"Shenandoah" and "Londonderry Air" (The Emerald Isle) Montage ~
The Chenaults perform excerpts of Shenandoah by Nicholas White and Londonderry Air (the Emerald Isle) by Charles Callahan.
An entire audio recording of Shenandoah can be heard on The Chenaults' lastet CD album "20th-21st Century Organ Music for Two Volume 4" An entire recording Londonderry Air (The Emerald Isle) can be heard on "20th Century Organ Music for Two Volume 2". Both are available for purchase and download at ChenaultDuo.com.
The Chenaults premiered "Shenandoah" a the Cathedral of the Incarnation, Garden City, New York, September 29, 1995.
Notes on Shenandoah by Nicholas White:
"This duet was based on the well-known American folk tune at the request of Ray and Beth Chenault. I conceived the work as an opportunity to explore the full-sounding, lush tonalities of the organ which are available to an even greater extent when played by two people. Phythmic variety and playfulness prevade the piece thourghout, after its straightforward opening, and combine with jazz-inspired chords and figurations. As the composition of the piece was in progress, serveral tributes to American composers of this century appeared on the page, such as Gershwin, Bernstein and Mancini, and melodic frgments from the songs "Somewhere," "Strangers in the Night" and especially "moon River" are in evidence.
