Baritone Thomas Hampson in his debut performance of the tour at the Carlsen Center near Kansas City. - Mark McDonald
The "Song of America" tour, a partnership of the Library of Congress and Thomas Hampson, had its final concert on June 3 at the California Theatre in San José, Calif. What began in Kansas City on Nov. 12, 2005, and traveled to 10 other cities across the country, ultimately became a model for presenting concerts within a rich educational context of master classes, teacher institutes, film events, pre-concert lectures and displays of the Library's treasures. The following is an overview of programs and highlights of the tour, which was made possible by the James Madison Council, the Library's private sector advisory group.
In his article titled "My Music" for the January 2006 issue of Gramophone magazine, Librarian of Congress James H. Billington succinctly expressed his beliefs about the importance of the 11-city "Song of America" tour—featuring internationally renowned baritone Thomas Hampson—which was launched in the fall of 2005.
Deputy Librarian Donald Scott, Thomas Hampson and Librarian of Congress James Billington discuss the impetus for "Song of America" and the Library’s unique sponsorship of the tour. - Suzanne Hogan
"The golden era of American song has been largely forgotten—along with the style and quality of singing that went with it. The Library of Congress is, in a way, America's memory. Bringing concerts, manuscripts and sheet music of another era back today is a way of keeping alive the memory of melody. And it is our way of taking out to the nation more broadly music that we have not only commissioned and collected here, but have been playing on the radio and here on Capitol Hill since the 1920s."
The concept for the tour originated in a shared vision of the Librarian of Congress and Thomas Hampson: that the rich resources in the Library should be utilized and publicized in a new way. As a scholar of the American "concert song," Hampson had researched the Library's song collections and became aware of their vastness and importance as documents of the nation's past. For his part, Billington saw a unique opportunity to join with Hampson in actively demonstrating to audiences around the country the Library's role in preserving creativity.
In announcing the tour, Billington said, "America is a wellspring of new ideas in music, literature, poetry, film and other forms of artistic expression. We want to celebrate the energy and inventive spirit that are such an integral part of our cultural history, and I cannot think of a more accomplished ambassador for this initiative than Tom."
Thus was born the concept for the "Song of America" tour, which brought musical riches to people across America and which is still reaching new audiences through continued partnerships with institutions at the 11 venues and with new "Song of America" online presentations at www.loc.gov/creativity/hampson/ and http://memory.loc.gov/cocoon/ihas/html/songofamerica/.
Hampson, here accompanied by Craig Rutenberg, performed many popular American standards during the tour, including Stephen Foster's classic "Beautiful Dreamer." - Mark McDonald
Thomas Hampson and His Repertoire
Thomas Hampson is one of the most recognized and sought-after baritones of our time. In a career now in its third decade, his performances have set new standards on operatic stages and concert halls the world over. His repertoire encompasses more than 60 opera roles and 120 recording projects spanning many languages and genres.
Raised in Spokane, Wash., Hampson is renowned for his versatility in performing operas, operettas, musicals, oratorios and recitals, as well as for his achievements in the fields of recording, research and pedagogy. His awards include a Grammy for best opera recording (2002), Netherlands' Edison Prizes, Grand Prix du Disques, Gramophone Awards, Echo Deutscher Schallplattenpreis awards and several others.
But it is Hampson's special passion for American song that inspired the selections for the "Song of America" tour.
"The body of this repertoire is about the American experience and the American development, the American psyche," Hampson has said. "It is always song and storytelling. It is always linked up to a particular school of thought at a particular slice of time in the various epochs and generations that make up the American experience."
In each recital, Hampson took the stage with only a piano accompanist (Craig Rutenberg or Wolfram Rieger at 10 of the cities and Maestro Daniel Barenboim in Chicago, conducting his final recital as music director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra), but the effect could not have been more poignant.
Concert selections, which were tailored to each city, included unfamiliar songs by well-established American composers, such as Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland and Charles Ives, as well as the songs penned by lesser-known, but equally influential, composers, including Harry T. Burleigh and Arthur Farwell.
There were also well-known favorites, such as Stephen Foster's "Beautiful Dreamer" and the beloved folk anthem "Shenandoah," as well as rarities such as "My Days Have Been So Wondrous Free," by Francis Hopkinson, one of America's first native-born composers, a friend of George Washington and a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Concert encores provided opportunities for tunes with local flavor, such as Cole Porter's "Don't Fence Me In," which Hampson sang in Fort Worth, Texas, with an over-the-top Western twang. A special highlight of the St. Paul concert was the world premiere of "A Heartland Portrait," with text by Poet Laureate Ted Kooser and music by local composer Stephen Paulus. The composition was commissioned for the tour by St. Paul residents and James Madison Council members Linda and Jack Hoeschler.
Treasures on Tour
At each venue, the Library offered "Treasures on Tour"—rare items from the Library's collections for the public to view in the concert hall lobby on performance night. Library curators brought original manuscripts of songs performed in the concert, as well as items representing the local musical heritage.
Left, several Library "treasures" went on tour with Hampson, including this display at Orchestra Hall in Chicago; right, Library staff and local educators participated in special Teacher Institutes. - Suzanne Hogan
Visitors at each venue saw manuscripts, maps, photographs and music representing their hometown or region that are housed and preserved in the Library of Congress. Library music specialists were on hand to explain the significance of the items and, in some cases, were taught more about them from local musicians and scholars.
Each venue had a different display. The one at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia featured composers who had been students at the Curtis Institute. These included Samuel Barber, Leonard Bernstein and Ned Rorem, whose collections now reside in the Library. The St. Paul display included the handwritten copyright deposit of "Mr. Tambourine Man" by Minnesota native son Bob Dylan.
In addition to the display, some venues presented short pre-concert performances by local groups in the concert hall lobby. In Detroit the all-male vocal ensemble "Vision," from the Detroit School of the Performing Arts, delighted concertgoers with polished renditions of gospel and popular tunes. In Nebraska, the Omaha Chamber Singers filled the lobby with a capella harmonies as concertgoers peered over music manuscripts and early photographs of Omaha from the Library's collections.
Teacher Institutes
Educational programs offered throughout the tour served to put the music in a broader historical context. Teacher institutes conducted by the educational outreach team from the Library's Office of Strategic Initiatives trained teachers and librarians how to use Library's online primary source materials to explore the history of American song in their classrooms. Through a mixture of hands-on activities and informal tutorials, the workshop modeled methods for researching the Library's online collections using specific searching and teaching strategies. In addition, the teachers were shown online resources in music and poetry for key themes in U.S. history, from the Harlem Renaissance to the campaign trail, from the Civil War to the battle for suffrage.
"I will apply what I learned today in working with the social studies and music teachers—especially regarding the American Revolution—and I will teach from the songs and the poetry more than from the textbook," vowed one New York educator who attended the program.
Preservation on Parade
In some cities, an initiative aptly titled "Preservation on Parade" offered conservation workshops and displays of free publications and materials from the Library's Conservation Division. Visitors received expert advice from Library conservators on the care of musical scores, books, photographs and other memorabilia; learned how to select proper matting and framing materials; witnessed demonstrations on how to safely store archival materials; and gained hands-on experience in conservation techniques.
In Oxford, Miss., Library conservator Alan D. Haley spoke to victims of Hurricane Katrina who had driven up from the Gulf Coast to attend the concert. He reported, "They described damage and loss of personal artifacts and collections in the institutions where they worked, what was lost or recovered and the need for further instruction and assistance in the area of disaster preparedness and response. I was able to provide numerous handouts describing preservation steps for all kinds of collectibles, as well as lists of further sources of information about conservation and preservation. They told me how grateful they were that the Library decided to include Oxford in the tour."
Left, students at the University Academy in Kansas City present Dr. Billington with their original creative works to be registered in the Copyright Office; right, Hampson coaches TSgt. Kenneth Maxwell during a master class. - Mark McDonald and James P. Scholz
Master Classes
Among the most effective and popular events on the tour were Hampson's master classes for vocal students. Working with only a few students in each class, he engaged the entire audience in a whirlwind adventure in the dynamics and aesthetics of singing.
Hampson identified the single most important vocal technique to be learned by each student within a short lesson, to help the students recognize and experience what needs to be changed and to raise their singing ability to an entirely new level. Invariably, the audience could hear the difference.
"Mr. Hampson was really a joy to work with," exclaimed Kenneth Maxwell, a participant in the master class in Omaha. "I think we crammed a year of lessons into one hour!"
Several master classes and other educational programs were videotaped and will be made available on the Library's Web site.
Veterans History
The tour schedule coincided with several American holidays, including Veterans Day and Memorial Day, providing opportunities to inform U.S. veterans and their families about the Library's Veterans History Project (VHP).
At the Free Library in Philadelphia, retired Army Lt. Gen. Julius Becton was interviewed by historian and author Tom Wiener for the Veterans History Project. - Kelly & Massa Photography
Deputy Librarian of Congress Donald Scott, who is a retired Army general; Bob Patrick, director of the Library's Veterans History Project; and VHP staff spoke to local veterans groups to publicize the Library's congressionally mandated mission to document veterans' war experiences.
Live interviews with veterans at each venue were both enlightening and inspiring, and allowed the Library to connect with veterans around the country in a meaningful and substantive way.
In Chicago, a program of public interviews with veterans took place at the National Vietnam Veterans Art Museum. Amid paintings, sculptures, photographs and drawings by Vietnam veterans, these interviews demonstrated the need for both verbal and nonverbal forms of expressing the life-altering experience of war.
At the Free Library in Philadelphia, retired Army Lt. Gen. Julius Becton was interviewed by VHP historian and author Tom Wiener and answered questions from the audience, all of which was recorded for the VHP archives. General Becton , a member of the VHP's Five Star Council, served in World War II, Korea and Vietnam.
Bugs Bunny's operatic skills went on tour as several music-related films from the Library's collections were screened.
Film Series
Film presentations in several of the cities highlighted the Library's national role in preserving America's film heritage. Film audiences were able to see restored vintage films on the big screen such as "Jammin' the Blues," "The Happy Hottentots" and "What's Opera, Doc?" They also heard the Librarian of Congress speak about the Library's National Film Registry and the new National Audiovisual Conservation Center opening in Culpeper, Va., in 2007.
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) presided over the film program at the Modern Art Museum in Fort Worth, acknowledging the Library's critical role in preserving the nation's cultural and intellectual heritage.
Support
The "Song of America" tour was generously sponsored by the James Madison Council, the Library's private sector advisory group, which was founded in 1990 to help the Library share its incomparable resources with the nation. Suzanne Hogan, senior advisor to the Madison Council, served as project manager for the Hampson tour, providing leadership and on-the-ground coordination of the tour's many facets.
Left, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, pictured here with pianist Van Cliburn, introduced the film program in her home state of Texas; right, the Librarian presents Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois with a panoramic view of Durbin’s hometown of Springfield, Ill., during the tour. - Angilee Wilkerson and Suzanne Hogan
Additional support came from members of Congress, many of whom participated in events and also sent senior staff members to read welcoming letters. In addition to Senator Hutchinson, Rep. Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.), Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), Rep. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Sen. Ben Nelson (R-Neb.), Rep. Lee Terry (R-Neb.) and Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) attended and presided over events in their home regions, and many other members helped in numerous ways to publicize and build audiences for the programs.
Publicity
The "Song of America" tour garnered press attention from both print and broadcast media. On Jan. 19, Thomas Hampson appeared on ABC's nationally televised "Good Morning America." Following an interview session with host Diane Sawyer, Hampson, along with pianist Wolfram Rieger, performed Stephen White's arrangement of "Shenandoah."
Publicity for the tour ranged far and wide. Stephanie Poxon of the Library's Music Division appeared on Mississippi Public Radio, and Hampson performed and was interviewed by Diane Sawyer on ABC's "Good Morning America" program. - Greg Waxberg and Suzanne Hogan
Reviews of Hampson's concert performances appeared in prominent national newspapers, including The New York Times and the Chicago Tribune, as well as in regional and local papers covering the tour's many venues.
In her Jan. 21 article, New York Times reporter Anne Midgette wrote, "Mr. Hampson conveys the idea of an oral tradition that it is his mission to pass on, with the closed-eyed intensity of a blind poet when he is singing and the zeal of an evangelist when he is addressing the audience about its cultural heritage."
Scott Simon's interview with Thomas Hampson aired nationwide on National Public Radio's (NPR) "Weekend Edition" in February. In March, Hampson's performance in Oxford, was broadcast live on Mississippi Public Radio and NPR. The co-hosts and commentators for the live broadcast were Greg Waxberg of Mississippi Public Radio and Stephanie Poxon, a music specialist in the Library's Music Division.
Dr. Billington and Hampson met with Academy Award-winning film actress Patricia Neal during the Omaha stop on the "Song of America" tour. - Suzanne Hogan
Partnerships
As a result of the "Song of America" tour, the Library has forged new partnerships and collaborations with cultural organizations and institutions across the country.
The Library's Music Division and its Educational Outreach office began a collaboration with the Manhattan School of Music in New York to develop educational programs for Internet broadcast. A new partnership between the Library's Music Division and the University of Mississippi will establish the Archive of American Music with the purpose of creating, collecting and preserving oral histories of performing artists in America. In Philadelphia, the Veterans History Project established a partnership with Aces, a museum for black and minority World War II veterans, and in Chicago, the VHP launched a new partnership with the National Vietnam Veterans Art Museum.
The Perpich Center for Arts Education in St. Paul also expressed interest in a partnership with the Library. "I would like to commend you, and everyone working on this project, with its comprehensive approach of integrating great performing, education and scholarship, said Nathan Davis, executive director. "Please keep the Perpich Center in mind with future Library of Congress projects."
"This has been an uplifting and entirely positive experience for me." - Mark McDonald
Reflections of the Artist
In addition to announcing the tour in its January 2006 issue, Gramophone magazine invited Hampson to write the first article for the magazine's new "Diary" feature in its August 2006 issue. Referring in part to the completion of the "Song of America" tour, Hampson wrote, "For the past couple of months, in addition to a full opera schedule, my life in song has never been more fulfilling."
On his personal Web site (www.hampsong.com) Hampson reflected on his experience with the tour: "I can really feel the enthusiasm that audiences have for this repertoire: they understand and connect with the storytelling the composers and poets have presented them with and they are seeing this music as a narrative of their own experiences. This has been an uplifting and entirely positive experience for me."
Song of America Tour Schedule and Venues
Nov. 12, 2005 - Carlsen Center, Yardley Hall in Overland Park, Kansas
Nov. 15, 2005 - Bass Hall, Founders Theatre in Fort Worth, Texas
Jan. 8, 2006 - Kimmel Center, Verizon Hall in Philadelphia, Pa.
Jan. 17, 2006 - Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in St. Paul, Minn.
Jan. 19, 2006 - Carnegie Hall, Isaac Stern Auditorium in New York, N.Y.
March 15, 2006 - Orchestra Hall in Detroit, Mich.
March 19, 2006 - Kravis Center, Dreyfoos Hall in West Palm Beach, Fla.
March 21, 2006 - Ford Center Main Hall at University Mississippi in Oxford, Miss.
May 28, 2006 - Orchestra Hall in Chicago, Ill.
May 31, 2006 - Peter Kiewit Concert Hall at the Holland Performing Arts Center in Omaha, Neb.
June 3, 2006 - California Theatre in San José, Calif.
