News about Leroy Anderson and his music concerts, performances, video, events
"Complete Works of Leroy Anderson" NAXOS 5-CD Boxed Set
Naxos Records has released a 5-CD boxed set of the Complete Works of Leroy Anderson. Leonard Slatkin conducted the BBC Concert Orchestra in these recordings for Naxos in 2007 which were originally released as individual discs in 2008. Catalogue No: 8.505259 Released 11/2021
ASCAP, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, named Sleigh Ride the most popular piece of Christmas music in the USA in 2021 [The Top 25 ASCAP Holiday Songs of 2021.pdf].
New Arrangement by Thomas Hundemer for Brass Quintet of "Summer Skies" by Leroy Anderson. This arrangement is published by Alfred Music. Thomas Hundemer's arrangement of "Summer Skies" for Woodwind Quintet will be available soon - also from Alfred.
New Arrangement for SATB Choir & Orchestra. Leroy Anderson wrote "A Christmas Festival" in 1950. The original version is 9 minutes long. Anderson created a shorter version in 1952 which is approximately 6 minutes long. Many orchestras and some choruses perform this shorter version. The family of Leroy Anderson commissioned Nathan Zemp to arrange the original 1950 version of "A Christmas Festival" for SATB Choir & Orchestra. This arrangement and the orchestral accompaniment are both published by Alfred Music.
"Sleigh Ride", "A Christmas Festival", "Suites of Carols" Holiday Concerts 2020 - 2021
Thank you to the orchestras, bands, soloists, choruses and other ensembles all over the world who are preparing virtual performances of "Sleigh Ride", "A Christmas Festival", "Suites of Carols" for brass choir, string orchestra and woodwind ensemble, and other Leroy Anderson compositions in November and December 2020 and January 2021. We look forward to sharing the links to your performances below on this page if the links are available to the public. - the Anderson Family
The following is a partial list of the orchestras, bands and other groups which have obtained permission to produce and stream/post to the internet a recording of music by Leroy Anderson in their holiday concerts from November and December 2020 through January 2021.
ASCAP, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, has ranked "Sleigh Ride" by Leroy Anderson (1948), lyrics by Mitchell Parish (1950) #4 on the top 25 most popular holiday songs of 2020.
Symphony of Northwest Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas
and Ballet Arkansas performing "Sleighride Together"
Ballet Arkansas + Symphony of Northwest Arkansas present Sleighride Together with choreography by Michael Fothergill to accompany Leroy Anderson's Sleigh Ride.
// Leroy Anderson had such a gift for scoring the orchestra to sound like a sleigh dashing through the snow, including sleigh bells, the cracking of the whip and even a horse's whinny performed by the trumpet at the end.
Teresa Muir, President DuPage Symphony Orchestra, Illinois
Blair Academy Wind Ensemble, Blairstown, New Jersey
"A Christmas Festival" Capital Philharmonic of Trenton, New Jersey, Daniel Spalding, conductor and Princeton Girl Choir, Lynnel Joy Jenkins, Artistic Director, New Jersey
// Holiday concerts would not be what they are without "Sleigh Ride"
Glen Cortese, Artistic Director of Schenectady Symphony Orchestra and of Western NY Chamber Orchestra; Artist in Residence, Cathedral of St. John the Divine
Tintinna il Natale (Sleigh Ride) - Coro Notemagia, Trentinno, Italia; Armonizzazione coro e rivisitazione testo: Nazarena Raos, Eleonora Barozzi, Luca Dossi; Il Coro Notemagia è diretto da Eleonora Barozzi e Nazarena Raos
Japan
Otoya Harmonica (bomxboa), Japan: "The Syncopated Clock" for 4 harmonicas (arr. Hatsumi Inoue)
1966 Quartet, "Bugler's Holiday" with variations, Japan
Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra
Auckland, New Zealand
Norway
Anniken Ottersen Lindbak, "Sleigh Ride" from the concert: "Light up the dark days" Dec 18, 2020
Piano: Johannes Gartland, Trommer: Magnus Rønning, Bass: Gaute Rosvold, Gitar: Sindre Brynildsen, Trombone: Knut-Erik Kjøge, Trombone: Lina Steen, Saxofon: Marte Dreierstad, Saxofon: Stine Maehlum
Military Bands of the USA, Canada and the United Kingdom Holiday Concerts 2020 - 2021
The Anderson family is extremely proud that Leroy Anderson's music is frequently performed by the bands and other ensembles of the US Forces and by the military bands of Canada, the United Kingdom and those of many European countries.
United States
The Fourth Infantry Division U.S. Army Band at Fort Collins, Colorado recorded A Rocky Mountain Holiday Concert with numerous ensembles of musicians performing unique arrangements of holiday songs in a 32-minute show you must see. Many people make humerous holiday music videos. This is perhaps the most creative we have seen. The finale is the Ivy Wind Ensemble giving a superb performance of "Sleigh Ride" with a horse whinny played on French horn - the first we have heard.
U.S. Army Band, Pershing's Own featuring SSgt. Nicole Bouffard singing to the U.S. Army Band's arrangement of Sleigh Ride.
The U.S. Army Field Band at Fort Meade, Virginia will perform a jazz version of "Sleigh Ride" (vocal) and post it to the band's Facebook page this December, 2020.
The U.S. Navy Band, U.S. Fleet Forces Band and the U.S. Navy Band Southeast will each perform "Sleigh Ride" and post a video to their website or social media page this December 2020.
The United States Air Force Band at Washington, D.C. will perform and post "Sleigh Ride" to the band's Facebook page this November, 2020.
The United States Air Force Band of the West "Holiday in Blue" will perform and post "Sleigh Ride" to the band's Facebook page this December, 2020.
The U.S. Air Force "Airmen of Note" jazz band will perform and post "Sleigh Ride" to the band's Facebook page this November, 2020.
The U.S. Army Band Bluegrass Band "Country Roads" will perform "Sleigh Ride" in the "Shenandoah Thanksgiving Video", a free performance for viewer enjoyment with a holiday theme.
The 77th Army Band at Fort Sill, Oklahoma will perform and post "Bugler's Holiday" to the band's Facebook page this November 7, 2020.
Canada
The Naden Band of the Royal Canadian Navy in Victoria, British Columbia will perform "Sleigh Ride" during their holiday concert and post a video of the performance to their social media page.
The 36th Canadian Brigade Group Band of the Royal Canadian Army in Halifax, Nova Scotia will perform "Sleigh Ride" during their holiday concert and post a video of the performance to their social media page.
United Kingdom
The Band of the Welsh Guards, United Kingdom, will perform "A Christmas Festival" and post a video of the performance to their social media page.
The British Army Bands, United Kingdom, will perform "A Christmas Festival" and post a video of the performance to their social media page.
The The Royal Marine Band, Portsmouth, United Kingdom, will perform "Sleigh Ride" and post a video of the performance to their social media page.
Leroy Anderson Places
Born and raised in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Leroy Anderson lived in Woodbury, Connecticut from 1949 until his death in 1975. The National Park Service named the Leroy Anderson House to the National Register of Historic Places. The Leroy Anderson House has been designated as an Historic House Museum by the Town of Woodbury.
Leroy Anderson Memorial Bandstand
Leroy Anderson Memorial Bandstand, North Green, 11 Main Street South, Woodbury, Connecticut
The Leroy Anderson Memorial Bandstand was built by the Woodbury Lions Club in 1986 and was dedicated to the memory of Leroy Anderson on September 16, 1986 during a concert by the West Point Military Academy Band. The concert took place on the North Green near the bandstand.
The Woodbury Lions Club decorates the bandstand for Christmas each year on the first Sunday after Thanksgiving. The lighting of the Woodbury Christmas Tree on the North Green takes place on the first Saturday in December each year.
Eleanor Anderson Memorial Garden, North Green, 11 Main Street South, Woodbury, Connecticut
The Pomperaug Valley Garden Club dedicated the renovated garden surrounding the Leroy Anderson Memorial Bandstand on Woodbury's North Green to the memory of Eleanor Anderson, the widow of composer Leroy Anderson and a longtime member of the garden club who died in 2014. The dedication took place on June 16, 2018.
Leroy and Eleanor Anderson are buried in Woodbury's New North Cemetery in Woodbury, Connecticut. From the four-way intersection of Washington Avenue, Church Street and Linden Street, travel West on the entrance road of the cemetery. The graves of Leroy and Eleanor Anderson are on your right (to the North) just South of the large flagpole. The graves are adjacent to the West-running entrance road.
