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AMERICAN MUSIC RECORDINGS COLLECTION
[AMRC]Roger Lee Hall, Director
One of the earliest American Christmas carols,
music by Edward French, 1761-1845
Available on AMRC Nos. 4 and 14
This is a diverse collection of music from a large private collection of recordings.
The American Music Recordings Collection (AMRC) is an educational service, a division of PineTree Productions, dedicated to providing
American music of historical importance and interest.This archive contains well over 1,000 recordings
of rare and out-of-print music, from live concerts, interviews with composers and musicians, studio recordings and extensive holdings of music collections and books.It contains music on LPs, CDs, audio tapes, and video tapes.
Copies of this music are available on request, upon payment of preparation fee and postage.
AMRC is especially strong in these areas:
- Earlier American composers and works
- American film music
- American Shaker music
- Music from New England
- Vintage popular songs
These are a few sample radio specials from those in the AMRC archive:
"Film Music of Bernard Herrmann"
"Great American Songwriter Series " --
Harold Arlen, Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Jerome Kern, Johnny Mercer, Cole Porter, others"Jazz on Screen, 1930s-1950s"
"Music in Old Boston""Music of the Shakers"
The items listed below are representative of the AMRC holdings and are available for study or listening.
Please Read Carefully:
These CDs and DVDs
are specially prepared for the AMRC on high quality discs.Most items are for personal or educational use.
Some of the music is available
for commercial use, upon prior request and payment of a user fee.Much of this music was recorded at different locations
so the sound levels and quality will vary.
The music is performed by various musicians from original editions
and there are also some modern day arrangements.Because of the special preparations involved, these conditions apply:
1. In the unlikely case of defects on a disc,
it will be replaced at no charge after the disc has been returned.2. A refund will not be given unless a disc cannot be replaced.
Inquiries are welcome about a specific American music recording not listed here, but there is no guarantee of its availability.
It is recommended that you write if you have any questions;
or wish to request any recording not listed here
which might be available.Write to:
American Music Recordings Collection
To order the recordings listed below,
go to the
To listen to audio samples, click on any of the links
in the box at the right column of this page
using Real Player.
Now Available...
Essential American Recordings Survey
(1759 - 1959)A list of recommended recordings
from the archive of the
AMERICAN MUSIC RECORDINGS COLLECTION
To read the survey in four sections,
click on this link to
There are now twenty AMRC CD-Rs available,
with four new releases (Nos.12, 15, 16, 17)
Click on the links to go directly to each title...
1. Best of William Billings
2. Music by Four New England Composers: Dudley Buck, Edwin A. Jones,
Charles Ives, George W. Chadwick
3. American Choral Sampler
4. New England Song Treasury: From the Pilgrims to World War I
5. Memorial Music for Three American Composers:
Charles T. Griffes, Samuel Barber, Randall Thompson6. Music by Chadwick and Jones
7. A Conversation with Aaron Copland
8. An Interview with Virgil Thomson
9. "Blended Together" - Interviews with The Shakers
10. America in Song, Volume I: American Revolution to World War I
11. America in Song, Volume II: The Civil War to The Cold War
12. "Lincoln and Liberty" - Music From Abraham Lincoln's Era [New Release]
13. "A Toast" - Music of George Washington's Time14. Christmas Music From New England
15. Singing New Englanders: From The Pilgrims To The Shakers [New Release]
16. "Gentle Words" - A Shaker Music Sampler [New Release]
17. Songs by Francs Hopkinson [New Release at a discount price]
18. Film Music and the Sammy Awards
19. John Williams on Radio20. Listener's Guide to Film Music
Remembering Radio: Great Songwriters and Singers
A Guide to Film Music: Songs and Scores
A Guide to George Gershwin
A Guide to Shaker Music - With Music Supplement
New England Songster
To order any of the above titles, go to the
Music Sewn Together
Are you interested in how music from the United States
has been stitched together from
many different fabrics and styles
over the past centuries?You can help keep it "stitched together" by joining this Internet group:
Society for Earlier American Music [or SEAM]
Poet Sidney Lanier
who wrote the poem for
"The Centennial Meditation
of
Columbia"
commissioned for the United Staes Centennial in 1876.
The complete cantata is recorded on AMRC No. 2.
AMRC No. 1: Best of William Billings, 1746-1800
21 Tracks (Total Time = 70:45)
Music by America's first significant American composer of choral music.
This CD-R includes 15 original Billings pieces from his collections published between 1770 and 1794. The pieces include: CHESTER, DAVID'S LAMENTATION, MAJESTY, MODERN MUSIC, and THANKSGIVING ANTHEM.
Also two new compositions by Roger Hall based on texts by William Billings:
THE PLEASURES OF VARIETY and DEDICATION.In addition, there are several radio interviews with Roger Hall and David McKay about the music of William Billings on WGBH-FM in Boston on 7 November 1986.
For background on Billings, see Father of American Choral Music
AMRC No. 2:
Music by Four New England Composers: D. Buck, E.A. Jones,C.E. Ives, G.W. Chadwick12 tracks (Total Time = 62:37)
Music by four composers from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including special commemorative works such as: a Peace Jubilee hymn and Centennial cantata by Dudley Buck; two glee club choruses composed for the Dartmouth College Glee Club by Edwin Jones; an Easter Carol by Charles Ives; and a World War I era choral cantata by George Chadwick.
I. Dudley Buck (1839-1909)
1. Festival Hymn -- composed for the World's Peace Jubilee in Boston in 1872.
2. Centennial Meditation of Columbia -- a cantata for US Centennial in 1876/
poem by Sidney Lanier (complete performance)
II. Edwin A. Jones (1854-1911)
3. Organ: Prelude and Fugue in G minor (1878)
4. Glee Club Chorus: "Praise Ye The Lord" (1874)
5. Glee Club Chorus: "Blessing and Glory" (1874)
6. Chorus: "Hail! All Triumphant Lord" from Easter Concert (1890)A DVD+R is available of the 150th birthday anniversary of Edwin Arthur Jones, presented by his biographer, Roger Hall. For more information, write to:
III. Charles E. Ives (1874-1954)
7. Chorus: "Turn Ye, Turn Ye" (1890)
8. Chorus & Solo Quartet: "Easter Carol" (1892)
9. Soloist & Chorus: "The Collection" (1920)
IV. George W. Chadwick (1854-1931)
10. Organ Prelude: "The Star" from Noel (1909)
11. Chorale: "How Lovely Shines The Morning Star" from Noel (1909)
12. Choral Cantata: Land of Our Hearts (1918) -- complete performance
AMRC No. 3: American Choral Sampler
24 tracks (Total Time = 66:28)
A survey of American choral music from the 1770s to the 1980s.
For track titles, see
Society for Earlier American Music [SEAM]
AMRC No. 4: New England Song Treasury -- From the Pilgrims to World War I
30 tracks (Total Time = 70:32)
Music from the singing of the Pilgrims to choral music of World War I Era, with music by William Billings, Edward French, Daniel Read, Jeremiah Ingalls, Stephen Foster, Henry Hadley, George Chadwick, and other composers.
For track titles, see
Society for Earlier American Music [SEAM]
AMRC No. 5: Memorial Music for Three American Composers: Griffes, Barber, Thompson
13 tracks (Total Time = 51:48)
Music by Charles T. Griffes (1884-1920), Samuel Barber (1910-1981), and
Randall Thompson (1899-1984).For track titles, see
Society for Earlier American Music [SEAM]
AMRC No. 6: Music by Chadwick and Jones
12 tracks (Total Time = 61:00)
Choral and chamber music by two Massachusetts composers: George Whitefield Chadwick and Edwin Arthur Jones, including eight first modern day performances from concerts held in Boston and Stoughton, Massachusetts.
For more information and track titles, click on this link for
New England Composer Series No. 2: George W. Chadwick
Aaron Copland
AMRC No. 7: A Conversation with Aaron Copland (1900-1990)
30 tracks (Total Time = 63:55)
The conversation with composer Aaron Copland took place at his home in Cortlandt, New York on 21 July 1980.
The interviewer was composer and musicologist, Roger Hall.
In this conversation Aaron Copland speaks about many topics, including his ballet music, his film scores for OF MICE AND MEN and OUR TOWN, Leonard Bernstein, and Charles Ives.
A portion of this Copland interview is included in the limited edition book:
A Guide to Film Music - Songs and Scores
For other information see:
AMRC No. 8: An Interview with Virgil Thomson (1896-1989)
16 tracks (Total Time = 44:16)
This interview with composer Virgil Thomson took place at the Peabody Conservatory of Music in Baltimore, Maryland on 18 April 1979.
The interviewer was composer and musicologist, Roger Hall.
Virgil Thomson speaks about film music in general and in particular his scores for two Depression Era documentary films for Pare Lorenz:
THE PLOW THAT BROKE THE PLAINS (1936) and THE RIVER (1937).Thomson mentions his folk hymn arrangements,
especially RESIGNATION ("My Shepherd will supply my need").He also discusses his music for the Robert Flaherty's documentary film LOUISIANA STORY (1948), for which he received the first Pulitzer Prize for a film score.
In addition, Thomson also talks about his score for his only feature film, THE GODDESS (1957).
A portion of this Thomson audio interview is included as a Special Feature on the Naxos DVD with two documentary films:
THE PLOW THAT BROKE THE PLAINS and THE RIVER
A transcript of the Thomson interview is included in this reference book:
A Guide to Film Music - Songs and Scores
AMRC No. 9: "Blended Together" -- Interviews with The Shakers
30 tracks (Total Time = 44:46)
This includes rare interviews with Shaker sisters from Canterbury, New Hampshire and Sabbathday Lake, Maine, and has examples of their singing.
Complete track listings at CD and DVD Releases
For information about the DVD, The Shakers On Television, click on this link:
An early edition of "Battle Hymn of the Republic"
[Recorded on AMRC Nos. 11-12, 15]
AMRC No. 10: America in Song, Volume I: American Revolution to World War I
Featuring music from 1768 to 1918,
performed by various performing artists.32 tracks (Total Time= 74:21)
I. The American Revolution (6 tracks)
II. New England Singing Masters (5 tracks)
III. The Constitution and Federalism (5 tracks)
IV. War of 1812 (2 tracks)
V. Westward Expansion (3 tracks)
VI. Shaker Spirituals (4 tracks)
VII. Sacred Choruses (3 tracks)
VIII. Temperance Hymn (1 track)
IX. Songs of the 1890s (2 tracks)
X. World War I (1 track)
AMRC No. 11: America in Song, Volume II: The Civil War to The Cold War
Featuring popular songs from 1861 to 1961,
performed by various performing artists32 tracks (Total Time = 74:48)
I. The Civil War (6 tracks)
II. The Sentimental Age (3 tracks)
III. The 1890s (5 tracks)
IV. Tin Pan Alley and World War I (3 tracks)
V. The Twenties (2 tracks)
VI. The Great Depression (2 tracks)
VII. World War II (5 tracks)
VIII. The Singer Era (3 tracks)
IX. The Youth Market (2 tracks)
X. The Cold War (1 track)
[NEW RELEASE]
In Honor of the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial
(1809 - 2009)
AMRC No. 12: "Lincoln and Liberty" -- Music from Abraham Lincoln's Era
A collection of 19th century music heard by Abraham Lincoln or performed during his lifetime, including patriotic songs, an Afro-American spiritual, popular songs of the Civil War period, and premiere recordings of a Shaker pacifist hymn and rarely heard hymns by Stephen Foster -- performed by various choruses and ensembles.
Julia Ward Howe
This CD includes original versions of
"John Brown" (aka: John Brown's Body)
and
"Battle Hymn of the Republic"For a complete list of music tracks and
information about the accompanying Listener's Guide,
go toTo order this CD, go to the
A DVD-R is available of with two cable television programs in the series, IN CONCERT:
1. Music by Stephen Foster -- about the songs of Stephen Foster and performances of his rarely heard Civil War era hymns.
2. 200 Years of Music in Stoughton -- an exhibit and concert from the 200th anniversary of the Old Stoughton Musical Society, the oldest choral society in the United States, founded in 1786.
For information how to order the DVD-R:
In Concert -- Music From Old Stoughton
write to:
AMRC No. 13: "A Toast"-- Music of George Washington's Time
Original and arranged music from the age of George Washington, recorded at several live concerts, including a 250th anniversary tribute concert in 1982 to George Washington and Franz Joseph Haydn, both born in 1732.
1. +The Liberty Song -- words: John Dickinson, 1768
2. +Father and I Went Down to Camp -- tune: Yankee Doodle/ words: Edward Bangs, 1776
3. +Chester -- words & music by William Billings, 1778
4. +Welcome, Mighty Chief, Once More -- 1789
5. A Toast -- Francis Hopkinson, 1778
6. Beneath a Weeping Willow's Shade -- Francis Hopkinson, 1788
7. +My Days Have Been So Wondrous Free -- Francis Hopkinson, 1759
8. +Norah, Dear Norah -- William Shields, 1783 (Washington's favorite opera)
9. +The Way-Worn Traveler -- Samuel Arnold, 1793
10. 1982 Concert Address (excerpt)
11. Tenor Recit. & Chorus from THE CREATION (Franz Joseph Haydn, 1798)
12. ++Thanksgiving Hymn -- music: William Billings, 1778
13. ++Ode to the President of the United States -- words: Samuel Low, 1789
14. Victory -- Daniel Read -- Daniel Read, 1793
15. New Jerusalem -- Jeremiah Ingalls, 1796
16. The Dove -- Samuel Capen, 1805
17. New Bethlehem -- Edward French, 1799
18. Mount Vernon -- Oliver Holden, 1803
19. Dedication -- words: William Billings, 1794/music: Roger Hall, 1977
20. The Grand Constitution (from a play about the years 1787 and 1788)
21. The Federal March (excerpt) -- Alexander Reinagle, 1788
22. ++Yankee Song -- tune: Yankee Doodle, 1788
23. ++The Grand Constitution (dialogue from the one act play)
24. ++Ode for the President of the United States -- tune: God Save the King
+ = edited and arranged by William Arms Fisher, The Music That Washington Knew (1931)
++ = edited and arranged by Roger Hall (1982, 1987)To order the CD-R, go the
A DVD-R (Now and Then: Music from Stoughton) is available with music from Washington's era.
For more details, see the videotape section at
AMRC No. 14: Christmas Music From New England
Total Time = 70:53
Twenty-four Christmas carols and hymns from New England composed between 1778 and 1978.
For track titles, go to:
[NEW RELEASE]
AMRC No. 15: Singing New Englanders: From The Pilgrims To The Shakers
30 tracks (Total Time = 71:29)
Psams, hymns, ballads, patriotic songs and more, from the time of the Pilgrims in the 17th century to the Shakers in the early 20th century.
For complete track titles, go to:
[NEW RELEASE]
AMRC No. 16: "Gentle Words" -- A Shaker Music Sampler
30 tracks (Total Time = 61:06)
For complete track titles, go to:
[NEW RELEASE]
In honor of the 250th Anniversary
of the
America's first secular song (1759)
AMRC No. 17: Songs by Francis Hopkinson
12 tracks (Total Time = 38:49)
America's first secular song:1. My days have been so wondrous free (1759) - soprano and harpsichord
2. My days have been so wondrous free (1759) - mezzo-soprano and organ
Songs in tribute to George Washington:3. A Toast (1778) - tenor and organ
4. Beneath a weeping willow's shade (1788) - soprano and organ
Eights Songs For Solo Voice and Harpsichord (1788) --
Dedicated to George Washington:
5. Come fair Rosina
6. My love is gone to sea
7. Beneath a weeping willow's shade
8. O'er the hills far away
9. See, down Maria's blushing cheek
10. Enraptur'd I gaze
11. Rondo: My gen'rous heart disdains
12. The traveler benighted and lostTo order CD at a special discount price, go to the
John Williams
AMRC No. 18: Film Music and the Sammy Awards
25 tracks (Total Time = 74:22)
Featuring excerpts on WGBH radio in Boston with guest, Roger Hall. The CD-R includes interviews with Aaron Copland and Virgil Thomson about their film music, and audio excerpts from a video production, THE MUSICAL TELEPHONE (available separately on video tape or DVD-R). There are also announcements of the annual Sammy Awards, named after songwriter Sammy Cahn, as selected by Roger Hall on the "Music America"program on WGBH radio.
AMRC No. 19: John Williams on Radio
22 tracks (Total Time = 78:59)
Music by film composer John Williams featured on radio, including a birthday tribute by Roger Hall on WGBH radio, and several Sammy Awards.
Also included are selections from "A Night at the Movies" with music by Alfred Newman, Max Steiner, Franz Waxman and John Williams. This concert was presented at Tanglewood, the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. During intermission of this concert there is a lengthy interview with John Williams.
AMRC No. 20: Listener's Guide to Film Music
25 tracks (Total Time = 78:32)
This CD-R includes film music from DON JUAN (1926) to
THE MUSICAL TELEPHONE (1988).It includes film music by composers such as: Bernard Herrmann (CITIZEN KANE), David Raksin (LAURA), Max Steiner (KING KONG), and Dimitri Tiomkin (HIGH NOON).
Also well known movie songs like: "As Time Goes By"; "Hooray for Hollywood"; "Do Not Forsake Me" from HIGH NOON; and "Call Me Irresponsible."
There are interviews with songwriter Sammy Cahn, birthday tributes to Bernard Herrmann and John Williams, and music from a video production performed at a scholarly conference.
For more details about the CD-R, go to:
Film Composers and Soundtracks
Also available is a DVD+R titled:
"Memorable Movie Music"
Film music historian Roger Hall as a guest on several TV programs speaks about film composers and includes clips from several vintage films.For more inofrmation, write to:
George Gershwin
These publications also include accompanying music on CDRs:
Remembering Radio: Great Songwriters and Singers (2nd edition)
A Guide to Film Music -- Songs and Scores (3rd edition)
A Guide to George Gershwin (2nd edition)
A Guide to Shaker Music -- with Music Supplement (6th edition)
New England Songster
If you have any questions, write to:
To order the CD-R's or Resource Publications go to the
American Music Preservation Links
A Century of American Songs, Part One (1759-1859)
A Century of American Songs, Part Two (1861-1961)
Essential American Recordings Survey [EARS]
Film Composers and Soundtracks
New England Music Archive [NEMA]
Society for Earlier American Music [SEAM]
Composer Tributes
Favorite American Composers (Web Poll)
New England Composer Series No. 1: Edwin A. Jones
New England Composer Series No. 2: George W. Chadwick
Leroy Anderson
Hall of Fame
This annual event is sponsored by The Tune Lovers Society.
Each year there are ten American composers and songwriters
added to the Tunemaker Hall of Fame.To read the names listed for each year, click on this link:
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