America's Singing History (ASH) -

A Recorded Survey, 1759-1959

This two volume collection with 50 titles
was produced and edited by Roger L. Hall,
Director, Center for American Music Preservation (CAMP).

It provides musical highlights from 200 years
and is ideal for historians, teachers, students
or anyone interested in American history.

To inquire how you can order one or both volumes -- click here

America's Singing History

Volume 1, 1759-1859

See no. 4 below

 

Performed by various artists from original editions and modern arrangements and

For streaming examples at "click here."

Tracks:

I.   Songs of Liberty and Protest

1. My Days Have Been So Wondrous Free (1759) -
words: Thomas Parnell/ music: Francis Hopkinson
(First American song) -- read about this song: click here

2. The Liberty Song (1768) -- words: John Dickinson/
tune: HEART OF OAK, arranged by William A. Fisher

3. Brave America (aka: Free America, 1770) -- words: Joseph Warren/
tune: BRITISH GRENADIERS

II. The American Revolution


4. Father and I went down to camp (1776) -- words: original version
by Edward Bangs/ tune: YANKEE DOODLE, arr. William A. Fisher
Listening example -- click here


5. Johnny Has Gone For A Soldier (ballad)

6. Doodle Dandy (ballad)

7. Chester -- words & music by William Billings, 1778

8. Hymn of Thanksgiving (ca. 1783) --
tune: KITTERY by William Billings


III.  The U.S. Constitution and Federalism

9. U.S. Constitution Song (1788) -- tune: YANKEE DOODLE,
arr. Roger L. Hall - FIRST RECORDING

10. Ode to President George Washington (1789) -- words: Samuel Low/
tune: GOD SAVE THE KING, arr. William A. Fisher - FIRST RECORDING


11. The President's March-Hail, Columbia-Rights of Conscience (1794-1810) -
FIRST RECORDING

12. Adams and Liberty (1798) -- words: Thomas R.T. Paine/
tune: TO ANACREON

IV.  New England Singing Masters

13. Coronation (1793) - music: Oliver Holden
For streaming example: click here

14. New Jerusalem (1796) -- music: Jeremiah Ingalls

15. Dormant (1802) -- music: Jacob French

V.  War of 1812

16. The Star Spangled Banner (1814) -- words: Francis Scott Key/
tune: TO ANACREON
- FIRST RECORDING of 19th century choral setting

17. The Hunters of Kentucky (ballad, ca. 1814)

18. Patriotic Diggers (ballad, ca. 1814)

VI. Folk Songs, Patriotism and Sentimental Songs

19. The Erie Canal (ballad) -- date unknown

20. Buffalo Gals (ballad) -- attributed to "Cool White"

21. My Country 'Tis Of Thee (1831) -- words: Samuel Francis Smith/
tune: GOD SAVE THE KING

22. Get Off The Track (1844) -- The Hutchinson Family
(Emancipation song)

23.Simple Gifts (1848) -- Elder Joseph Brackett
(Shaker dance song edited by Roger Hall) -- FIRST RECORDING
More information about this Shaker song -- click here

24. Gentle Annie (1856) -- words & music: Stephen C. Foster

25. Dixie's Land (or Dixie)(1859) -- words & music: Daniel D. Emmett
A favorite song of President Abraham Lincoln

 

 

 

America's Singing History

Volume 2, 1860-1959

 

 

No. 2 - for streaming listening -- click here

 

 

Performed by various artists including some of the popular songwriters.

Tracks:

I.   The Civil War

1. Lincoln and Liberty (1860 campaign song)

2. Two Songs, Same Tune: John Brown (1861) -
for more about this song - click here
and Battle Hymn of the Republic (1862) - for more - click here
FIRST RECORDING of these original versions

3. A Prayer For The Captive (1862) -- Sister Cecilia DeVere,
edited by Roger L. Hall (Shaker pacifist hymn) - FIRST RECORDING

4. Go Down, Moses (ca. 1862) -- Afro-American spiritual
-- for streaming example: click here

5. When Johnny Comes Marching Home (1863) --
words & music by Patrick S. Gilmore

II.   The 1870s and 1880s

6. Home On The Range (1873)

7. Grandfather's Clock (1878) -- words & music by Henry Clay Work

III.   The 1890s

8. Waltz (1894) -- words & music by Charles E. Ives

9. On The Banks Of The Wabash (1897) -- words & music:
Paul Dreisser


IV. Rise of Tin Pan Alley

10. George M. Cohan medley (4 songs, 1906-1917) --
rare recording with singing of George M. Cohan in 1940

11. Swanee (1919) -- words: Irving Caesar/ music by George Gershwin


V. The 1920s

12. My Blue Heaven (1927) -- words: George Whiting/
music: Walter Donaldson

13. Star Dust (1927/1929) -- played and sung by Hoagy Carmichael

VI. The Great Depression

14. Brother, Can You Spare A Dime? (1932) -- words: E.Y. Harburg/
music: Jay Gorney

15. The Last Round-Up (1933) -- words & music: Billy Hill


VII. World War II Era

16. God Bless America (1938) -- words & music by Irving Berlin -
sung by Irving Berlin from a radio program

17. All The Things You Are (1939) - words: Oscar Hammerstein II/
music: Jerome Kern - sung by Tony Martin, accompanied by Jerome Kern

18. I'll Never Smile Again (1940) -- words & music: Ruth Lowe

19. Chattanooga Choo Choo (1941) -- words: Mack Gordon/
music: Harry Warren

20. Ac-cent-tchuate The Positive (1945) -- words: Johnny Mercer/
music: Harold Arlen - sung by Johnny Mercer from a radio program


VIII. Post War Popular Songs

21. Mona Lisa (1950) -- words & music by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans

22. Cold, Cold Heart (1951) -- words & music by Hank Williams Sr.


IX. Youth Revolution

23. Sincerely (1955) -- words & music by Harvey Fuqua and Alan Freed

24. Aura Lea (1861) and Love Me Tender (1956) -
arranged by Ken Darby (not by Elvis Presley or Vera Matson)
- for more information - click here


X. From Pop to Presidential

25. High Hopes (1959) - words: Sammy Cahn/ music: James Van Heuasen
- Oscar winning song from A HOLE IN THE HEAD
also used as a campaign song for President John F. Kennedy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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