It seems I’ve known this song forever, as far back as my early Girl Scout years. It was something we would sing around the campfire. I can’t really say that I knew what it was about back then. I loved the melody, and really liked adding harmony with it. Recently I had the opportunity to learn an arrangement for harp.
Shenandoah is an American folk song from the 1800s. Some people think that it was written by French travelers while they were going down the Missouri River. Others say that it was the story of a voyager or fur trader who was in love with the daughter of a Native American chief. There are also several different versions of lyrics, suggesting that it has been added to over the years. It was printed in an 1876 issue of The New Dominion Monthy in an article titled Sailor Songs, by Captain Robert Chamblet Adams, and included in Ships, Sea Songs and Shanties collected by W. B. Whall.
There was a version called The Wild Mizzourye in the book American Ballads and Folk Songs. The number of versions speaks to the beauty and timelessness of this music. The song I learned seems to be a mashup of several of these. The song has been used in movies such as Shenandoah and How the West Was Won, and was even performed by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir on their album America’s Choir: Favorite Songs, Hymns & Anthems.
My harp arrangement was written by Ailie Robertson for lever harp. Ailie is an award winning composer and harpist from Scotland. She holds a Ph.D. in composition from Trinity Laban Conservatorie. I really love her Celtic compositions and this was my first introduction to her broader body of work.
So here is my video of Shenandoah, arranged by Ailie.
I hope you enjoy it.