Preview: Oh Shenandoah (SSA choir and piano)
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SKU: A0.1257261
Composed by Traditional. Arranged by Colin Kirkpatrick. Folk,Historic,Patriotic,Traditional. Octavo. 11 pages. Colin Kirkpatrick Publications #850592. Published by Colin Kirkpatrick Publications (A0.1257261).
Here’s a new SSA choir arrangement of that ever-popular American folksong Shenandoah. The original song probably has its origins among the French Canadians who traded with Native Americans around the Great Lakes during the sixteenth century. These traders exchanged weapons and tools for animal furs, especially beaver pelts. Paddling their canoes along the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers the traders were well-known for their singing. However, as most of the traders were illiterate, the songs were never written down and went through numerous changes over the years and centuries.
In most versions of the song, the lyrics tell of a seafarer, possibly a canoeing fur-trader, who was in love with the daughter of Shenandoah, a Native American Chief who lived in what is now the state of Virginia. Shenandoah was a real person: evidently an individual of commanding presence who lived for over a hundred years.
Shenandoah became one of the most popular capstan shanties, a slow song which set a manageable pace for the crew in a heavy and lengthy task. Most versions of the song have a similar couplet at the end of each verse. In some transcriptions, the melody is written out entirely in 4/4 time; others use triple time and some arrangements use a mixture of both. In this version, the lyrics have been selected from different versions of the song.
This SSA arrangement for choir and piano is conceived for boy choir or girl choir and within easy technical reach of amateur or school choirs. The top soprano note is high F on the treble staff and the other parts fall well within the usual choral range. Each section of the choir takes the melody at some point. With a running time of 04:00 this piece is enjoyable to sing and hear. It’s an essential addition to your choir’s repertoire.
This product was created by a member of ArrangeMe, Hal Leonard’s global self-publishing community of independent composers, arrangers, and songwriters. ArrangeMe allows for the publication of unique arrangements of both popular titles and original compositions from a wide variety of voices and backgrounds.
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