As we head into the holiday season, we are surrounded by the strains of some of our most cherished holiday songs. I found it surprising to learn that many of them were not actually written as Christmas songs.
Jingle Bells
Jingle Bells is one of the best-known and most commonly sung American holiday songs in the world. It was written by James Lord Pierpont (1822-1893), and was first published in the autumn of 1857 under the name “One Horse Open Sleigh”. This song was very similar to many other sleigh-riding songs that were immensely popular during that time. Jingle Bells was performed by choirs and in concert halls, but wasn’t recorded as part of a Holiday Collection until 1889.
Frosty the Snowman
Frosty the Snowman was written and recorded in 1950, as a follow-up hit to “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”, which had been a great success for Gene Autry in 1949. It was written by Walter “Jack” Rollins and Steve Nelson. Like so many other seasonal favourites, the original doesn’t make any mention of the holidays!
Frosty has been covered by many outstanding artists, including Jimmy Durante, Nat King Cole, Guy Lombardo, and an instrumental version by our own Canadian Brass. In 2007, the Kimberley Locke version reached #1 on the US Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks.
O Christmas Tree
O Christmas Tree is a German song based on a 16th century folk melody that was completely unrelated to Christmas. The original “Ach Tannenbaum” uses the symbol of the evergreen fir tree to represent faithfulness and constancy in love.
The modern lyrics were written in 1824 by the Leipzig organist, teacher and composer Ernst Anshütz. As the custom of decorating an evergreen tree at Christmas developed over the course of the 19th century, the song came to be seen as a Christmas carol.
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
This song was written by composer Jule Styne and lyricist Sammy Cahn in July of 1945. They were in Hollywood California during a heat wave, and were trying to imagine cooler conditions. Even though the lyrics make no mention of any holiday, the song has come to be regarded as a Christmas song because of its winter theme, and has been included on Christmas albums by innumerable artists.
The Christmas Song
Commonly known as “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire”, the Christmas Song was also written during the blistering hot July in 1945. Robert Wells and Mel Tormé were trying to immerse themselves in winter themes in an attempt to cool off, and 40 minutes later the song was born. It was first recorded in 1946 by Nat King Cole. This original recording was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1974.
Sing Along with Us!
Join us in singing these, and many other favourites at our live stream sing along on Saturday December 19th at 7:00 pm. You can find more information here.