Shenandoah by Darren Curtis Skanson and Gregg Hansen

This guitar duet joins you as your walk continues into the afternoon along the river which is alive with flowing water and the natural chorus of the mother earth.

The origins of "Shenandoah," perhaps one of America's most recognizable folk tunes, are not so easily deciphered. Like many folk songs, it is impossible to determine exactly when the song was composed, yet the song probably did not originate later than the Civil War. In any case, by the end of the nineteenth century, "Shenandoah" had achieved widespread popularity, both on land and at sea.

American folklorist Alan Lomax suggested that "Shenandoah" was a sea-shanty and that its "composers" quite possibly were French-Canadian voyageurs. Sea-shanties were work songs used by sailors to coordinate the efforts of completing chores such as raising the ship's anchor or hauling ropes. The formal structure of a shanty is simple: it consists of a solo lead that alternates with a boisterous chorus. With the sweeping melodic line of its familiar refrain, "Shenandoah" is the very nature of a sea-shanty; indeed, the song's first appearance in print was in an article by William L. Alden, titled "Sailor Songs," published in Harper's New Monthly Magazine in 1882.

This clip is from The Acoustitherapy Nature Walk DVD (www.acoustitherapy.com). Enjoy this multi-media DVD that includes the nature photography of Bob Spath set to the soothing sounds of The Acoustitherapy Family of acoustic musicians.

Along with the images and the music, wonderful nature sounds specific to the breathtaking nature scenes lay delicately interwoven amid the music. Chirping birds, ocean waves, a rainy thunderstorm, and gentle running water compliment the acoustic music featuring harp, Native American flute, cello, guitar, piano and violin for an hour long escape to the grounding of Nature.

Take a "Nature Walk" and lose the stresses of your life!

ABOUT THE MUSIC...Great Colorado instrumentalists perform music that never gets loud or fast but stays very slow, soft, and soothing. As a wonderful addition that is unlike any of the other Acoustitherapy compilation discs, Nature Walk has beautiful nature sounds side by side with the wonderful acoustic instrumentals. Also the nature sounds simulate a complete day. The CD and DVD starts with crickets chirping into a soft haunting native flute solo. It continues into some morning songbirds over a delightful solo piano work and a sweet cello and guitar duet. Then it takes you on a walk by the river accompanied by silver flute and a guitar duet, into an afternoon thunderstorm with cello and violin, and back to the coming cool evening with some crickets and a classical guitar. A gentle wind, native flute, guitar, and piano take us to the end of the CD/ DVD fading out with the same crickets from the beginning. Nature Walk is a complete cycle of the day in 60 minutes and is great for seamlessly repeating as it washes away our stress and grounds our turbulent lives!

Use this music to ground your being. It is great for visualization, morning wake-up, peace meditations, reconnecting with nature, and general down time.

Acoustitherapy is acoustic instrumental music that is always soft and soothing. These beautiful combinations of harp, guitar, flute, cello, violin, and piano as well as native and world instruments are never loud or fast. The instruments give a natural vibrational energy to a music that is never obtrusive. The variety of instruments produce collections that are never repetitive. The different titles give you music you need to calm your mind, lighten your environment, warm your heart, relieve your tension, or free your soul.

Visit www.acoustitherapy.com for more info!

Category:

Music

Tags:

• guitar
• Nature
• Colorado
• Photography
• Relaxation
• world
• music

[Darkboy2525]

Wonderfull sadly the end is just like BOOM away .. all relaxing is gone than ... ppff could you not upload the holl piece :O !?

[UISTMAN59]

they do :-)

[torielloashelydra]

mind blowing !! I can't belive that this movie is still? in theaters and it's already online on sites like MOVIEPRINCESS[DOT]com

[UISTMAN59]

Really lovely piece of music. Thanks :-)

[Ingo64]

Are those original pictures from the Shenandoah River?

[obsessong]

Thanks for the pleasant rest and communication with nature while watching this video.

[ecmcomichael]

I know Darren from seeing him perform in Colorado venues. He's a real gentleman and what a great talent!

[phoenixnyt]

we're playing frank ticheli's wind ensemble arrangement of this piece in band right now and it gives me goosebumps every time

[dinikaruna]

A river captured in a song...thanks.

[sperhis]

The music is so nice - absolute nostalgia. I am not sure the video images (a bit tourist advertising style)match it