To everyone who has helped me this year, in place of a Christmas card…
The Christmas Song was written by Mel Torme & Robert Wells on a hot summer day in 1944[1], wondering whether thinking about cold weather might make them feel a little cooler. There was no air conditioning at the time, so it was meant to be a kind of mental air conditioner. Written in only 40 minutes, the song became a major hit when sung by Nat King Cole and became one of the most frequently performed Christmas songs.
The song opens by describing chestnuts at the fireplace and a nose nipped by winter frost. It is a very heartwarming song, depicting children waiting wide-eyed for presents, unable to sleep, and thinking of secretly watching reindeer fly through the sky.
I offer this simple wish to children from 1 to 92.
Though it has been expressed countless ways before: wishing you a merry Christmas.
As usual, this was recorded in a single take[2], so there are various flaws, but please enjoy it. Merry Christmas!
[1] At that time, Japan was waging total war under the slogan “Kichiku Bei Ei” and had no leeway at all; the difference in the degree of ease between the two countries is stark.
[2] Beyond that, I have never studied jazz in the first place, and people who play a lot of jazz will probably think this is a strange performance. When I got this score, Mecha Mote Flute: “The Christmas Song,” 6 days ago, I was at a loss as to how to play it. Jazz and classical music have completely different idioms and everything else…
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