# Song and Tune Projects > Song and Tune Projects >  Lorena

## Chuck Naill

I have read where Lorena was a favorite among soldiers wearing the blue and grey during the Civil War. 

http://www.box.net/shared/8xrmkz1fgo

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## DorothyD

Thanks for the cool website and for sharing this wonderful song.  I love it for it's catching melody and for all the history behind it.

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## Hans

Yup, it's a beautiful tune...Maureen has it on her set list.

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## onassis

Very nice! The group I play with does it in more slowly, as a waltz. I also go to a jam where someone will occasionally sing it, but I'm unfamiliar with the lyrics. I've been thinking about working up some more Stephen Foster tunes.

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## Dan Hoover

very cool Chuck..nice pace,again...allway's like your choice in tunes...

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## chordbanger

Lorena is my favorite pre-Civil war song, and for some reason, the song became a favorite of the Confederacy, and , in time, came to be identified with the Southern cause.  Hundreds of Southern girls were named for the song's heroine, while serveral pioneer settlement and a steamship proudly bore the name.   The creator of the melody, J. P. Webster, was a close collaborator of S. Filllmore Bennett, with whom he wrote several Civil War Songs.   Their best known work, was the hymn, "Sweet By and By".
Lorena was written by Reverend H.D.L. Webster, and J.P. Webster, who were not related.   Absolutely beautiful!

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## JEStanek

It figured prominently in the scenes where Hancock and Armistead went North and South respectively from California in one of the Shara trilogy.  There isn't music included but you might find War Songs And Poems Of The Southern Confederacy, 1861-1865 Wharton interesting.

Jamie

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## Dfyngravity

Love this video

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## guitharsis

Interesting.  Great tune; soulful and speaks to the times. Thanks for sharing everyone.

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## Chuck Naill

Thank you to everyone for commenting and for the additional history of the song.  :Mandosmiley:

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## MikeEdgerton

I thought the mandolin looked familiar bu the inlays are wrong. Nice video.

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## Alex Orr

Love this song.  The first time I heard it was from one of the "basement band" recordings made by legendary bluegrass DJ Ray Davis.  Scott Brannon sings lead and plays rhythm guitar and I think Dave Davis is on mando, Michael Cleveland is on fiddle and Lloyd Douglas is on banjo.  That's still my favorite version.

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## AlanN

Nice mando work by Jamie Hartford.

Norman Blake had a good version, too.

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## JeffD

Very nice tune, capable of many treatments without losing its basic beauty.

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## Alex Orr

> Norman Blake had a good version, too.


Does he sing it or just play it as an instrumental?  I can imagine his voice would be perfect for that tune.

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## Russ Jordan

It is on the Norman Blake/Red Rector album.  I assume it is still on itunes.  Norman sings & plays guitar on, Red plays mandolin.

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## Capt. E

The John Hartford version is one I have on an album "Songs of the Civil War". Great album with many wonderful versions of songs of the era by an equally wonderful group of artists. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Songs_of_the_Civil_War

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