(Leroy Anderson)
This piece for orchestra was composed by Leroy Anderson in 1950 with it premiering when he recorded it for Decca in 1953. That same year Fred Werle published an arrangement for band.
Using the typewriter as the solo “instrument” it has been played in the performance of the song by the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s Seiji Ozawa, Aerosmith’s Steve Tyler, the National Symphony Orchestra’s Leonard Slatkin, and Reto Parolagari who specially adapted his typewriter for the part.
The numerous recordings of the piece have appeared on albums by artists such as Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops, Frederick Fennell and the Eastman-Rochester Pops, the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, 101 Strings, Spike Jones and the guitarist Alan Hanlon.
A favourite for using in radio and television as a theme tune, it has also been used in the movies Christmas with the Kranks and Who’s Minding the Store and in the television series Candid Camera.
Leroy Anderson & His Orchestra recordings
MCA 9815
Conductor – Leroy Anderson
Eastman Pops Orchestra
Mercury 432 013-2
Conductor – Frederick Fennell
Eastman Rochester Pops
Mercury SACD 475 6942
Conductor – Frederick Fennell
Richard Hayman and Orchestra recordings
Naxos 8.559125
St. Louis Symphony Orchestra recordings
RCA 0 9026 68048 2
Conductor – Leonard Slatkin
Sources:
- http://www.pbs.org/sleighride/Video&Music/Compositions_Typewriter.htm
- http://www.leroyanderson.com/html/hearthemusic.htm
- http://us.imdb.com/name/nm1180163/