My Tent Beside the Oregon

James D. Dana arr. Jerr茅 Tanner

My Tent Beside the Oregon from Exploring Expedition of (1838-42) for two-part treble voices Indian drum and piano

Malama Music Honolulu 路 Hawaii

My Tent Beside the Oregon music by James D. Dana words by J.C. Palmer, U.S.N. arr. by Jerré Tanner for 2-part treble voices, Indian drum and piano James D. Dana (1813 - 1895) was an American geologist, mineralogist and zoologist. He was a professor at Yale University from 1856 to 1890 and was the Editor of the American Journal of Science. He is recognized as a major figure in American geology and the father of modern Vulcanology. He was one the “scientifics” on the U.S. Exploring Expedition of 1838 – 1842 (see http://www.sil.si.edu/DigitalCollections/usexex/) in which his site work helped prove the existence of the Antarctic continent and established the study of corals and coral formations as an important branch of geology. His exploration of the Hawai`i Island volcanoes Kilauea and Mauna Loa had far-reaching ramifications including the 20th century concept of plate tectonics of the earth’s crust.

Dana was also an amateur composer and musician (he was reported to be an accomplished singer and guitarist). He composed a number of songs about his experiences on the Exploring Expedition, especially aboard the 118-foot, 3-masted Peacock.

He also composed a “Christmas Oratorio” that was performed by members of the ExEx for their own enjoyment. The song “My Tent Beside the Oregon” related Dana’s experiences when the Peacock ran aground trying to enter the mouth of the Columbia River (then known as the Oregon River) along the Pacific coast of the Oregon Territory. Fortunately, no lives were lost in the shipwreck but several years’ of collected scientific specimens went down with the ship. Dana also had a keen interest in Native American and Polynesian cultures and wrote down some of the music he heard while on the ExEx. This song is build from melodic material he collected from Chinook and Chekelis music. “My Tent Beside the Oregon” has probably not been performed since Dana’s lifetime. The piano accompaniment is transcribed directly from Dana’s own manuscript which is part of the Dana Archives at Yale University.

Front page - Scrimshaw showing the USS Peacock

© Jerré Tanner · All rights reserved Malama Music · 626 Coral Street Suite 2605 Honolulu Hawaii 96813-1950 (808) 224.1955 · armupo@hawaii.rr.com Visit www.jerretanner.com and www.armupo.com (under construction)

1

My Tent Beside the Oregon

music by James D. Dana arr. Jerré Tanner

words by J.C. Palmer, U.S.N.

Voice 1

Voice 2 Indian Drum

Piano

  

Adagio  







  





   



  

      Adagio                     We

-

ih,

we

-

ih,

(The music of "My Tent Beside the Oregon" in founded on the ... Native Airs of the Oregon Indians [Chinook and Chekelis]. J.D.D.)

V-2

Dr.

P

V-1

V-2

P

     





      

we



   





   

-



 

oh.

  







         





               

ih,

          



        



   

   

    



  

My





1     

     



    

tent be - side the

Or - e - gon, O're -

1     

    



    

© 2003 Jerré Tanner · All rights reserved.



     

2 V-1

V-2

Dr.

P

V-1

V-2

Dr.

P

V-1

V-2

Dr.

P

        



looks the sul-len

wave,





 

Whose

   

Tur - bid

wa - ters,

                              

   





 

bove the



Pea - cock's

  





           

       

 



   

wa - ters

  

tur - bid

dark - ly frown

   

wa - ters

dark - ly



frown

  a-

round her for

 

a

           



grave;

pall;





  

      

  

Where

2     

sur-ges weave



the

     

shift-ing sands.



    

 

  

 

And

 

   

       





       

tur - bid

   

 

                 



   

   

 

 





2          

            

 





  

like

a

A-

 



  

  

spect - ral

 

 

 

 

sen - try stands the

 

 

   

  

V-1

V-2

Dr.

P

V-1

 



   



 

top - pling

o - ver



         



 



          

cir - cled with the

V-2

Dr.

P

V-1

V-2

Dr.

P





we

-



-



ih,



fall.

   

 

 sea,

oh.

        

3                



And

thrice

to ev - 'ry

    





    



 

we

 

land

    



of



the

Free.



a Tempo                            

She

  

came to

4

  

-





ih,

 



 

 



un - furled;



   

un - furled;



The

The

Ritard.       

               a Tempo             4       ban - ner of the Free.

She   came to plant her                ban - ner



Ritard.     

land



3

'round the world, Thrice

  

 



  

We - ih,





 



Ch:Mourn







 



3      not her fate that    

plant her



  

     

 

   

stan - dard fast,

  

stan - dard fast,



       

4 V-1

V-2

Dr.

P

V-1

V-2

Dr.

P

V-1

V-2

Dr.

P

    

        



  

Where it had droop'd

  





  





it

on

the

side









on





 



   

the

   



shore,



       

oh.

 





Con - tent





to





  on  

bones



  

-



ih,

 

Be -





 

       

We

-

ih,

Rallentando     

the





 Rallentando   the on   



-

last, Be -

  

       

We

at

  





her

   



a Tempo   



lay

 

 





  shore:        

            





shore:

Ritard.                     





a Tempo  



side

it



   

 



Ritard.  

  

be - fore;

 

  



be - fore;

 

Where it had droop'd

    

 

 

 

  oh.      

shore.

 

   