Copland’s Old American Songs

Love these.

That phrase could be interpreted either as a (grammatically questionable) description of my emotional response to Aaron Copland’s 1950’s-era arrangement of these ten classic American songs, or as a command.

Which is fine. Either — in fact, both– will do.

The choral versions are also fun, though a little too …cluttered for my ears. (And so, not quite as much fun as the solo setting.) And the historical value of the Peter Pears/Benjamin Britten performance  makes it worth mentioning, as well.

What could possibly be more fun than listening to a classically-trained, world-renowned baritone singing “Got Me A Cat?” Pretty much nothing, I say.

I bought me a cat, my cat pleased me.
I fed my cat under yonder tree.
My cat says fiddle eye fee.