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The Happy Wanderer
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Wikipedia article
"'The Happy Wanderer'" ("'Der frhliche Wanderer'" or "'Mein Vater war ein Wandersmann'") is a popular song. The original text was written by Florenz Friedrich Sigismund (17911877).[http://www.volksliederarchiv.de/text2492.html "Mein Vater war ein Wandersmann," on Volksliederarchiv] (+score)
The present tune was composed by Friedrich-Wilhelm Mller shortly after World War II. The work is often mistaken for a German folk song, but it is an original composition. Mller's sister Edith conducted a small amateur children's and youth choir in the district of Schaumburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany, internationally named Obernkirchen Children's Choir, in Germany named Schaumburger Mrchensnger. She adapted Sigismund's words for her choir.
In 1953, a BBC radio broadcast of the choir's winning performance at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod turned the song into an instant hit. On January 22, 1954, the song entered the UK singles chart and stayed on the chartonly a Top 12 at the timefor 26 non-consecutive weeks, peaking at Number 2 (for five consecutive weeks). The amateur choir, many of whose original members were war orphans, turned into an international phenomenon in the following years. The group performed on many international tours under the name Obernkirchen Children's Choir and recorded several albums. They made two appearances on 'The Ed Sullivan Show' (November 29, 1964, and December 11, 1966).
Die Isarspatzen, Herbert Beckh und das Tanzorchester des Bayerischer Rundfunks Mnchen have recorded a German version of the song "Der frhliche Wanderer". Electrola released that recording in 1955 as catalog number EG 8082.
The song's German lyrics have been translated into several languages, and it has since become a choir classic. The first adaptation into another language was done by a Belgian woman, Andre Mazy, who came up with versions in Dutch-Flemish and French.'Published Music: Catalog of Copyright Entries', 3rd Series, Vol. 9, Part 5A, No 1, P. 185, EFO-32388, Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress, JanuaryJune 1955. Since in Dutch folk songs "valderi-valdera" (pronounced "falderi-faldera") is more common than the German "falleri-fallera", she used the Dutch model in both versions. When Antonia Ridge was writing the English lyrics, she became acquainted with the French version of the song, with "valderi-valdera", pronounced with a true soft /v/ instead of the voiceless /f/, and borrowed it over into the English version mainly for euphonic reasons (less military sounding). During WWII, a more military version of the song became immensely popular with the German paratroopers. Although Friedrich-Wilhelm Mller reportedly composed "Mein Vater war ein Wandersmann" shortly after World War II, Steven Spielberg's 1993 historical drama film, 'Schindler's List', contains a scene in which a group is singing the tune, mixed with another German folk song, in a nightclub during that war.
Milton DeLugg wrote an arrangement and is sometimes incorrectly credited as the composer of the song. A number of English-language sources credit Edith Mller and Florenz Siegesmund with writing the words, the implication being (apparently) that they were written at the same time as the tune. However, the German sources all credit the original words to either Friedrich Sigismund, F. Sigismund, or Florenz Friedrich Sigismund and give the dates as either 17881857 or early 19th century. All German sources agree that the words to the popular version were adapted by Edith Mller.
The song also became the unofficial anthem of Major League Baseball's Montreal Expos (since relocated to become the Washington Nationals).
"The Happy Wanderer" was selected as the winner of Trinidad's 1955 Road March title, awarded to the song which was most played by steelbands during that year's Carnival season. It was the only time a non-calypso song had been awarded this honour.
See also
* Hnschen klein
* Heimatfilm
* The Manchester Rambler
* Wandervogel
References
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