Leroy Anderson's works have been played in symphony halls and band shells around the world for more than 50 years. His pieces such as
Sleigh Ride, The Syncopated Clock, Blue Tango and
The Typewriter are at once accessible to general audiences and appreciated by artists for their musicality.
Once Upon a Sleigh Ride chronicles the life and work of composer Leroy Anderson (1908-1975) through interviews with colleagues, family members and others who worked with him, as well as archival and contemporary performances of his work.
Singing the praises of the composer are conductors Keith Lockhart, Frederick Fennell and Seiji Ozawa; and choreographer Mark Morris, who created Sandpaper Ballet (1999) , featuring tunes by Anderson, for the San Francisco Ballet.
At the heart of the program is Anderson's infectious music, heard in long excerpts by various incarnations of The Boston Pops (conducted by Fiedler, Williams and Lockhart) and other orchestras, and in delightful television clips with Steve Allen, Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli and Jack Jones.
