The Happy Wander (ver. 1) by Friedrich-wilhelm Möller - Piano Sheets and Free Sheet Music

"The Happy Wanderer" ("Der fröhliche Wanderer" or "Mein Vater war ein Wandersmann") is a popular song by Friedrich-Wilhelm Möller written shortly after World War II. It is often mistaken for a German folk song, but it is actually an original composition. His sister Edith Möller conducted a small amateur children's and youth choir in Schaumburg County, Northern Germany, internationally named Obernkirchen Children's Choir, in Germany named Schaumburger Märchensänger. In 1953 a BBC radio broadcast of the choir's winning performance at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod turned the cheerful encore into an instant hit. On January 22, 1954, the song entered the UK singles chart and stayed on the chart - only a Top 12 at the time - for 26 non-consecutive weeks. With the BBC's strong international influence "The Happy Wanderer" suddenly turned up everywhere, e.g. as the winning song of the 1955 calypso road-march season of the Trinidad Carnival. People protested after this event and complained that only calypsoes should be chosen over foreign music. The amateur choir, many of whose original members were war orphans, turned into an unlikely international phenomenon in the following years. The group performed on many international tours under the name Obernkirchen Children's Choir. They made two appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show (November 29, 1964, and December 11, 1966).    Download this sheet!