SPIRIT OF THE SEASON / BELIEVE, (FROM 'THE POLAR EXPRESS')

Music and Text: Alan Anthony Silvestri and Glen Ballard
Arrangement: Ryan Murphy

Alan Silvestri’s music for the 2004 Christmas hit movie The Polar Express included the Grammy award–winning single “Believe.” But it was another song from that same soundtrack, the choral anthem “Spirit of the Season,” that almost immediately earned its place as a Christmas classic. Silvestri’s soaring, joyful music in “Spirit of the Season” brims with youthful exuberance, while Glen Ballard’s lyrics capture the special magic of a child’s anticipation of the Christmas season. 

“Believe” is a more meditative and peaceful reflection on the Christmas spirit and the need to keep that believing spirit alive when life seeks to rob us of childlike joy. This medley of the two most popular songs from The Polar Express was arranged by The Tabernacle Choir’s associate director, Ryan Murphy.