Mancini was born Enrico Nicola Mancini in the Little Italy neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio, and grew up near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the steel town of West Aliquippa, Pennsylvania. His parents emigrated from the Abruzzo region of Italy. Mancini's father, Quinto, was a steelworker, who made his only child begin flute lessons at the age of eight. When Mancini was 12 years old, he began piano lessons. Quinto and Henry played flute together in the Aliquippa Italian immigrant band, "Sons of Italy". After high school, Mancini attended the renowned Juilliard School of Music in New York. In 1943, after roughly one year at Juilliard, his studies were interrupted when he was drafted into the army. In 1945, he participated in the liberation of a South German concentration camp.
Mancini recorded over 90 albums, in styles ranging from big band to classical to pop. Eight of these albums were certified gold by The Recording Industry Association of America. He had a 20 year contract with RCA Records, resulting in 60 commercial record albums that made him a household name composer of easy listening music.
Mancini's range also extended to orchestral and ethnic scores (Lifeforce, The Great Mouse Detective, Sunflower, "Tom and Jerry: The Movie", Molly Maguires, The Hawaiians), and darker themes ("Experiment In Terror," "The White Dawn," "Wait Until Dark," "The Night Visitor").
Mancini was also a concert performer, conducting over fifty engagements per year, resulting in over 600 symphony performances during his lifetime. Among the symphony orchestras he conducted are the London Symphony Orchestra, the Israel Philharmonic, the Boston Pops, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. He appeared in 1966, 1980 and 1984 in command performances for the British Royal Family. He also toured several times with Johnny Mathis and with Andy Williams, who had sung many of Mancini's songs.[citation needed]
Mancini had experience with acting and voice roles. In 1994 he made a one-off cameo appearance in the first season of the sitcom series Frasier, as a call-in patient to Dr. Frasier Crane's radio show. Mancini voiced the character Al, who speaks with a melancholy drawl and hates the sound of his own voice, in the episode "Guess Who's Coming to Breakfast?" Mancini also had an uncredited performance as a pianist in the 1967 movie Gunn, the movie version of the series Peter Gunn, the score of which was originally composed by Mancini himself.
Mancini was nominated for an unprecedented 72 Grammys, winning 20 Additionally he was nominated for 18 Academy Awards, winning four. He also won a Golden Globe Award and was nominated for two Emmys.
Mancini won a total of four Oscars for his music in the course of his career.
Mancini died at the age of 70 in Beverly Hills/Los Angeles, California of pancreatic cancer. He was working at the time on the Broadway stage version of Victor/Victoria. At the time of his death, Mancini was married to singer Virginia "Ginny" O´Connor, with whom he had three children. Ginny Mancini went on to found the Society of Singers a non profit organization which benefits the health and welfare of professional singers worldwide. Additionally the Society awards scholarships to students pursuing an education in the vocal arts and holds the annual Ella Awards.
The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers(ASCAP) Foundation "Henry Mancini Music Scholarship" has been awarded annually since 2001.
Christmas Song
Henry Mancini Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Jack Frost nipping at your nose
Yule-tide carols being sung by a choir
And folks dressed up like Eskimos.
Everybody knows a turkey and some mistletoe
Help to make the season bright
Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow
They know that Santa's 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 I'm offering this simple phrase
To kids from one to ninety-two
Although it's been said many times, many ways
Merry Christmas to you!
The Christmas Song by Henry Mancini & His Orchestra and Chorus is a festive celebration of the holiday season. The song opens with a nostalgic and cozy image of chestnuts roasting on an open fire and Jack Frost nipping at your nose, creating a warm atmosphere for the listener. The mention of "Yule-tide carols being sung by a choir" and "folks dressed up like Eskimos" adds to the holiday cheer and the feeling of togetherness that is associated with Christmas time.
The second verse of the song is more upbeat and focuses on the excitement and anticipation that builds up around Christmas. The mention of "turkey and some mistletoe" creating a warm and inviting atmosphere that is perfect for celebrating with loved ones. The repetition of "tiny tots with their eyes all aglow" creates an image of the joy and wonder that children experience during the holiday season. The final lines of the verse are particularly festive, as they talk about the arrival of Santa Claus and ensuring that every mother's child will be spying to see if the reindeer really know how to fly.
The song concludes with an offering of well wishes, as the singer offers a simple phrase that can be enjoyed by all. "Merry Christmas to you!" is a classic sentiment that encapsulates the feelings of warmth, togetherness, and joy that are associated with the holiday season.
Line by Line Meaning
Chestnuts roasting on an open fire
The smell of roasting chestnuts wafts through the air on this cold night
Jack Frost nipping at your nose
The chill in the air bites at your face
Yule-tide carols being sung by a choir
A group of singers sing joyful Christmas songs
And folks dressed up like Eskimos.
Everyone is bundled up in warm clothing like the Eskimos do in their cold climate
Everybody knows a turkey and some mistletoe
Certain things like turkey and mistletoe are known to signify the beginning of the holiday season
Help to make the season bright
They help to make the holiday time more cheerful and festive
Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow
Little children are excited and filled with wonder on this special night
Will find it hard to sleep tonight.
They will struggle to sleep due to the excitement and anticipation of Christmas morning
They know that Santa's on his way
All children are aware that Santa Claus is en route with his sleigh full of gifts
He's loaded lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh
Santa has gathered many presents and treats for children all around the world
And every mother's child is gonna spy
All children, regardless of their family backgrounds, are eagerly waiting to catch a glimpse of Santa Claus
To see if reindeer really know how to fly.
They are waiting in the hope of seeing reindeer flying through the night sky, a phenomenon typically associated with Santa's journey
And so I'm offering this simple phrase
As a gesture of goodwill, I am sharing these words of encouragement and family-time togetherness
To kids from one to ninety-two
This message encompasses the entire age spectrum from the very young to those who are very old
Although it's been said many times, many ways
This message has been expressed in various forms and at different times
Merry Christmas to you!
A heartfelt expression of good cheer and goodwill towards all
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ADOLPHE ADAM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Gary Hinkle
Beautiful 🎵
Leeca
from volume 6 Very Merry Christmas LP, love this, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, thank you very much for posting this
NANCYFLORESSANTOS
(: Happy Holidays
Gmackematix
I've come to the comments to see if people troll the ancient yuletide carol...