“These songs – our songs – say everything, through the eyes of our poets and the ears of our composers, about the culture we call American.” — Thomas Hampson
Aaron Copland’s “Old American Songs” have become recital standards, but traditional texts and tunes have attracted many other classical composers, including John Jacob Niles, George Crumb, and Jake Heggie.
Host & Artistic Director:
Thomas Hampson
Co-Produced by the Hampsong Foundation and The WFMT Radio Network
Production Team:
Executive Producer: Steve Robinson (The WFMT Radio Network)
Producer: Carolyn Paulin (The WFMT Radio Network)
Coordinating Producer: Miriam Lewin
Project Manager: Christopher Dingstad
Researcher: Christie Finn
Writer for Songs We’ve Always Sung: Julie Burstein
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Song listings with composer / poet, performers, CD label, and CD number:
“The Little Horses” (1930)
Composer: Traditional | Text: Traditional
Mrs. Kate Jones, recorded by Alan Lomax
Library of Congress
Listen to this recording here.
“The Little Horses,” from Old American Songs, Set 2 (1952)
Composer: Aaron Copland (1900-1990) |
Text: Traditional Southern Lullaby
From the album: Modern American Vocal Works (1950-1953)
William Warfield, baritone | Aaron Copland, piano
Sony 7464-60899-2
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“I Bought Me a Cat,” from Old American Songs, Set 1 (1950)
Composer: Aaron Copland (1900-1990) | Text: Traditional
From the album: Copland: Fanfare for the Common Man, etc.
(“I Bought Me a Cat” recorded 1985)
Marilyn Horne, mezzo-soprano | The English Chamber Orchestra conducted by Carl Davis
London/Decca 448 261
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“The Leather-Winged Bat,” from Three Folk Songs (1994)
Composer: Jake Heggie (b. 1961) | Text: Traditional
From the album: My Native Land (1997)
Jennifer Larmore, mezzo-soprano | Antoine Palloc, piano
Teldec 0630-16069
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“Shenandoah” (1800)
Composer: Traditional, arr. Roger Ames | Text: Traditional
From the album: Song of America: Music from the Library of Congress (2005)
Thomas Hampson, baritone | Armen Guzelimian, piano
EMI Classics (Angel) 41645
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“Black is the Color of My True Love’s Hair” (1910)
Folk Song, collected by Cecil Sharp (1859-1924) | Text: Traditional
From the album: John Langstaff Sings: Archival Folk Collection, 1949-1961
John Langstaff, baritone | Sir Gerald Moore, piano
Revels Records GB6
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“Black is the Color of My True Love’s Hair” (1921)
Composer: John Jacob Niles (1892-1980) | Text: Traditional
From the album: I Wonder as I Wander
John Jacob Niles, singer
Essential Media Group B000TPTQ2E
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“Black is the Color of My True Love’s Hair” (1921)
Composer: John Jacob Niles (1892-1980) | Text: Traditional
From the album: I Hear America Singing (2001)
Thomas Hampson, baritone | Wolfram Rieger, piano
Orfeo d’Or C707062
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“Black, Black, Black is the Color,” from Unto the Hills: American Songbook III( (2002)
Music: John Jacob Niles (1892-1980) | Arranged: George Crumb (b. 1929)
Thomas Hampson, baritone | Gilbert Kalish, piano
David Cossin, Haruka Fujii, Ayano Kataoka, and Jeffrey Milarsky, percussionists
April 2011 Lincoln Center Chamber Music Society concert
Not available for purchase
“The Old Woman’s Courtship“
Folk Song, collected and arranged by John Powell | Text: Traditional
From the album: At the Foot of Yonders Mountain
John Langstaff, baritone | John Powell, piano
Revels Records 2302
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“The Nightingale“
Composer: Clifford Shaw (1911-1972) | Text: Traditional
From the album: Song of America: Music from the Library of Congress (2005)
Thomas Hampson, baritone | Armen Guzelimian, piano
EMI Classics (Angel) 41645
Buy on Amazon
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“Barbara Allen“
Composer: Traditional | Text: Traditional
From the album: American Folk Tales (2009)
Pete Seeger, unaccompanied
Goldenlane Records
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“Barb’ry Allen,” from Three Folk Songs (1994)
Composer: Jake Heggie (b. 1961) | Text: Traditional
From the album: My Native Land (1997)
Jennifer Larmore, mezzo-soprano | Antoine Palloc, piano
Teldec 0630-16069
Buy on Amazon
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“John Riley” (1915)
Music: Howard Brockway (1870-1951) | Text: Traditional
From the album: The Water is Wide: American and British Ballads and Folksongs (1959)
John Langstaff, baritone | Nancy Woodbridge, piano
Revels Records 2202
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“The Golden Willow Tree,” from Old American Songs, Set. 2 (1952)
Composer: Aaron Copland (1900-1990) | Text: Traditional
Thomas Hampson, baritone | Wolfram Rieger, piano
2009 Portland Center for the Performing Arts recital recording
Not available for purchase
“California” (1859)
Folk Song, arranged by Steven Mark Kohn (b. 1957) | Text: Traditional
From the album: On the Other Shore (2008)
Andrew Garland, baritone | Donna Loewy, piano
Azica Records 71244
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“On the Other Shore” (1959, recording)
Composer: Traditional | Text: Traditional
Unidentified Woman and Alan Lomax, recorded by Alan Lomax
Library of Congress
“On the Other Shore” (1949)
Folk Song, arranged by Steven Mark Kohn (b. 1957) | Text: Traditional
From the album: On the Other Shore (2008)
Andrew Garland, baritone | Donna Loewy, piano
Azica Records 71244
Buy on Amazon
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Buy on iTunes
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Related Links:
Song of America database
Song of America on the Hampsong Foundation website
WFMT Radio Network
Library of Congress: Performing Arts Encyclopedia
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Song of America Radio Series Program List
Song of America on the Hampsong Foundation website
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