Hark! The Herald Banjo Rings
Christmas 2009
December 7
"Jingle Bells" is not technically a Christmas song, but it has become very strongly associated with the Christmas season. The words and music were written in 1857 by James Lord Pierpont under the original title "One Horse Open Sleigh" and renamed two years later to "Jingle Bells". Pierpont was born in Massachusetts, and his father and brother were Unitarian ministers. At the time Pierpont wrote this song, he was the music director of his brother's church in Savannah, not a place with a lot of snow. Unlike his brother, Pierpont stayed in Georgia during the Civil War, and served in the cavalry as a clerk. "Jingle Bells" was the first song broadcast from space, by astronauts aboard Gemini 6.
This piece was performed by a yet-to-be-named brass quartet from Keene, New Hampshire. Sue Hahs, a long-time friend of Greg's wife, Liddy, and music teacher at Keene Middle School, performs on trombone, and her husband, Jay Hahs, performs on tuba. Kim Clark, the Keene schools elementary band director, performs on trombone, and her husband, Rich Clark, Monadnock Region schools music teacher and band director, performs on tuba.
Downloads: mp3
Jingle Bells
Performed by Kim Clark on trombone, Rich Clark on tuba, Jay Hahs on tuba, and Sue Hahs on trombone
Words and music: James Lord Pierpont, 1857.
Dashing thro' the snow,
In a one horse open sleigh,
O'er the hills we go,
Laughing all the way;
Bells on bob tail ring,
Making spirits bright,
Oh what sport to ride and sing
A sleighing song to night.
Refrain
Jingle bells, Jingle bells,
Jingle all the way;
Oh! what joy it is to ride
In a one horse open sleigh.
Jingle bells, Jingle bells,
Jingle all the way
Oh! what joy it is to ride
In a one horse open sleigh.
A day or two ago
I tho't I'd take a ride
And soon Miss Fannie Bright
Was seated by my side,
The horse was lean and lank
Misfortune seem'd his lot
He got into a drifted bank
And we - we got up sot.
Refrain
A day or two ago,
The story I must tell
I went out on the snow
And on my back I fell;
A gent was riding by
In a one horse open sleigh,
He laughed as there I sprawling lie,
But quickly drove away.
Refrain
Now the ground is white
Go it while you're young,
Take the girls to night
And sing this sleighing song;
Just get a bob tailed bay
Two forty as his speed
Hitch him to an open sleigh
And crack, you'll take the lead.
Refrain