Blue Tango
Leroy Anderson wrote the dance band original, Blue Tango, in 1951, and Billboard magazine ranked it as the No. 1 song of 1952. Its charismatic melody and traditional tango style combined with subtle blues influences captured the spirit of the era, and it became a world-wide sensation. This arrangement for handbells, handchimes, and optional snare drum is a faithful rendition of Anderson’s hit song, with its continuously malleted bass line, the melody played on chimes, and the countermelody in the upper treble bells. Grace notes are used extensively, along with TD, RT, mallets, mallet rolls, and gentle syncopation, making Blue Tango a perfect novelty for any concert performance. 86 measures.