Classic Ross Amico

Tag: George Washington

Presidents Day Music Lincoln Washington & More

It’s Presidents Day. Before you hit the white sales, I’ve got a few musical selections for you.

Here’s a melody called “Lincoln and Liberty” (originally “Rosin the Beau/Bow”), a tune Lincoln appropriated for his campaign song in 1860. If you note the pattern on the performer’s pants, you might deduce he is an escaped convict.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Es3J4yxPFiI

Variations on the tune by Paul Turok:

This is a concert overture titled “McKonkey’s Ferry (Washington at Trenton)” by Trenton’s own George Antheil. I think you’ll agree, Washington has never sounded so Soviet.

Which presidents to celebrate, anyway?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2014/02/16/why-presidents-day-is-slightly-strange/?fbclid=IwAR0D_c2FS9IBu80-cg6wPJFh7BnOqG1BPriTEkJZurAlXb7o5OHkDP7dD4w

Chester A. Arthur, our 21st president, thought “Hail to the Chief” too undignified, so he requested a new piece from John Philip Sousa. The result was the “Presidential Polonaise” (1886).

I wonder if anyone ever thought to write a polka for Polk?

February 19, 2024
Happy Birthday George Washington Trenton’s Tribute

Happy birthday, George Washington! First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen.

Here’s an overture, “McKonkey’s Ferry,” subtitled “Washington in Trenton” by Trenton’s own George Antheil. Curious that a local boy would spell McConkey with two “K”s!

February 22, 2022
Washington’s Trenton Crossing Antheil’s Ferry

Some pre-presidential derring-do on the part of General George Washington: “McKonkey’s Ferry (Washington at Trenton)” by Trenton native George Antheil:

A quick primer on Antheil here – worth 5 ½ minutes of your time – including a little background on this stirring concert overture.

https://www.pbs.org/video/state-arts-njso-plays-mcconkeys-ferry-george-antheil/

February 15, 2021
Washington’s Birthday Concert on WWFM

It’s the 285th birthday of George Washington. Get ready for George Antheil’s “McKonkey’s Ferry (Washington at Trenton).” It will kick off an afternoon of music including birthday celebrations for American composer Lowell Liebermann (his 56th) and Danish composer Niels Wilhelm Gade (his 200th). We’ll also remember conductor Stanislaw Skrowaczewski, who died yesterday at the age of 93. All in all, it’s shaping up to be an eventful show. Listen in from 4 to 7 p.m. EST on WWFM – The Classical Network and at wwfm.org.

February 22, 2017
Presidential Music Lincoln Washington & More

I was thinking of ol’ Abe Lincoln, who was known to walk 20 miles through all weather to borrow and return books, as I trudged from the parking lot this morning with temperatures in the mid-teens. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the layout of the Princeton University campus, the parking lot is not close. But Abe would have done it, uphill through a raging snow storm, in order to enrich your day with music about the presidents.

Today is Lincoln’s birthday (born 1809). We’ll honor our 16th president, with Lincoln-inspired music by George Frederick McKay, David Diamond, Robert Russell Bennett, Roy Harris and John Williams, among others. Since Monday is a federal holiday established to honor the birth of George Washington (in 1732), we’ll have works inspired by him, as well, composed by Virgil Thomson, Seymour Bernstein and John Lampkin, again among others.

In addition, we’ll have music written for or inspired by some of our other presidents, including John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Chester A. Arthur. As time allows, we may also hear some 19th century campaign songs.

It will be like hurling silver dollar after silver dollar across the Potomac this morning, from 6 to 11 ET, on WPRB 103.3 FM and at wprb.com. I cannot tell a lie, on Classic Ross Amico.

#AbrahamLincoln

February 12, 2016

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