Thanksgiving Dinner Music
History doesn’t report what kind of music there was, if any, at the first Thanksgiving dinner in 1621, when the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Native Americans celebrated together at Plymouth Plantation. If they did join in song, you can be sure it wasn’t, “One little, two little, three little Indian boys.”However, before and since the third Thursday in November became a national holiday in the United States, many family gatherings on that special day have featured music along with the turkey and all the trimmings.If you plan music for your celebration, you may decide to choose from two types: background and sing-along. Background music should accompany the sit-down dinner to set the mood, but without being too loud and intrusive. You can select CDs of appropriate music or mix your own on continuous-playing CDs free picked out from internet sites. Consider some suggestions to get you started:Thanks for the Memories by Bob HopeThank You For Being a Friend by Andrew Gold (Golden Girls theme)Thank You, Girl by The BeatlesWe Are Family by Sister SledgeYou’ll Never Walk Alone from Carousel by Shirley JonesWhat a Wonderful World by Louis ArmstrongThat's What Friends Are for For by Dionne WarwickSweet Potato Pie by James Taylor and Ray CharlesO Sole Mio by The Three TenorsSingin’ in the Rain by The Three Tenors or Gene KellyCarmen Suite by Bizet (A classical or two wouldn’t hurt)If you plan to put on a sing-along after dinner and dessert have been served, print some one-page sheets with familiar song lyrics on them.Some old camp songs could induce the younger guests to join in on the sing-along. Consider:Over the River and Through the Wood .Five Little TurkeysIf You’re Happy and You Know itIf some guests are now in uniform or have ever served in the Armed Forces, you can really get them up on their feet and singing along with military bands on the CD playing:Anchors AweighThe Air Force SongThe Caissons Go Rolling AlongSemper ParatusThe Marine HymnHelp digest the huge Thanksgiving meal and top off the sing-along with all joining in on:God Bless America sung by Kate SmithBattle Hymn of the Republic sung by the Mormon Tabernacle ChorusGod Bless the USA sung by Lee GreenwoodYour Thanksgiving dinner should be a happy experience for everyone there. Some familiar and enjoyable music can enhance the fun.
