“Maiden’s Prayer” began as a piano piece by the Polish composer Tekla Badarzewska-Baranowska, published in the 1850s. The bandleader Bob Wills heard the melody played on a fiddle, recast it in the Western swing style, and recorded it in the 1930s as one of his signature tunes.
A graceful waltz, “Maiden’s Prayer” became a Western swing and country standard. As a fiddle tune it is prized for its sweet, flowing melody, a contrast to the breakdowns that fill most of the repertoire.
The tune is a favorite slow piece among fiddlers. The version heard here is by the fiddler Rickie Simpkins.
Assisted by AI.
Spot something off? Help us fix it.