, you couldn't have the seams showing. This was done in
the Christmas Festival and if I may brag a bit, I defy anybody to find out the exact spot
where that occurred because, of course, we don't play it stopping any more, it's played
all the way through be cause now with LP records we don't have to stop every three or four
minutes."
Composer Quote: "I wrote A Christmas Festival originally for
recording on two side of a single record, which had a playing time of eight minutes. In
preparing it for publication, I realized most conductors would not want a selection of
this length, so I made a shorter version myself, rather than have them try to make
makeshift cuts. This also reduced the amount of engraving and printing so that it could be
made available at a lower price. The full version is available in manuscript from Alfred
Music for anyone who wishes to perform it."
Videos:
Written for chorus in 1948, "Christmas Day" is an arrangement by Anderson for standard 4 part SATB (Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass) Chorus of the traditional German carols: Good Christian Men Rejoice; God Rest You Merry Gentlemen; Come Ye Lofty, Come Ye Lowly; The First Nowell. Since it was published before being performed, the first performance is unknown.
Note: "Christmas Day" was originally scored by German composer Gustav Holst who was a guest professor of composition at Harvard from February to May 1932. It was during this time that Anderson was the organist and choir director at the East Milton Congregational Church.
"Christmas Day" is a setting of a German folk song I made many years ago for the junior choir of the church in Milton, Massachusetts where I was organist. In 1948 I rewrote it for mixed choir with an organ part and it was published. I am glad to see it is still being performed.
Copyrights to the music of Leroy Anderson
are held by Woodbury Music Company LLC.
For information concerning the use
of Leroy Anderson's music,
contact the Leroy Anderson family at:
info[at]woodburymusic[dot]com.
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