The LOC.GOV Wise Guide : I Hear America Singing

Chamber, madrigal, sextet, quartet, concert, a capella, symphony—all terms associated with musical groups of some kind, usually small and large choirs. Whether they are the standard mixed SATB (soprano, alto, tenor, bass) or strictly male or female choruses, the music they can produce is characteristically polyphonic, having two or more independent but harmonically related melodic parts sounding together.

Coolidge Auditorium plaque commemorating Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge. ca. 1925-1940

The Library has played host to a variety of musical groups such as The New York Festival of Song, Accentus Chamber Choir, Birmingham Sunlights, Ensemble Corund and Chanticleer as part of its concert series in the Coolidge Auditorium. Be sure to visit the Concerts from the Library of Congress page for information on upcoming performances.

The Cantus concert on March 13, 2007, was inspiration for a panel discussion on choral groups in America, specifically men's choral groups. "Men's Lets Sing: Choral Music for Men's Voices" featured Frank Albinder, director of the Washington Men's Camerata; Ann Meier Baker, president of Chorus America; and Gunilla Marcus-Luboff and the Library's Robert Saladini, co-developers of the Library of Congress Series of Choral Music, a collection of some 50 rare and out-of-print editions of choral works held in the Music Division and co-published by Walton Music Corp. of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The speakers addressed the state of men's choral singing from their perspectives as performers, conductors and music publishers, and also discussed the myriad men's choral groups in the United States. For those that missed the live event, no worries. You can view the presentation as part of the Library's collection of webcasts. While there, you can also browse by subject, including culture and performing arts, to have a front-row seat for many of the Library's past lectures, symposiums and musical performances.

The Library's Music Division is home to the world's largest musical archive, with unparalleled collections numbering some 20 million items. Through the "Library of Congress Presents: Music, Theater and Dance" presentation, you can experience the diversity of American performing arts through the Library's collections of scores, sheet music, audio recordings, films, photographs, maps and other materials.

A. Men singing. Prints and Photographs Division. Reproduction Information: Reproduction No.: LC-DIG-ggbain-30691 (digital file from original negative); Call No.: LC-B2- 5227-10[P&P]

B. Coolidge Auditorium plaque commemorating Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge. ca. 1925-1940. Prints and Photographs Division. SUMMARY: Photograph shows a marble plaque with a head-and-shoulders portrait of Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge commemorating her 1925 gift of the Coolidge Auditorium. Reproduction Information: Reproduction No.: LC-USZ62-135721 (b&w film copy neg.); Call No.: U.S. GEOG FILE - Washington, D.C.--Jefferson Building--Interiors--Office--Music Division [item] [P&P]