America the Beautiful

• Main performer: Boston Pops Orchestra
• Booklet languages: English
• Time: 58:49
• Release Date: 1996

Review

America the Beautiful is a collection of "typically American" songs performed by the Boston Pops Orchestra. Only a few selections are overtly patriotic ("American Salute (When Johnny Comes Marching Home)," "Battle Hymn of the Republic," and the title track); the main focus of the program is on quintessentially American composers such as Aaron Copland ("Fanfare for the Common Man," "Hoedown"), George Gershwin ("Strike Up the Band"), John Phillip Sousa ("The Stars and Stripes Forever"), Irving Berlin ("Alexander's Ragtime Band"), Scott Joplin ("The Entertainer"), Charles Ives ("Variations on 'America'"), and Meredith Willson ("Seventy-Six Trombones"), as well as traditional songs like "Prayer of Thanksgiving" and "When the Saints Go Marching In," plus the Woody Guthrie folk standard "This Land Is Your Land." While most of the material isn't exactly unfamiliar, that actually works in the disc's favor -- it comes off as a showcase of the range and depth of talent in American popular composition, and it's a fitting tribute. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide

Performances

Composer	Title	Time
Aaron Copland	Fanfare for the Common Man, for brass & percussion (from Symphony No. 3)	2:59
Morton Gould	American Salute, for orchestra	4:30
Samuel A. Ward	America the Beautiful (original title "Materna")	3:10
Woody Guthrie	This Land Is Your Land	3:30
Aaron Copland	Rodeo, selections from the ballet (including "Four Dance Episodes") (Hoe-Down)	3:28
William Steffe	The Battle Hymn of the Republic ("Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory," words by Julia Ward Howe; music attributed to Steffe)	5:02
Anonymous	Prayer of Thanksgiving	2:45
Scott Joplin	The Entertainer, for piano	3:27
Irving Berlin	Alexander's Ragtime Band, song	3:12
George Gershwin	Strike Up the Band, song (from Strike Up The Band; both versions)	2:47
Meredith Willson	The Music Man, musical (76 Trombones)	3:01
American Traditional	When the Saints Go Marching In	4:28
John Philip Sousa	The Stars and Stripes Forever, march for band	3:32
John Williams	America, the Dream Goes On, for voice, chorus & orchestra	4:32
William Schuman	Variations on "America", arrangement for orchestra or band (after Charles Ives)	8:42

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