The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting) — Wells Cathedral Choir

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Description

The Choir of Wells Cathedral, under the direction of Matthew Owens, perform Peter Gritton's arrangement for chorus of Mel Tormé and Robert Wells' beloved Christmastime hit 'The Christmas Song.'

Sometimes referred to as 'Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire,' 'The Christmas Song' is the single most-performed Christmas tune according to Broadcast Music, Inc. Nat King Cole's definitive recording is a holiday favourite, and popular covers by James Taylor, Andy Williams, Bing Crosby, and Sammy Davis, Jr. also top the charts at Christmastime. Here, Wells Cathedral's Great Choir of boys, girls, and men perform an a cappella arrangement for SATB voices.

[ Lyrics ]

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire,
Jack Frost nipping at your nose,
Yueltide carols being sung by a choir
And folk dressed up like Eskimos;
Everybody knows the turkey and the mistletoe
Will help to make the season bright;
The tiniest children have eyes all aglow
'Cause it's Christmas tonight.

They know that Santa Claus is on his way;
He's loaded lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh.
And every mother's child is gonna spy
To see if reindeer really know how to fly;
And so, we're offering this simple phrase
To kids from one to ninety-two:
Although it's been said many times, many ways,
Merry Christmas, a Merry Christmas,
A very merry Christmas to you.

[ Recording available on the disk 'Jingle Wells' (Regent 2012); purchases of this disk support the Wells Cathedral Chorister Trust, which helps provide bursaries to boys and girls from less well-off homes to attend Wells Cathedral School and join in maintaining the nearly millennium-old choral tradition alive at Wells Cathedral. ]