The Happy Wanderer - The Obernkirchen Childrens Choir

The Happy wanderer 1954 (German) Video of Lake St Clair,Tasmania, Australia The Obernkirchen Children's Choir, from Obernkirchen in North Germany, where it is known as Schaumburger Marchensanger, was founded in 1949 by Edith Moller. In 1953 BBC Radio aired the choir's winning performance, performing "The Happy Wanderer" at Llangollen International Eisteddfod, an annual arts festival in North Wales. The event was witnessed by the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas who described the girls as "Pigtailed Angels" and the broadcast turned the cheerful song into the great sing-along of the year. It was the best-selling sheet music in 1954 in the UK. The then unknown German Folk song was actually an original song written by Edith Moller's brother Friedrich-Wilhelm Moller, for the competition. The original German title was "Mein Vater war ein Wandersmann." The English lyrics were written by Antonia Rudge and it became a staple of many a scouting jamboree. The song made the choir an international phenomenon and they were invited to sing all round the world including appearing twice on The Ed Sullivan Show. The choir was also featured in a 1955 German musical comedy film named after the song. (thanks, Edward Pearce - Ashford, Kent, England, for all above)