| Idaho Songs of the Month |
PRE-1910 IDAHO SONGS OF THE MONTH
MARCH 2008
VOCAL SONG - Fort Limhi Camp Song (click to hear) |
This rare early Idaho song was written between 1855 and 1858 by Israel J. Clark, one of the original Mormon pioneers who unsuccessfully attempted to establish a settlement (Fort Limhi) near present day Salmon. The song also is known as the Indian Mission Song. Lyrics for this song are from the Israel Justice Clark autobiography and diary (MSS 1219) in the L. Tom Perry Special Collections, Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University, in the form of a typewritten manuscript based on notes by Clark's daughter. We are grateful to Russ Taylor and Kristi Young for making the lyrics available. In this rendition, Marv Quinton - from a six generation east Idaho (including the upper Salmon country) Latter Day Saints family - imagined being Clark in the Salmon mission 150 years ago, came up with a plausible melody since none is known and compliments his voice with his guitar. |
Sanburn Schotische is one of the fiddle tunes addressed in Rob McIntyre's authoritative masters thesis (University of Idaho, 1993) on early Idaho mining camp songs. Rob concluded that Sanburn Schottische is the first fiddle tune known to have been penned in Idaho Territory, probably in Florence in 1862, that can be attributed to its composer - Jay Rand Sanburn. Rob's thesis and copies of many of the songs he found and evaluated are in the Idaho State Historical Society library in Boise. This field recording is of a rendition by Boise fiddler Aaron Fewkes, with guitar accompaniment by Gary Eller. |
Copyright 2008 by Slim Chance Music.
This page was last revised on 3 March, 2008.