FAMILY CHRISTMAS MEDLEY
Arrangement: Ryan Murphy
For many years, associate music director Ryan Murphy has arranged medleys with songs selected in consultation with the Christmas concert guest artist. These three songs focus on the family and home at Christmastime.
’ROUND AND ’ROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE
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Music and Text: Ray Evans and Jay Livingston
The renowned Oscar-winning team of Jay Livingston (composer) and Ray Evans (lyricist) wrote hundreds of songs together, primarily for film and television, including “Que Será, Será,” “Mona Lisa,” “Tammy,” “Silver Bells,” and the theme songs for the TV shows Bonanza and Mr. Ed (which Livingston sang himself).
Their 1965 Christmas song “’Round and ’Round the Christmas Tree” actually began as a novelty round for The Young Americans show choir— “’Round and ’Round the Romance Tree”—and was then adapted later as a Christmas song. It was first recorded by Bing Crosby in 1971.
A PLACE CALLED HOME, FROM 'A CHRISTMAS CAROL'
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Music: Alan Menken
Text: Lynn Ahrens
The Broadway musical version of A Christmas Carol, based on Charles Dickens’s novella, featured songs by eight-time Oscar winner Alan Menken and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, the librettist for many successful stage shows including Ragtime and Seussical. The initial Broadway run of A Christmas Carol lasted from 1994 to 2003, and it was made into a television film in 2004.
“A Place Called Home” is performed as Scrooge reviews his childhood with the Ghost of Christmas Past and sees himself in happier times when “home” symbolized a place of belonging and love.
HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS
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Music: Robert Allen
Text: Al Stillman
“Home for the Holidays” was originally penned in 1954 for Perry Como by the prolific songwriting team of composer Robert Allen and lyricist Al Stillman. In addition to Como, this team also collaborated on several hit songs for The Four Lads in the 1950s, and the immensely popular song “Chances Are” for Johnny Mathis.
Since its debut recording in 1954, “Home for the Holidays” has become a Christmas staple, appearing on The Carpenters’ 1984 Christmas album, and then hitting the Billboard adult contemporary charts in 2011 in a duet version sung by Cyndi Lauper and Norah Jones.