Swanee

Swanee was composed in 1919 by George Gershwin (1898-1937), with lyrics by Irving Caesar, and became the young composer’s first major popular success. Written during Gershwin’s early Tin Pan Alley years, the song draws on the imagery of the Swanee River popularized in earlier American song traditions. Although initially introduced in the Broadway revue Demi-Tasse in 1919, Swanee achieved widespread fame when Al Jolson performed and recorded it later that year, turning it into a national hit and helping to launch Gershwin’s career. The song’s success marked an important moment in American popular music, bridging vaudeville, Broadway, and the emerging recording industry. Swanee remains an iconic early American standard. This orchestration of the song is by William Ryden. Instrumentation: 2+1(Picc).2.2.2: Saxes(AAT; opt.): 4.3.3.1: Timp.Perc(2-3): Str (9.8.7.6.5 in set).