|| Venue Information ||
West Palm Beach, FL
Date:March 19, 2006
Venue: Kravis Center/ Dreyfoos Hall
Venue Web Site: www.kravis.org
Seating Capacity: 2193
|| Highlights ||
Following the visit to Detroit, Michigan, the Library of Congress’s “Song of America” concert tour traveled to West Palm Beach, Florida, the seventh stop on the itinerary. All of the tour events were held at the Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts. On Saturday, March 18, 2006, as part of the Kravis Center’s ArtSmart Series, baritone Thomas Hampson delivered a pre-performance lecture on the history of the American song, exploring the individuals whose courage and imagination inspired our nation’s songs.
The “Song of America” concert, featuring Thomas Hampson and pianist Craig Rutenberg, took place on Sunday, March 19, 2006. Among the highlights of this performance was the reprise of two songs from Stephen Paulus’s cycle, A Heartland Portrait, which received its world premiere during the Library’s visit to St. Paul in January 2006. Included on the West Palm Beach program were Paulus’s “At Midnight” and “A Summer Night,” both settings of the poetry of current Poet Laureate Ted Kooser. Prior to the performance, attendees were afforded the opportunity to hear a pre-concert discussion between Ted Kooser and Thomas Hampson on the genesis of A Heartland Portrait. The evening concluded with the Library’s presentation of “Treasures on Tour,” a display featuring rarely seen original manuscripts from the vast collections of the Music Division.