Songs of Gratitude

Songs of Gratitude:

1. "Harvest"

Composed by Morton Gould.

Morton Gould, an American composer and virtuoso pianist, composed "Harvest" in 1945, dedicated to his wife. The Harvest is a symphonic poem that evokes a wonderful feeling of rural America.

The work draws on the compositional techniques of American composers Roy Harris and Aaron Copland, and is often considered one of Gould's more "serious" works. It's also one of the few classical works to require the use of a vibraphone, and Gould performed it with his own orchestra, with a fun and beautiful melody.

2. Thanksgiving Hymn

Composed by John Tavener,

Most of the traditional music associated with Thanksgiving tends to favor religious hymn tunes. The Dutch Christian hymn tune "Come and Give Thanks" has become a staple of Thanksgiving performances, especially in American Methodist churches.

3. "Harvest Hymn"

Composed by Percy Granger.

"Hymns of the Harvest" is an original work intended to mimic the tunes of hymns. Like many of his works, its "elastic score" means that the work can be adapted in many forms, from piano to choir to wind band.

4. "Thanksgiving Hymn"

Composed by Berlioz.

Thanksgiving is a choral piece of music that first belonged to the church and was used for morning prayers and thanksgiving assemblies, beginning with the vegetarian song "Praise to Thee, O Lord". It gradually evolved into a festive style of vocal and instrumental music.

5. "Praise Me, O Grateful One"

Composed by Bach.

Thanksgiving music is a must with Bach's "Grateful Men Praise Me". The piece begins with a glorious fugue sung by the chorus. With each repetition of the title phrase, the vocals and instrumental music are developed, ****woven together in a spiritually uplifting hymn full of sincerity.