Christmas from the 50s

The ninth piece in the concert is entitled Christmas from the 50s. It is a medley of four “pop” songs associated with Christmas (though three of them are not actually Christmas songs) which were written in the decade from 1950 until 1960. It was arranged by Douglas E. Wagner (see below) in 2009.

The medley is written to feature a solo by either a vocalist, trumpet or alto saxophone. We are taking the rather unorthodox tactic of alternating trumpet and alto saxophone as the soloists, except for the last phrase, on which the two soloists play together in harmony.

The first song in the medley, “Jingle Bell Rock” was first released by Bobby Helms in 1957. It has received frequent airplay in the United States during every Christmas season since then. It was composed by Joseph Carleton Beal (1900–1967) and James Ross Boothe (1917–1976). Beal was a Massachusetts-born public relations professional and longtime resident of South Ocean Avenue in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and Boothe was an American writer in the advertising business.

“Jingle Bell Rock” is widely considered a Christmas song, but it actually makes no reference to the holiday. It has been performed by many, but Helms’ version is the best known. The song’s title and some of its lyrics are an extension of the old standard, “Jingle Bells” (also not actually a Christmas song). It makes brief references to other popular songs of the 1950s, such as “Rock Around the Clock”, and mentions going to a “Jingle hop”.

The second song in the medley, “Frosty the Snowman”, was written by Walter “Jack” Rollins and Steve Nelson, and first recorded by Gene Autry and the Cass County Boys in 1950. It was written to hopefully repeat the success of Autry's recording of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” the previous year; Rollins and Nelson shipped the new song to Autry, who recorded “Frosty” in search of another seasonal hit.

Although it is generally regarded as a Christmas song, the original lyrics make no mention of the holiday (some renditions, like that in the 1969 Rankin/Bass TV special, change the lyric “I'll be back again someday” to “I'll be back on Christmas Day”). The song supposedly takes place in White Plains, New York, or Armonk, New York; Armonk has a parade dedicated to Frosty annually.

The third song in the medley, “The Christmas Waltz” was written by Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne for Frank Sinatra, who recorded it in 1954 as the B-side of a new recording of “White Christmas”. Cahn recalls, “One day during a very hot spell in Los Angeles the phone rang and it was Jule Styne to say, ‘Frank wants a Christmas song.’” Cahn resisted. “Jule, we're not going to write any Christmas song. After Irving Berlin’s ‘White Christmas’!? The idea's just ridiculous.” Styne was emphatic, however. “Frank wants a Christmas song!”

The two met in Styne’s apartment to begin work on the project, and Cahn asked the composer, “Hey, Jule, has there ever been a Christmas waltz?” He said no. I said, “Play that waltz of yours.” He did so, and Cahn began work on the lyrics of “The Christmas Waltz”, which many other artists have since also recorded.

The last piece in the medley, “(There's No Place Like) Home for the Holidays” was composed by Robert Allen (1927 – 2000), with the lyrics written by Al Stillman (1901 – 1979) in 1954. The lyrics detail the joys of being in your home community during the holidays and give examples of how some people will travel long distances to be with their loved ones. It’s interesting that the song is associated with Christmas when one recognizes that there is no mention of Christmas in the lyrics and both the composer and lyricist were Jewish.

The best-known recordings of “Home for the Holidays” were made by Perry Como, who recorded the song twice, both times accompanied by Mitchell Ayres’ Orchestra and the Ray Charles Singers. The first recording was released as a single in December of 1954. In the United States, it peaked at number eight on Billboard magazine’s Most Played by Jockeys chart (in the issue dated January 8, 1955) and at number 18 on Billboard's Best Sellers in Stores chart (in the issue dated January 1, 1955). The next Christmas the same recording was released again, with “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen” as the flip side. This recording has appeared on many compilation albums over the years and remains a Christmas radio regular.

Como’s second recording of “Home for the Holidays”, in stereo and with a different musical arrangement was made on July 15, 1959. It was released as a 33 rpm single, with flip side “Winter Wonderland”. This 1959 version was also included on the album, Season's Greetings from Perry Como, and has appeared on many compilations, as well as being played on some radio stations during the holidays.

Arranger Douglas E. Wagner, (b. 1952) is an internationally recognized composer and arranger. With 30 years as a high school music educator and administrator behind him, Doug now devotes all of his time and energy to writing, editing and their allied activities. He is an A.S.C.A.P. award-winning composer, an editor for a major publishing company, and has served several denominations as a church musician.

Doug has published more than 2,500 music titles since 1973, including works for choir (sacred and secular), concert band, orchestra, handbell ensemble, organ, piano, instrumental solo and voice. Fifteen million copies of his music have been sold to date.

Wagner’s music has been performed in concert settings, on television and on radio broadcasts in the United States, as well as on concert programs in more than two dozen foreign countries.

The music for Christmas from the 50s was provided for the band by Howard and Laurie Webb.