Idaho Song Collecting
Idaho Songs of the Month
Pre-1910 Song Bibliography

PRE-1910 IDAHO SONGS OF THE MONTH

FEBRUARY 2008

 

VOCAL SONG - SALMON RIVER SONG (click to hear)

"Salmon River Song" was found by Rob McIntyre during his masters thesis research on early Idaho mining songs (1993, University of Idaho). The lyrics attributed to A. C. Edmonds were found in the February 13, 1862 issue of the Portland Oregonian newspaper. No melody was given but the lyrics, structure and meter are strongly suggestive of "Oh Susanna", a popular Stephen Foster song of the time. Accordingly, the song was adapted to this melody and a studio recording was made in December 2007 by Rob McIntyre (vocal), Marv Quinton (bass), Bruce Alkire (banjo and fiddle) and Gary Eller (guitar).

 

INSTRUMENTAL SONG - IDAHO WALTZ (click to hear)
The songs "Idaho Waltz" and "Idaho", both published as sheet music in Chicago in 1864, are the earliest known pieces of sheet music related to Idaho. The instrumental "Idaho Waltz", attributed to H. Schirner and published by the well known H. M. Higgins music company of Chicago, is in the typical style of formal parlor piano pieces of the period. In contrast, "Idaho" is a light vocal piece that gushes about gold mining prospects in the territory. Many local variants of this song subsequently developed and thus the sheet music piece became better known as Idaho folk music. Both "Idaho Waltz" and "Idaho" apparently were inspired by the gold rushes then occurring in central Idaho, and it is likely that neither songwriter ever went to Idaho. The rendition here of "Idaho Waltz" by Sean Rogers (piano) and Gary Eller (banjo) also appears on the CD/booklet High Tone Music of Idaho.

Copyright 2010 by Slim Chance Music. This page was last revised on 21 February, 2010.