Sleigh Ride

Leroy Anderson

Leroy Anderson

General Info

Year: 1948
Duration: c. 2:45
Difficulty: III (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Belwin Mills/Alfred
Cost: Score and Parts - $70.00   |   Full Score - $9.00

Instrumentation

Full Score
Piccolo in C
Flute I-II
Oboe I-II
Bassoon I-II
Eb Soprano Clarinet
Bb Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
Eb Alto Clarinet
Bb Bass Clarinet
Alto Saxophone I-II
Tenor Saxophone
Baritone Saxophone
Cornet (in Bb) I-II-III
Trumpet (in Bb)I-II
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II-III
Euphonium
Tuba
String Bass
Percussion I-II-III (4-7 players), including:

• Bass Drum
• Cymbals
• Glockenspiel (extended high range required (high F)
• Sleigh Bells
• Snare Drum
• Temple Blocks (2)
• Whip
• Xylophone

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

Sleigh Ride exists in numerous versions and is a staple of the holiday season. The idea first came to the composer during a heatwave in July 1946. The first recording occurred in 1949 with lyrics being added by Mitchell Parrish the following year. A selection of the artists who have recorded it include Herb Alpert, The Andrews Sisters, The Carpenters, Bing Crosby, The Boston Pops Orchestra, Ella Fitzgerald, the amazing Debbie Gibson, The Muppets, and Andy Williams.

Commercial Discography

• Audio CD: Leroy Anderson, conductor orchestral version

State Ratings

None discovered thus far.

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

• San Antonio (Tx.) Community Wind Ensemble (Albert Aguilar, conductor) - 13 December 2020
• Central College (Pella, Iowa) Symphonic Wind Ensemble (Eileen McGonigal, conductor) - 10 December 2020
• Gustavus Adolphus College (St. Peter, Minn.) Bands (Heidi Johanna Miller, conductor) - 8 December 2020
• Texas Christian University (Fort Worth) Symphonic Band (Brian Youngblood, conductor) - 3 December 2020
• University of Central Missouri (Warrensburg) Symphonic Band (Anthony Pursell, conductor) - 2 December 2020
• Grace College (Winona Lake, Ind.) Wind Ensemble (Eric Criss, conductor) - 20 November 2020
• University of North Dakota (Grand Forks) Wind Ensemble (James Popejoy, conductor) - 17 November 2020
• Central Junior High (Euless, Tx.) Symphonic Band (Christine Bell Cumberledge, conductor) - 18 December 2019 (2019 Midwest Clinic)
• Charlottesville (Va.) Municipal Band (Steve Layman, conductor) – 15 December 2019
• Arkansas Winds (Farmington) (Michael Ferguson, conductor) - 15 December 2019
• Lone Star Symphonic Band (Katy, Tx.) (Bob Bryant, conductor) – 15 December 2019
• New Orleans (La.) Concert Band (Charles Taylor, conductor) – 15 December 2019
• Encore Concert Band (Mokena, Ill.) (Rachel Ozark, conductor) – 15 December 2019
• Triangle Wind Ensemble (Cary, N.C.) (Evan Feldman, conductor) – 15 December 2019
• Royal Oak (Mich.) Concert Band (Kevin R. Czarnik, conductor) - 15 December 2019
• Orcas Island (Wash.) Community Band (Karen Key Speck, conductor) – 14 December 2019
• Lesbian & Gay Big Apple Corps Symphonic Band (New York, N.Y.) (Henco Espag, conductor) - 14 December 2019
• Atlanta (Ga.) Wind Symphony (David Kehler, conductor) – 14 December 2019
• Illinois Valley Community College (Oglesby) Wind Ensemble (Phil Whaley, conductor) – 12 December 2019
• Westmount Secondary School (Hamilton, ON) Wind Orchestra (Chad Benning, conductor) - 12 December 2019

Works for Winds by this Composer

• Belle of the Ball (1951)
• Blue Tango (1951)
• Blue Tango (arr. Ployhar) (1951/1980)
• The Bluebells of Scotland (1951)
• Bugler's Holiday (arr. Edwards) (1954)
• The Captains and Kings (1962)
• China Doll (1951)
• A Christmas Festival (1950)
• A Christmas Festival (arr. Smith) (Grade II) (1950/2007)
• A Christmas Festival (trans. Smith) (Grade III) (1950/2007)
• Clarinet Candy (1962)
• Fiddle-Faddle (arr. Lang) (1947)
• Forgotten Dreams (1954)
• The Girl in Satin (1953)
• The Golden Years (1962)
• Home Stretch (1962)
• Horse and Buggy (1951)
• Irish Suite: The Girl I Left Behind Me (1949)
• Irish Suite: The Irish Washerwoman (1947)
• Irish Suite: The Minstrel Boy (as arranger) (1947/1952/2009)
• Irish Suite: The Rakes of Mallow (1947)
• Jazz Pizzicato (arr. Lang) (1938)
• A Leroy Anderson Portrait (arr. Barnes) (1982/2006)
• Lullaby of the Drums (1970)
• The Penny Whistle Song(1951)
• The Phantom Regiment (1951)
• Pirate Dance (1962)
• Promenade (arr. Lang) (1945)
• Promenade (arr. Wagner) (1945/2017)
• Pyramid Dance (1960)
• Sandpaper Ballet (1954)
• Selections from Leroy Anderson's "Irish Suite" (arr. Wagner) (1947/2011)
• Serenata (1947)
• Sleigh Ride (1948)
• Sleigh Ride (arr. Ployhar) (1948/1980)
• Sleigh Ride (arr. Warner) (1948/2006)
• Song of Jupiter (as arranger) (1952)
• Song of the Bells (1953)
• Suite of Carols for Brass (1955)
• Suite of Carols for Woodwinds (1955)
• Summer Skies (1953)
• The Syncopated Clock (1945)
• Syncopated Clock, The (arr. Lang) (1946/1948)
• Syncopated Clock, The (arr. Schubert) (1946/1997)
• Ticonderoga March (ed. Boyd) (1939)
• A Trumpeter's Lullaby (arr. Lang) (1950/1978)
• The Typewriter (arr. Heide) (1950/)
• The Typewriter (arr. Werle) (1950)
• The Waltzing Cat (arr. Lang) (1950)

Resources

• Anderson, L. (1948). Sleigh Ride [score]. Belwin-Mills: Melville, N.Y.
• Pease, Andy. "Sleigh Ride by Leroy Anderson." Wind Band Literature, 14 December 2020. Web. Accessed 14 December 2020