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Old American Songs are two sets of songs arranged by Aaron Copland in 1950 and 1952 respectively, after research in the Sheet Music Collection of the Harris Collection of American Poetry and Plays, in the John Hay Library at Brown University.[1] Originally scored for voice and piano, they were reworked for baritone (or mezzo-soprano) and orchestra.
Set 1 was first performed by Peter Pears (tenor) and Benjamin Britten (piano)[2] on June 17, 1950 at Aldeburgh.[3] The version of Set 1 for baritone and orchestra was premiered on January 7, 1955, by William Warfield and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, conducted by Alfred Wallenstein.
Set 2 was first performed by William Warfield and Aaron Copland (piano) on 25 May 1958 in Ipswich, Massachusetts, and later, in its orchestral form, by Grace Bumbry (mezzo-soprano) and the Ojai Festival Orchestra, conducted by the composer, in Ojai, California.[citation needed] Set 2 was recorded by Warfield and Copland on August 18, 1953, for Columbia Records but apparently not publicly performed until the above-mentioned date in Ipswich.[4]
- Set 1
- The Boatman's Dance (minstrel song from 1843)
- The Dodger (campaign song)
- Long Time Ago (ballad)
- Simple Gifts (Shaker song)
- I Bought Me a Cat (children's song, Roud Folk Song Index No. 544)
- Set 2
- The Little Horses (lullaby)
- Zion’s Walls (revivalist song)
- The Golden Willow Tree (Anglo-American ballad)
- At the River (hymn tune)
- Ching-A-Ring Chaw (minstrel song)
Both sets are published by Boosey & Hawkes. The voice and piano versions are easily transposed to any register; the orchestral sets can also be transposed but are usually sung in their original keys by either a baritone or a mezzo-soprano. Old American Songs have been recorded by many singers, notably mezzo-soprano Marilyn Horne and the baritones Sherill Milnes, Thomas Hampson, Bryn Terfel, and Thomas Quasthoff. William Warfield's recording is with the composer himself at the piano.
The songs have also been arranged for chorus: by Irving Fine (all of Set 1 and the fifth song of Set 2), Raymond Wilding-White (Set 2, songs 1 and 4) and Glenn Koponen (Set 2, Song 3). The third song can be sung by a chorus in unison. These transcriptions went unrecorded until 1985, when a CD featuring the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the Utah Symphony Orchestra conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas was released.[5]
References[edit]
- ^'Selections from Old American Songs (1950—1952)'. New Mexico Philharmonic Orchestra. 2017. Retrieved February 3, 2018.
- ^p. 179 n. 7, Hubbs (2004) Nadine. Berkeley and Los Angeles, California The Queer Composition of America's Sound: Gay Modernists, American Music, and National Identity University of California Press
- ^'Letters from a Life: Selected Letters of Benjamin Britten, Volume 3, 1946-1951', edited by Donald Mitchell, Philip Reed & Mervyn Cooke, (University of California Press, 2004, ISBN0-520-24259-9) p.88.
- ^Modern American Vocal Works, Sony MHK 60899, 1999, liner notes, pp. 2-3.
- ^Liner notes to CBS MK4210
External links[edit]
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Old_American_Songs&oldid=925561721'
“At the River” is the fourth song in Aaron Copland’s Old American Songs, Set 2
“At the River” is an arrangement of the beloved 1865 hymn tune by Robert Lowry. It has been sung on many occasions, including the memorial concerts for Copland and for Leonard Bernstein.
–Vivian Perlis, 1998, from Boosey & Hawkes Web site
At the River
Robert Lowry
Robert Lowry
Shall we gather by the river,
Where bright angel’s feet have trod,
With its crystal tide forever
Flowing by the throne of God?
Where bright angel’s feet have trod,
With its crystal tide forever
Flowing by the throne of God?
Yes, we’ll gather by the river,
The beautiful, the beautiful river,
Gather with the saints by the river
That flows by the throne of God.
The beautiful, the beautiful river,
Gather with the saints by the river
That flows by the throne of God.
Ere we reach the shining river
Lay we every burden down,
Praise our spirits will deliver
And provide our robe and crown.
Lay we every burden down,
Praise our spirits will deliver
And provide our robe and crown.
Yes, we’ll gather at the river.
The beautiful, the beautiful, river.
Gather with the saints at the river,
That flows by the throne of God.
The beautiful, the beautiful, river.
Gather with the saints at the river,
That flows by the throne of God.
Soon we’ll reach the shining river,
Soon our pilgrimage will cease,
Soon our happy hearts will quiver
With the melody of peace.
Soon our pilgrimage will cease,
Soon our happy hearts will quiver
With the melody of peace.
Yes, we’ll gather by the river,
The beautiful, the beautiful river,
Gather with the saints by the river
That flows by the throne of God.
The beautiful, the beautiful river,
Gather with the saints by the river
That flows by the throne of God.
'At the River' German Translation