“Song of America” - The Tour 2005/2006

The Library of Congress and Thomas Hampson celebrate creativity in America

Thomas Hampson’s “Song of America” Tour on the Library of Congress website

Dubbed the “Ambassador of American Song,” Thomas Hampson in 2005 joined forces with the Library of Congress to celebrate the history of creativity in America. The collaboration materialized as a twelve-city concert tour across the United States, highlighting the Library’s unparalleled collections of songs through concerts and an accompanying multimedia exhibition. The repertoire performed spans the gamut of the American song, from the 1700s to the present day, and emphasizes its context in society, ranging from Psalm settings and hymns, folksongs and cowboy songs, to war songs and African American spirituals. Thomas Hampson tells the story of the American people, whose spirit, pride, courage, and imagination inspired the songs that chronicle over two centuries of the nation’s history. By focusing on the poetic thought in music, Hampson brings to life the tales that are captured in the unfamiliar concert songs of well-established American composers, such as Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland, and Charles Ives, as well as in the songs penned by lesser-known, but yet equally influential composers, including Harry T. Burleigh, Arthur Farwell, and Elinor Remick Warren. In presenting these songs, as well as treasures from the Library’s collections, Thomas Hampson, his HAMPSONG Foundation and the Library of Congress have embarked on a nationwide creative voyage honoring America’s musical and cultural heritage. The cooperation helped further the understanding and pride for cultural development in America for future generations. The “Song of America” tour will continue in 2007.

Visit the tour on the Library of Congress website.