It ain't Christmas 'til...
Thursday, November 29, 2007
I play Leroy Anderson's "Sleigh Ride" at least three times. And that is a modest number, methinks. Last night was the first read of the season.
J and I were discussing why people like Leroy Anderson tunes so much-- Sleigh Ride, Bugler's Holiday, and the Christmas Medley. The best I can come up with is not an original idea. I played Bugler's Holiday with a group a few years ago and their maestro said something to the effect of, "Now, tell me if this isn't the HAPPIEST tune you'll ever hear." And I really couldn't argue with that. I think the same holds true for these overplayed Christmastime medleys. I have to constantly remind myself that the people in the audience are NOT playing Sleigh Ride for the fifth time in two weeks. They're hearing it for the first time since last year. Hey, I play Mahler 5 once a year and I still like it. I think I can let the people enjoy Sleigh Ride once a year without rolling my eyes.
At least this week.
Posted byL. at 9:57 AM
Labels: Christmas, programming
