"The Christmas Song" (commonly subtitled "Chestnuts
Roasting on an Open Fire" or, as it was originally
subtitled, "Merry Christmas to You") is a classic
Christmas song written in 1945 by Bob Wells and Mel
Tormé.
According to Tormé, the song was written during a
blistering hot summer. In an effort to "stay cool by
thinking cool", the most-performed (according to BMI)
Christmas song was born. "I saw a spiral pad on his
(Wells') piano with four lines written in pencil",
Tormé recalled. ...(+)
"The Christmas Song" (commonly subtitled "Chestnuts
Roasting on an Open Fire" or, as it was originally
subtitled, "Merry Christmas to You") is a classic
Christmas song written in 1945 by Bob Wells and Mel
Tormé.
According to Tormé, the song was written during a
blistering hot summer. In an effort to "stay cool by
thinking cool", the most-performed (according to BMI)
Christmas song was born. "I saw a spiral pad on his
(Wells') piano with four lines written in pencil",
Tormé recalled. "They started, 'Chestnuts roasting...,
Jack Frost nipping..., Yuletide carols..., Folks
dressed up like Eskimos.' Bob didn't think he was
writing a song lyric. He said he thought if he could
immerse himself in winter he could cool off. Forty
minutes later that song was written. I wrote all the
music and some of the lyrics."
The Nat King Cole Trio first recorded the song early in
1946. At Cole's behest – and over the objections of
his label, Capitol Records – a second recording was
made later the same year utilizing a small string
section, this version becoming a massive hit on both
the pop and R&B charts. Cole again recorded the song in
1953, using the same arrangement with a full orchestra
arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle, and once more
in 1961, in a stereophonic version with orchestra
conducted by Ralph Carmichael. Cole's 1961 version is
generally regarded as definitive, and in 2004 was the
most-loved seasonal song with women aged 30–49, while
the original 1946 recording was inducted into the
Grammy Hall of Fame in 1974.
Source: Wikipedia
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Christmas_Song).
Although originally written for Piano and Voice, I
created this Arrangement for Oboe & Strings (2 Violins,
Viola, Cello & Bass).
SHEET MUSIC