This traditional American folk song was born on the lips of the voyageurs or fur traders travelling down the Missouri River and then spread across the world as a sea shanty. The exact origins of the tune are uncertain, but thesong about the celebrated Native American chief Shenandoah and a canoe-going trader who wants to marry his daughter (lyrics vary) dates back to at least to the early 19th century.

In this version from G.Schirmer’s Secular Choral Music series, <stro...