Truly American Spirituals, hymns and folk music - heard by GERALD FENECH '... I have nothing but praise for the whole enterprise.'

These three delightful discs provide a wonderful window on the rich American musical heritage in the forms of folk songs and other vocal (and instrumental) pieces dating from the early days of the Revolution to just after the Civil War.

Joel Cohen and the Boston Camerata provide real life arrangements and I assume that the music sounded quite similar when it was played on the battlefield or sung by the fireside during a cold New England winter. Liberty Tree has some tried and tested favourites such as Yankee Doodle, The Boston March, Irish Air and The Blue Bells of Scotland -- the latter two demonstrate the early origins of the American settlers who were chiefly Scotch-Irish in their provenance.The Gospel Feast and Shall we gather at the river encompass the intense feeling and fervor which the Negro put into his music as times began to change for the better after the Civil War (although his bondage is arguably still haunting the United States)...

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

HYMNS

FOLK MUSIC

WARNER CLASSICS