Today marks the official beginning of Winter (though you wouldn’t know it in DC – it’s 60 degrees outside!). What could be a more fitting Sheet Music of the Week selection than the lovely color cover for Jean Schwartz’s and Grant Clarke’s “Winter Nights” ? Jean Schwartz (1888-1956) was one of the most prolific composers …
The following is a guest post from Head of Acquisitions & Processing Denise Gallo. Don’t get me wrong – I’m definitely a 21st-century woman. That I’m blogging is proof of that. Yet I frequently find myself in the 19th century. As a musicologist, I rub elbows with Rossini, Verdi, Schumann, and Brahms, but I find …
Seventy-three years ago today, Irving Berlin’s patriotic song “God Bless America” was premiered by singer Kate Smith on her CBS radio show in recognition of what was then called Armistice Day. November 11th is now known as Veterans Day, but the power and popularity of Berlin’s song endures. Would you believe that the song was …
The following is a guest post from Head of Acquisitions & Processing Denise Gallo. This past weekend marked the 198th birthday of Giuseppe Verdi. Born in Le Roncole, Italy, Verdi went from humble origins to become one of the most influential opera composers of his day. And that fame continues, as works like Rigoletto, Aida, …
This week we recognize what would have been President William Taft’s 154th birthday by delving into the Library’s digitized collection of Presidential Campaign Songs. Taft was the 27th President of the United States, serving from 1909-1913. Note that this week’s Sheet Music of the Week, “President Taft, He’s All Right” with words and music by …
The following is a guest post from Head of Acquisitions & Processing Denise Gallo. After Southern troops defeated his army at the Battle of Bull Run on July 21, 1861, Abraham Lincoln realized that he would need someone dynamic to take charge, especially in efforts to protect Washington, D.C. and its surroundings. At 75, the …
The following is a guest post from Archivist Contractor Janet McKinney. Whether it is Middle Name Pride Day, Pancake Day, or Talk Like a Pirate Day, it seems like there is a day to celebrate just about anything. International Beer Day? Sure! Although we may dismiss these “holidays” as frivolous, it is an opportunity to …
The following is a guest post from Head of Acquisitions & Processing Denise Gallo. Running past the Nation’s Capitol into Virginia, the Potomac River is fed by myriad tributaries, one of which is the Occoquan. Flowing into that river just south of Manassas, Virginia, is a creek called Bull Run. It was there on 21 …
The following is a guest post from Head of Acquisitions & Processing Denise Gallo. Over the past few months, we’ve begun to showcase examples from the Music Division’s rich collection of Civil War sheet music to highlight some anniversaries of events in 1861. The Battle of Gettysburg, of course, would not be fought until 1863, …