The Wayfaring Stranger is an Appalachian religious folk song that has been passed down in the traditions of both white and black musicians since the time of the American Revolution, through the days of slavery, emancipation and into modern times. It appeared in the important early song collections The Sacred Harp(1835) and The Christian Songster (1858) and has remained popular right up to the present day, being recorded by artists as varied as Burl Ives (1944), Joan Baez (1 966), Allan Evans (1 985), and Neil Young (201 2). The music that follows is a set of nine variations on the musical theme of The Wayfaring Stranger. It was written for the Scarborough Philharmonic Orchestra Chamber Players in 2021 .