1865: Songs of Hope & Home

by Anonymous 4, Bruce Molsky

Overview

American vocal group Anonymous 4 were founded to explore medieval music and have worked mostly within repertory of that time period. But their field of endeavor has broadened in a fan shape as their career has developed, including contemporary works and, toward the end of their career, a focus on the music of their native country. The present album forms the material for their last tour. Released in early 2015, it commemorates the 150th anniversary of the end of the American Civil War. The program consists of music that was "in the air" in 1865, although not necessarily composed or published then; the songs date back as far as 1823 in the case of "Home, Sweet Home," a seemingly quintessentially American song that actually comes from a British opera. Some deal with the war itself, but, as is usual in wartime music, not all do. Civil War songs constitute an amazing example of creative efflorescence in response to crisis, but to put them across convincingly today is not an easy task, with pale academic art-song performances among the few available. Contemporary bluegrass musicians seem to do best with them, and Anonymous 4 move in that direction here with the inclusion of accompaniment (on vocals, banjo, guitar, and fiddle) by bluegrass musician Bruce Molsky. This enables the group to present a variety of related settings, from a cappella to different instrumental-vocal combinations; there's no attempt at an "authentic" sound, but the scale is right. Reactions to these performances are likely to be quite individual. Those who enjoy Anonymous 4's vocal sounds will likely be intrigued to hear them in this new light, and Molsky's low-key but versatile accompaniment works well. Others may find these readings bloodless, in music that depended on direct emotional impact and in many cases on an abundance of sentiment, the bedrock of American musical expression. Anonymous 4, in any case, deserve credit for continuing to break new ground even as they prepare to close up shop. ~ James Manheim

Product Details

Release Date:	01/13/2015
Label:	HARMONIA MUNDI
UPC:	0093046754969

Tracks

1. Weeping, sad and lonely
2. Darling Nelly Gray
3. Hard times come again no more
4. Sweet Evelina
5. Bright sunny south
6. Work(s)~The southern soldier boy / Rebel raid
7. Tenting on the old camp ground
8. Aura Lea
9. Listen to the mocking bird
10. Camp chase
11. Brother Green
12. The faded coat of blue, or, the nameless grave
13. The maiden in the garden
14. The true lover's farewell
15. Work(s)~Home, sweet home / Polly put the kettle on
16. The picture on the wall
17. Abide with me
18. Shall we gather at the river

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Anonymous 4   Primary Artist,Ensemble
Bruce Molsky   Primary Artist,Banjo,Fiddle,Guitar,Vocals
Marsha Genensky   Vocals
Susan Hellauer   Vocals
Ruth Cunningham   Vocals
Jacqueline Horner   Vocals

Technical Credits

Marsha Genensky   Arranger,Liner Notes
Susan Hellauer   Arranger
Stephen Foster   Composer,Text
Traditional   Composer
C.W. Alexander   Text
Robert Lowry   Text,Composer
Henry F. Lyte   Text
Bruce Molsky   Arranger
Henry Clay Work   Text,Composer
Alice Hawthorne   Text,Composer
Ruth Cunningham   Arranger
John Hugh McNaughton   Text,Composer
Bradley Michel   Editing,Engineer
Henry Tucker   Composer
Benjamin Russell Hanby   Text,Composer
George R. Poulton   Composer
John Howard Payne   Text
William Henry Monk   Composer
William Whiteman Fosdick   Text
Robina G. Young   Producer
Karin Elsener   Graphic Design
Genevieve Begou   Liner Note Translation
Dario Acosta   Photography
Heidi Fritz   Liner Note Translation
Charles Carroll Sawyer   Text
Walter Kittredge   Text,Composer
Jacqueline Horner   Arranger
Henry Bishop   Composer
James E. Taylor   Artwork