As a fan of the musical Hamilton, I’ve been listening to The Hamilton Mixtape non-stop since its release last Friday. The new album offers covers of numbers from the original cast recording, new tracks inspired by the musical, numbers cut from the show and even a couple of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s demo tracks. However, it occurs to me that one piece from the Music Division’s collections would fit in nicely on the mixtape! Below is sheet music for “Mourn Hapless Columbia” (call number M1659.H16 case), the anonymous tune printed in 1804 and “Written on the Death of Alexander Hamilton.”
The music is for voice, piano, and flute, and the text is intense with lines like “His Martial Glory, crown’d with praise still shone with undiminish’d blaze, what foreign Arms could never quell, By party rage and rancor fell.” So, who do we think could best bring this solemn piece to life on an imaginary addition to the next Hamilton Mixtape? Suggestions are welcome!
Happy listening to all Hamilton fans this week! For more blog posts related to Hamilton and Hamilton, see these previous Library of Congress blog posts:
A Hamilton Mixtape, Library of Congress Style
Hamilton Turns the World Upside Down
My Beloved Eliza: The Final Letters from Alexander Hamilton to his Wife
So, you’ve been challenged to a duel. What are the rules?
Comments (3)
Neil Diamond comes to mind.
This is terrific. How might someone go about requesting a photocopy or facsimile of this music? Thank you!
Dear Patti,
Thanks for your comment! You may request a reproduction via our Duplication Services team. Click on this link: https://www.loc.gov/duplicationservices/. Next, click on the “Sheet Music & Scores” link. Review the instructions and complete an order form. You should refer to the following item details in your request:
“Mourn Hapless Columbia, Written on the Death of General Hamilton,” printed in New York in 1804. Call number M1659.H16 Case. Music Division, Library of Congress.
Let us know if we can help with anything else!
Best wishes,
The “In the Muse” Team