The follow is a guest post by retired music cataloger Sharon McKinley. WWI was a time of conflicting loyalties for Irish-Americans. Many still felt strong ties to the old country, and their feelings reflected the sentiments of friends and relatives back in Ireland. Still chafing under British rule, Irishmen from the South as well as […]
This week our nation comes together to honor the brave men and women who have made many sacrifices while serving in uniform. As you commemorate their contributions to protecting our freedoms, we invite you to listen to some patriotic music from our collections. “In the Muse” Veterans Day Playlist Eternal Father, Strong to Save [“The […]
The following is a guest post from Gershwin Archivist Janet McKinney. Janet presented a Curator Talk entitled “My Irish Song of Songs: Irish-American Identity in Popular Song and Musical Theater” on Tuesday, March 15, 2016 that was recorded for webcast and will be made available on the Library of Congress website in the coming months. […]
The following is a guest post by retired cataloger Sharon McKinley. The Library of Congress has a wealth of sheet music from World War I. Although the United States entered the Great War rather late in the game, Americans wrote commemorative songs by the thousands. This music ranges from the famous to the obscure; large […]
June traditionally marks LGBT Pride Month across the federal government and in many major American cities. In addition to enjoying the many events, parties, parades and street festivals, there are opportunities for you to commemorate Pride Month at the nation’s library. LGBT figures and allies in history, government, literature, law, and the arts, are represented […]
James Wolf of the Library of Congress has created a fantastic video compilation of some of our audio and visual treasures related to “The Star-Spangled Banner.” View the video below and peruse more recordings, sheet music and memorabilia via the Songs of America portal. Join the #SSB200 conversation on twitter by tagging @librarycongress, or visit […]
Throughout 2014 the Library of Congress’ Music Division is celebrating the 200th birthday of our national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner.” On July 3 Concerts from the Library of Congress will present a symposium and concert, “Poets and Patriotism,” in commemoration of the anthem’s anniversary. We will be joined by internationally-renowned baritone Thomas Hampson for a […]
Anglophiles and British ex-pats will have a home this Friday in the Coolidge Auditorium at 12pm. The Library of Congress Chorale will perform “Britannia,” a concert celebrating the choral traditions of Great Britain. I happen to be the conductor of said ensemble and am an Anglophile through and through. I had the opportunity to complete […]
Washington, DC had a big weekend with preparations for yesterday’s Presidential Inauguration (we were getting ready for it last week with our Inauguration Day sheet music blog post). Nearly one million people were estimated to attend yesterday’s festivities on the National Mall, and the masses were treated to several stunning patriotic musical performances, from James […]
The following is a guest post by Retired Senior Cataloger Sharon McKinley. Everyone loves Inauguration Day! What’s not to like? Flags fly, people cheer, and federal employees in the Washington area get the day off, because no one wants to compete with them for seats on Metro. We in the Music Division are joining in […]