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SKU: A0.548662
Composed by James Pierpont. Arranged by James M. Guthrie, ASCAP. Christmas. Score and part. 8 pages. Jmsgu3 #3408929. Published by jmsgu3 (A0.548662).Jingle Bells arranged for flute & piano. Jingle Bells is perhaps the most famous song in American music history. James L. Pierpont published the piece "One Horse Open Sleigh" in the late 1850s. Since its introduction, people began to insist that Pierpont wrote it for a Sunday school choir. However, it seems unlikely that such a secular song would be considered appropriate during that historical period for Sunday school.
Christmas Repertoire
Pierpont wrote the song for the Thanksgiving holidays, but people began to think of it more as a Christmas song over time. Some choirs adopted it as part of their Christmas repertoire in the 1860s and 1870s. Jingle Bells was first recorded in 1889 on a wax cylinder.
Origins
No one knows where Pierpont composed the song. One theory suggests he wrote it in Medford, Massachusetts, in 1850. Sleigh races were indeed famous in 19th-century Massachusetts. To this day, a commemorative placard appears in Medford Square, claiming it is the birthplace of Jingle Bells. Others suggest that he wrote it in Savannah, Georgia, where he was an organist and music director at the Unitarian Church. This theory gained support from the copyright date of 1857. We know he was living in Savannah by then.
Traffic Signals
Horse-drawn sleighs are relatively quiet in the snow. Consequently, horses usually had bell-laden straps to avoid accidents at blind intersections. Sleigh drivers in 19th Century New England were constantly vigilant, listening for the sounds of approaching horse-drawn sleighs. The tune imitates the rhythm that the trotting horse bells produce.
Social Context
Jingle Bells was sung as a drinking song at local revelries: during the song, folks would rhythmically jingle the ice in their glasses. A sleigh ride allowed couples to be alone together. "Jingle bells" is a poetic descriptive adjective referring specifically to the more accurate time sleigh bells. In many arrangements, sleigh bells accentuate the rhythm during the song's chorus.
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