Every year at the end of December the “Jingle Bells” funny song about ringing bells sounds on radio and television, from New Year’s toys and musical cards. It is considered a Christmas hymn, although it does not contain any mention of the holiday and was written as just a lively winter song.
Perhaps what made it “the very Christmas song” was that it speaks of winter funs, sleighing in the snow.There is also a version that it was originally intended to be performed during a Thanksgiving program at a church in Savannah, Georgia, where its author James Lord Pierpont worked as an organist.
However, the parishioners liked the song so much that they asked to sing it again at Christmas.
James Pierpont was born in 1822 in the family of Boston pastor Reverend John Pierpont.During his rather turbulent life, James managed to work as a photographer, organist and music director of the church, gave lessons in singing and playing the organ, wrote songs.
He married early and by the age of 30 was the father of half a dozen (according to some sources seven) wonderful children.The guy had been musically gifted since childhood, so he often composed simple songs for his kids.
In the original, the song about bells was called “The One Horse Open Sleigh” and its melody was more complex, more reminiscent of classic Mozart pieces. Who changed the text and melody of “Jingle Bells” to the familiar version is unknown to this day.
According to one version, the town of Medford, Massachusetts, where James Pierpont was born, was so small that there was only one piano in Mrs.Waterman’s boarding house.
According to historians, in December 1851, about 6 years before the song was officially recognized, James played a song to Mrs.Waterman, which told about what adventures await a guy and a girl if they decide to harness a horse to a sleigh and ride…
The boarding house owner silently listened to the song, and then muttered: “Do you really want, Mr. Pierpont, associate the name with the sleigh, it will sound much better, for example “Jingle Bells”.
In August 1857, the song “The One Horse Open Sleigh” by James Lord Pierpont was published by Oliver Dietson in Boston, and in September 1857 it was copyrighted. Two years later, the song was reissued as “Jingle Bells, or The One Horse Open Sleigh”.
Then the song was not yet a hit at all times, but over time, the popularity of the song grew. And after great Frank Sinatra included it in his repertoire for the 100th anniversary of the song, it became one of the most famous and recognizable musical compositions performed on Christmas Eve.
The song was also recorded by Glenn Miller and his orchestra, and was performed by Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald and Boney M. The classic recording was Bing Crosby’s 1943 record. It was sold millions of copies. In 1970, James Pierpont was included into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
One of the interesting facts about this song is as follows: On December 16, 1965, astronauts Wally Shirra and Tom Stafford aboard the Gemini 6 played a trick on the mission control center.
They said they saw a UFO and noted that its pilot “was wearing a red suit”.After that they played “Jingle Bells” using harmonica and bells.Both instruments are now displayed at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum; they were also recognized as the first musical instruments played in space.