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Cameron Carpenter's Holiday Single Out Now - Sales to Benefit The American Boychoir School

Organist Cameron Carpenter is donating all proceeds from worldwide sales of his single Sleigh Ride to The American Boychoir School in Princeton, NJ.

Cameron Carpenter, who attended The American Boychoir School from 1993 to 1995, frequently cites the School as a major influence in his development.  Carpenter said on Facebook, "The American Boychoir was where I got my first taste of professional musical life at age 11, and had musical experiences that shaped me in ways too numerous, and positive, to mention here! Now the Boychoir needs help, and this is one way to start. Please download [from iTunes] and help to spread the word!"

Carpenter’s new holiday single is a transcription of Leroy Anderson’s Sleigh Ride, which is a popular, light orchestral piece that has been performed and recorded for over 50 years.  “Sleigh Ride is so well-known, some would say well-worn, that it was vitally important to bring something new to it,” Carpenter said.  In Carpenter’s organ transcription of the famous melody, the song is played throughout by the right foot only – with both hands providing countermelodies, accompaniment figures, and color changes.  The single was recorded at Middle Collegiate Church in New York City.  The organ used in the single is Marshall & Ogletree’s Opus 4, designed by Carpenter. 

Carpenter is considered a musical prodigy.  He performed Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier at the age of 11 before joining The American Boychoir School in1992.  During his years at the school, Cameron studied   choral instruction under the renowned Music Director James Litton, and began composing early choral and string works, including a 1993 cantata for voices and orchestra on passages from Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book.  While receiving his Master's Degree from The Julliard School in New York in 2006, he began his worldwide organ concert tours and recorded his first commercial CDs and DVDs.  His first album, Revolutionary, made him the first organist ever nominated for a GRAMMY Award for a solo album.  He is most widely known for his virtuosity, showmanship, technique, and arrangements for the organ.

To listen and watch the recording of Sleigh Ride, visit YouTube (https://youtu.be/Ygb-IQNUCJI or https://bit.ly/vwwlBy).  To purchase Sleigh Ride, visit iTunes (https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/sleigh-ride-single/id485540835?ign-mpt=uo%3D4 or https://bit.ly/s8JHbC).  For more information on Cameron Carpenter, please visit www.cameroncarpenter.com.

For over 74 years, The American Boychoir School has provided a rigorous academic and music education for boys in grades 4 through 8 reflecting the ethnic, religious and cultural diversity of the US and countries around theworld. The American Boychoir maintains an active national and internationaltouring schedule, performing and recording regularly with world-class artists and ensembles. In addition to over 110 solo concerts each season, The American Boychoir has been extensively recorded and broadcast on radio and television, with some forty-five commercial recordings to its name. Founded in Columbus, Ohio, in 1937, the Choir has been located in Princeton, New Jersey since 1950.

The programs offered by The American Boychoir School are made possible, in part, through a grant by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional funding has been provided by the New Jersey Cultural Trust.  For more information about The American Boychoir School, please visit www.americanboychoir.org.