Old American Songs - WTS Chamber Chorale
Schedule
Tue, 28 Apr, 2026 at 07:30 pm
UTC-05:00Location
Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center | Midland, TX
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West Texas Symphony Presents..."OLD AMERICAN SONGS"
By West Texas Symphony Chamber Chorale
Tuesday, April 28 | 7:30 PM
Rea-Greathouse Recital Hall @ WNPAC
Dr. Brad Light, Chorale Director
Dr. Erica Rumbley, Pianist
$25 General Admission, Students $12
https://www.wtxs.org/concerts/chorale-spring.html
800-514-3849
Proudly Sponsored By Kati Lewis
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This program offers a window into the roots of American musical identity, drawing on folk hymns, early sacred music, and spirituals that emerged from communities rather than concert halls. These songs—passed down through oral tradition, shaped by regional practices, and grounded in shared experience—capture a uniquely direct and expressive musical language. From the stark, modal contours of early New England psalmody to the flowing lyricism of folk-derived melodies, this repertoire reflects a nation finding its voice through simplicity, sincerity, and collective song.
Several highlights illuminate the breadth and depth of that tradition. The music of William Billings stands as one of the earliest expressions of a distinctly American compositional style, while later arrangers like Alice Parker and Robert Shaw bring renewed clarity and vitality to traditional hymnody and spirituals. The contributions of Florence Price and Moses Hogan highlight the enduring power and emotional depth of the spiritual tradition, transforming these songs into compelling concert works that retain their deep sense of authenticity and purpose.
The program concludes with the music of Aaron Copland, whose settings of folk material helped define a modern American sound—one that honors its roots while embracing a broader, more expansive musical landscape. In “The Promise of Living” from The Tender Land, Copland brings together many of the program’s central themes—community, labor, and hope—into a broad, luminous conclusion. Taken together, these works invite us to hear not just a collection of pieces, but a living tradition—one that continues to resonate with clarity, strength, and a shared sense of purpose.
Wyndham Daniel Read
arr. Brad Holmes
David’s Lamentation
William Billings
Idumea
Ananias Davisson, arr. Richard Bjella
Jared Reif, tenor
Sing to the Lord
Samuel McFarland, arr. Alice Parker
My God is a Rock in a Weary Land Spiritual
arr. Alice Parker & Robert Shaw
Julie Wood, alto
Hark, I Hear the Harps Eternal
Frederic Rowland Marvin, arr. Alice Parker
Three Spirituals
arr. Florence B. Price, ed. John Michael Cooper
Ride on, King Jesus Spiritual
arr. Moses Hogan (1957 - 2003)
Cindy Benbow, alto
Veronica Miller, alto
Old American Songs American Folk Songs
arr. Aaron Copland
The Promise of Living from The Tender Land
Aaron Copland
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Where is it happening?
Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center, 1310 N. FM 1788,Midland,TX,United StatesEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
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