Featuring True Concord Choir, Chamber Players & Will Liverman, baritone

In partnership with Tucson Desert Song Festival

Selections from Copland’s Old American Songs, Music of the Sacred Harp Tradition, Classic Hymns and African American Spirituals

Copland’s Old American Songs includes Shall We Gather at the River—a song expressing dreams of a better life—and the beloved Simple Gifts. Copland’s use of the Shaker melody elevated it to the role of an indelible American anthem.

This program includes folk songs by Stephen Foster, considered the father of American music, and Spiritual arrangements by William Grant Still, known as Dean of African American Composers. Standing shoulder to shoulder with these giants is William Billings and the Sacred Harp tradition, perhaps the oldest form of truly American music. Sung a cappella, this music raises the roof!