Given that Jingle Bells is just about the most widely known and sung Christmas song year-on-year, I have opted to give it a fresh lick of paint and give it hopefully a bit of fresh appeal. Thus, the song now reappears in a novelty Samba style. Jock McKenzie
Jingle Bells is one of the best-known and most commonly sung songs in the world. It was written by James Lord Pierpont and published under the title The One-Horse Open Sleigh in the autumn of 1857. It has been claimed that it was originally written to be sung by a Sunday school choir for Thanksgiving, or as a drinking song.
Although it has no original connection to Christmas, it became associated with Christmas music and the holiday season in the1860s and 1870s. It is believed to be the first Christmas record and one of the most performed and most recognizable holiday songs ever written. In recognition of this achievement, James Lord Pierpont was voted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Jock McKenzie studied trumpet at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester where he was a joint recipient of the college’s concerto prize. Since 1987 Jock has based his musical career in Hampshire, working as a freelance trumpeter, conductor, composer, arranger and brass teacher. Currently Jock holds the position of Professional Leader (Brass) for Hampshire Music Service and is the Director of the Hampshire County Youth Band. It is the mix of all of these musical roles that has led to Jock establishing a reputation as a leading creator of brass music resources, particularly in the field of education and brass ensemble music. In 2020 Jock was awarded an “Honorary Fellowship of the University of Winchester” for services to music education. Currently Jock is working part-time for the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama; providing tuition for their Brass Teaching Module. In 2024 Jock was given the award for “Services to Youth” by Brass Bands England.
