Widely considered America's "Unofficial National Anthem," "American the Beautiful" began as an 1893 poem of the same name. inspired when poet, Wellesley College professor and social reformer Katharine Lee Bates surveyed the extraordinary view from atop the 14,000 Pike's Peak in Colorado—and in 1910 was set to an existing hymn tune by Samuel A. Ward.
Both the poem and the poet—to whom afternoon host Foley Schuler is distantly related—have a rich history that will be explored on his afternoon program on Tuesday as Foley celebrates the anniversary of Bates' birth with several version of the song, including a choral version as arranged by James Quitman Mulholland, and a work for orchestra based on the song by Joan Tower, entitled "Made in America." Also, as Bates's poem celebrates the beauty of the American landscape, we'll hear several other musical celebrations of the natural world as well. Rounding out the program will be the very last work by Czech composer, Leoš Janáček (who died on August 12th 1928), his soul-stirring Sinfonietta.
You can hear Foley Schuler's musical selections—and stories behind the music—every afternoon from 1 until 4 on Blue Lake Public Radio.
