Winter Wonderland

This enduringly popular seasonal song has long been a Christmas favourite, even though the lyrics don’t mention ‘Christmas’ at all. The words were by Dick Smith (1901-1935) and the music by Felix Bernard (1897-1944). The inspiration was reportedly avisit by Smith to Honesdale’s (his hometown) Central Park when it was covered in snow.

The first recording was made by Richard Himber’s Ritz-Carlton Orchestra in 1934. The same year Guy Lombardo and his band, The Royal Canadians, took the song to number 2 in the US Billboard Chart, where it stayed for 9 weeks. It has since beenrecorded by over 150 artists, the most successful versions being by Perry Como and the Andrews Sisters, both released in 1946.