Parade Of The Wooden Soldiers -Player Piano Roll

Merry Christmas !..... Just in time for the season comes this early 20's Imperial piano roll featuring the great 4 handed duet efforts of George Stanley & Bob Alden. As in most duet rolls of th early 1920's, the "effect" was the primary goal in the production of musical pieces for the piano... The cumultive effect of the 4 hands here is heard in a wonderful orchestral arrangement of this traditional Christmas piece.

To quote Readers Digest, 1981, "Leon Jessel caught the jaunty strut of toys exactly when he wrote his "Parade of the Wooden Soldiers" as a novelty item in 1905. It was published in Germany and apparently heard there by a Russian producer who was readying a new revue for Paris bearing the title La Chauve-Souris (The Bat), for which he needed an offbeat dance number. He chose Jessel's rakish "Parade." The Bat opened on Broadway, finally, in 1922, and Ballard Macdonald, who wrote songs for the George White Scandals of 1924 and Ziegfeld's Midnight Frolic, gave the tune lyrics that although seldom heard anymore are included here. The arm-swinging melody and strutting rhythm of the piece make the march a charming one for children and adults at Christmas or any time of the year."

Sit back and enjoy this roll and while you are at it subscribe to my channel for more classic rolls to come.

Thanks for your viewing !!

Lyrics:

The toy shop door is locked up tight
And ev'rything is quiet for the night
When suddenly the clock strikes twelve
The fun's begun

The dolls are in their best arrayed
There's going to be a wonderful parade
Hark to the drum, oh, here they come
Cries ev'ryone

Hear them all cheering
Now they are nearing
There's the captain stiff as starch
Bayonets flashing
Music is crashing
As the wooden soldiers march
Sabers a-clinking
Soldiers a-winking
At each pretty little maid

Here they come
Here they come
Here they come
Here they come
Wooden soldiers on parade

Daylight is creeping,
Dollies are sleeping,
In the toyshop window fast;
Soldiers so jolly,
Think of each dolly,
Dreaming of the night that's past.
When in the morning,
without a warning,
Toyman pulls the window shade,

Category:

Music

Tags:

• player
• piano
• roll
• march
• of
• the
• toys
• parade
• wooden
• soldiers
• christmas
• duet
• stroud
• duo
• art
• pianola
• amica
• mbsi
• toy
• story

[alterman156]

Great tune for the player piano. I enjoyed it. I think that the mechanical player piano beats any electronic player piano system hands down. I especially like the reproducing player pianos since they are basically the "real thing". No electronic player piano system can beat a good Duo-Art or Ampico.

[Pianosyncrazy]

@alterman156 Thanks !!

[mechanicsnut]

What a great song!! Isn't this song also called March of the Wooden Soldiers? I have heard something very similar to this before, they sound very close.

[Pianosyncrazy]

@mechanicsnut Thanks, "Parade .... " is its formal name, but have also heard it presented as "March of the toys" or some such.... thanks for watching and enjoying ... :)

[Pianosyncrazy]

@iterlimen Thank you !

[iterlimen]

Maravilloso...!

[sadajen]

I have to sing this song for my School Christmas Consert! I also sing, Little Drummer Boy, and O' Little Town of Bethlahem. I love this song! We even are acting as wooden soldiers! (Third Grade!) One thing, their missing the REAL ending! (On the piano) The lyrics, I guess he couldn't finish them.Thanks!

[aknabea]

I have always liked this piece of music and have played it many times myself.  Love the special effects that the players of this roll has added to give it the little extras like an orchestra. Thanks.

[Pianosyncrazy]

@Wuschel505 Danke !

[Pianosyncrazy]

@HarborGuy They were, back in the later days when you could have them, and strangest thing, you and I are still aliive... LOLL