April 13, 2010 4:17 PM
Oh, Shenandoah ~22 versions~
So beautiful now with everything - well, almost everything - in bloom. Rerunning this in honor of the beautiful place I live:
I left Virginia in 1972 for San Francisco, but returned after 30 years with 21 native Californians (husband, 11 children (my first was born in DC), 2 sons-in-law and 8 grandchildren). I now live in the shadow of the Blue Ridge mountains and five minutes from the Shenandoah River.
Got up this morning with "Oh Shenandoah" on my mind and wanted to share. Ended up with a smorgasbord of interpretations for you. If you don't know this beautiful song, it is practically a hymn in Virginia. Still, we don't hear it often enough. I had a peaceful hour finding these for you. You might not have time to enjoy them all, but I hope there is something here for everyone.
Mamas, this is why you want your boys to grow up to be singers:
Here's how they start:
Deep bass by Tennessee Ernie Ford:
With an Celtic twist:
Other versions:
Paul Robeson (magnificent)
Bob Dylan (disappointing)
Bruce Springsteen (pitiful)
Mason Williams - acoustic guitar and soul (remember him? Classical Gas - if you're too young to remember, you must watch this - at the time it was groundbreaking to bring in symphonic backup for a humble guitar)
Arlo Guthrie (beautiful picture show - strange lyrics)
Randy Granger (Native American singing a capella and with great feeling)
Charlie Zahm (Celtic - homemade video, strong masculine interpretation)
Bryn Terfel (with Irish pipes)
Keith Jarret (piano and slideshow)
Tony Rice (bluegrass guitar)
Frontier Brigade Band (period brass band)
A Filipino Choir in a Catholic Church (exquisite)
Michigan Men's Glee Club (120 men - powerful - and another incentive to get your boys singing!)
Del XIII Certamen Internacional de Corales de Villafranca de los Barros (Badajoz, Spain)
Harmonica solo (with slideshow)
Bill Frisell (haunting electric guitar)
Here is a slideshow of the people and landscape of the Shenandoah region of Virginia:
Thank God for YouTube which is capturing our history and making spontaneous projects like this so rewarding! I never got into scrapbooking, but this really works for me!
Oh, and I hear Van Morrison has one of the best versions of Shenandoah, but it's not on YouTube. On the "Best of" album - can anyone send me an MP3?
Posted in Loudoun County, Music, Virginia | Permalink
Comments
Here's another link to a beautiful version of Shenandoah. Of course I'm biased because this family goes to our church. Enjoy
Hansen Family Singers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reJbDFkYGOk
Posted by: Maggie Dee | April 13, 2010 7:16 PM
Dear Barbara, These videos are just beautiful. I will look at all of them. There is not enough of the old music of our Beautiful America sung any more. We never made it to Virgina. We were as far south in New England as RI and made a quick trip through DC. This was when Ron was being transfered from NFLD to RI. back in 1968. We were making a quick trip to see his folks in Minn. But my point. The two years we were in RI we tried to see as much History as possible. Where you all are living must give you such a sense of being a true American. There, where you are is where this might country was born. It must be just wonderful. I wish the President and the Congress would just stop a think about what this country is all about...Maybe they should all be shut up in a room for 24 hours and made to listen to nothing but music about this country and the good old gospel songs that were sung about this country when it was begin formed and also have to listen to and memorize the Constitution and the Bill of Right....We are so Blessed to be AMERICANS.....Thank you for sharing this beautiful music....Love Becky
Posted by: Rebecca Wold | April 13, 2010 10:14 PM
Lovely! Thanks for sharing all these. My daughter played Shenandoah in a harp trio last month at a "Liberty Day" celebration. So beautiful.
http://www.quiet-mom.com/blog/harp-trio-2010.html
Posted by: QuietMom | April 14, 2010 8:17 AM
Wow, you know how to make a girl cry! I live in Charlotte NC now after many years in Toronto. I have never never stopped missing those mountains of Virginia. How I long to be back in Staunton or Charlottesville, Virginia. Sigh. Thanks for the beautiful memories this song brings back.Laura
Posted by: Laura | April 14, 2010 3:36 PM
