tenor and piano (about 16 minutes)
When I moved back to Tennessee to teach at Middle Tennessee State University, one colleague in particular reached out to me and made me feel welcome: H. Stephen Smith. Quickly, I felt like an honorary member of his family. We became fast friends, and when I got married, Stephen was the best man at my wedding. Shortly after I arrived to campus, he asked me to compose a song cycle for him. Since Stephen's favorite poet is Walt Whitman and because our country was recovering from the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, I chose three of Whitman's American-themed poems for Walt Whitman's America (2003): I hear America singing; Long, Too Long America; and For You O Democracy.
Score will be available for purchase shortly. Please email me at paul@paulosterfield.com, and I will let you know when it is available.
Recording available from Albany or Amazon or iTunes.