The Syncopated Clock (arr. orchestra)

While Leroy Anderson is generally known for Sleigh Ride, many of his most popular works are not known by title or associated with his rather common-sounding American name. The Syncopated Clock is one such example: its music will be recognizable to the average man and woman on the street, but few will be able to name its composer or title. This piece provided the theme music for the New York-based WCBS Television's Late Show and Late, Late Show from 1951 to 1978. It also had several other commercial incarnations that helped make its music familiar to listeners in other parts of the country. The work opens with a clacking tick-tock rhythm, over which a jaunty theme is soon played. It features a short, colorful glissando near the beginning that enhances its carefree character. The middle section is more animated and offers mellow brass writing and a strolling sense, as if the music here is not about clocks or time, but about the ballroom. The main theme returns and the piece closes colorfully, with mischievous ticks and tocks and a squeaks before the final chords.

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