John Doan: Music

We often hear about the brave men who were explorers and pioneers. This piece is dedicated to the women whose contributions were enormous but are often overlooked. Pioneer women often carried rose bush "starts" across the plains so that they would have something beautiful to plant at their new homesite. Enduring months of dust and fatigue on the rutted trails, the women often had to toss furniture from the wagons when a mountain pass became too steep. Apparently, the roses were the last thing they were willing to part with, and this may account for the many plants that survived the journey. Today, 150 years latter, several of these rose bushes bloom in Portland, Oregon (the Rose City) and in the pioneer garden in my home town of Salem, Oregon. As I look upon their soft colors, I am moved by the courage of those women who retained their love for beauty in such hard times. I took "starts" of my own, if you will, from the old tunes Fair And Tender Ladies and Oh Susanna, grafting them together so that this new tune could blossom forth.