Today's red, white and blue lineup includes two Georgia student ensembles; fervent American patriotism from the 1920s, complete with proposed new folk anthem, by freshly minted citizen Ernest Bloch; immigrant accounts read to stirring music in Peter Boyer's Ellis Island; smatterings of Sousa; and America's favorite fireworks soundtrack: the 1812 Overture by Tchaikovsky. Truth be told, the 1812 Overture celebrates a Russian victory over Napoleon and has nothing to do with any U.S. war - but what the heck, its cannons go boom!
11 AM
- Gould: Fourth of July. University of Georgia Symphonic Band (independent)
- Tower: Made in America. Nashville Sym, Slatkin (Naxos 8.559328)
- Prokofiev: American Overture. Columbus State Univ Wind Ensemble, Rumbelow (Summit 442)
- Hoyer: Vignettes from an American Life: Front Porch Rondo. Hartford Virtuosi, LaReau (ERM 6808)
- Bloch: America, An Epic Rhapsody: 1926...The Present/The Future. Slovak Radio Sym, Lucnica Chorus, Atlas (8.557151)
- Mostel: Star Spangled Etude No. 3, "Furling Banner." Margaret Leng Tan (Point Music 456 345)
- Williams: Liberty Fanfare. Boston Pops, Lockhart (RCA 09026 63516)
- Bernstein: America Medley. Boston Pops Orch, Williams (Philips 2606)
- Boyer: Ellis Island, The Dream of America.
Philharmonia Orch, readers Blair Brown, Louis Zorich, Olympia Dukakis, Eli Wallach, Bebe Neuwirth, Barry Bostwick and Anne Jackson, and conductor Peter Boyer (Naxos 8.559246) - Sousa: Stars and Stripes Forever. Washington Saxophone Quartet (Americus 19981007)
- Gillis: Star-Spangled Symphony: Celebration - Fourth of July. Sinfonia Varsovia, Hobson (Albnay 618)
- Joplin: The Chrysanthemum, An Afro-American Intermezzo. Giovanni De Chiaro (Centaur 2163)
- Sousa: Hail to the Spirity of Liberty. Royal Artillery Band, Brion (NAxos 8.559147)
- Tchaikovsky: 1812 Overture. Dallas Sym Orch and Chorus, Litton (Delos 3196)
- Deussen: American Hymn. Czech Phil, Winstin (ERM 6812)
- Gottschalk: The Union. Cecile Licad (Naxos 9.559145)