This authoritative reference work investigates the roots of the Sacred Harp, the central collection of the deeply influential and long-lived southern tradition of shape-note singing. David Warren Steel and Richard H. Hulan concentrate on the regional culture that produced the Sacred Harp in the nineteenth century and delve deeply into history of its authors and composers. They trace the sources of every tune and text in the Sacred Harp, from the work of B. F. White, E. J. King, and their west Georgia contemporaries who helped compile the original collection in 1844 to the contributions by various composers to the 1936 to 1991 editions. Drawing on census reports, local histories, family Bibles and other records, rich oral interviews with descendants, and Sacred Harp Publishing Company records, this volume reveals new details and insights about the history of this enduring American musical tradition. David Waren Stel is an associate professor of music and southern culture at the University of Mississippi. Richard H. Hulan is an independent scholar of American folk hymnody.

For over a decade, Chicagoans woke up to Bob "Uncle Bobby" Collins on their radio. The WGN-AM 720 morning radio host's death brought an outpouring of emotion and tears as Chicagoans sought to share their grief. Noted for his folksy radio personality, Collins was as genuine as he seemed and a friend with many. His charitable works, especially with the Salvation Army and WGN's Neediest Kids Fund, were unmatched. Every morning, Uncle Bobby is missed in Chicago. I Remember Bob Collins is a collection of anecdotes about the legendary broadcaster from his friends, fans, fellow broadcasters, and the media. Some notable figures include Wally Phillips, former governor Jim Edgar, Chicago mayor Richard Daley, Tom Collins, as well as many others who share their memories of Bob Collins.

On any Sunday afternoon a traveler through the Deep South might chance upon the rich, full sound of Sacred Harp singing. Aided with nothing but their own voices and the traditional shape-note songbook, Sacred Harp singers produce a sound that is unmistakable--clear and full-voiced. Passed down from early settlers in the backwoods of the Southern Uplands, this religious folk tradition hearkens back to a simpler age when Sundays were a time for the Lord and the “singings.” Illustrated with forty-one songs from the original songbook, The Sacred Harp is a comprehensive account of a unique form of folk music. Buell Cobb’s study encompasses the history of the songbook itself, an analysis of the music, and an intimate portrait of the singers who have kept alive a truly American tradition.

This volume examines responses to the epidemic of HIV/AIDS in Anglophone popular musicians and music video during the AIDS crisis (1981–1996). Through close reading of song lyrics, musical texts, and music videos, this book demonstrates how music played an integral part in the artistic-activist response to the AIDS epidemic, demonstrating music as a way to raise money for HIV/AIDS services, to articulate affective responses to the epidemic, to disseminate public health messages, to talk back to power, and to bear witness to the losses of AIDS. Drawing methodologies from musicology, queer theory, critical race studies, public health, and critical theory, the book will be of interest to a wide readership, including artists, activists, musicians, historians, and other scholars across the humanities as well as to people who lived through the AIDS crisis.

Often considered Romania's greatest musical force and a significant mind of the 20th century, composer George Enescu (1881-1955) achieved international fame and succeeded in incorporating Romanian spirituality into worldwide culture. Masterworks of George Enescu provides a profound and very detailed analysis of more than 25 of this important composer's most representative works. Translated from musicologist Pascal Bentoiu's Romanian publication, Lory Wallfisch presents this vital work for the first time to English-speaking audiences, providing the worldwide public with the tools to understand and enjoy Enescu's music. Bentoiu presents a kind of travel diary through Enescu's creative legacy, offering a comprehensive, well-documented, knowledgeable, and generously illustrated analytical study of the composer's greatest masterpieces. Works such as the Romanian Rhapsodies, the Second Suite for Orchestra, Vox Maris, Impressions d'Enfance, his opera Oedipe, and several sonatas and quartets are carefully examined and admired for their substance and their ability to add dignity to the musical world. The works are presented chronologically, considering their conceptual realization as well as their inception and completion. Illustrated with more than 400 musical examples, this impressive study is a perfect guide toward the thorough enjoyment of Enescu's masterpieces.

During the Twenties, the Great White Way roared with nearly 300 book musicals. Luminaries who wrote for Broadway during this decade included Irving Berlin, George M. Cohan, Rudolf Friml, George Gershwin, Oscar Hammerstein II, Lorenz Hart, Jerome Kern, Cole Porter, Richard Rodgers, Sigmund Romberg, and Vincent Youmans, and the era’s stars included Eddie Cantor, Al Jolson, Ruby Keeler, and Marilyn Miller. Light-hearted Cinderella musicals dominated these years with such hits as Kern’s long-running Sally, along with romantic operettas that dealt with princes and princesses in disguise. Plots about bootleggers and Prohibition abounded, but there were also serious musicals, including Kern and Hammerstein’s masterpiece Show Boat. In The Complete Book of 1920s Broadway Musicals, Dan Dietz examines in detail every book musical that opened on Broadway during the years 1920-1929. The book discusses the era’s major successes as well as its forgotten failures. The hits include A Connecticut Yankee; Hit the Deck!; No, No, Nanette; Rose-Marie; Show Boat; The Student Prince; The Vagabond King; and Whoopee, as well as ambitious failures, including Deep River; Rainbow; and Rodgers’ daring Chee-Chee. Each entry contains the following information: Plot summary Cast members Names of creative personnel, including book writers, lyricists, composers, directors, choreographers, producers, and musical directors Opening and closing dates Number of performances Plot summary Critical commentary Musical numbers and names of the performers who introduced the songs Production data, including information about tryouts Source material Details about London productions Besides separate entries for each production, the book offers numerous appendixes, including ones which cover other shows produced during the decade (revues, plays with music, miscellaneous musical presentations, and a selected list of pre-Broadway closings). Other appendixes include a discography, filmography, a list of published scripts, and a list of black-themed musicals. This book contains a wealth of information and provides a comprehensive view of each show. The Complete Book of 1920s Broadway Musicals will be of use to scholars, historians, and casual fans of one of the greatest decades in the history of musical theatre.