John Knowles Paine (1839 -- 1906): Hymn to the West (1903)
Paine was the first American composer to earn widespread acclaim for his orchestral music. He was the senior member of the group known as the "Boston Six," those composers who comprised the primary musical figures in America at the time. This group also included George Chadwick, Horatio Parker, Arthur Foote, Edward MacDowell, and Mrs. H. H. A. (Amy) Beach.
One of Paine's lesser-known and rarely performed works was the commissioned work "Hymn to the West" in D for Chorus and Orchestra (1903). This was composed with librettist Edmund Clarence Stedman (1833-1908) as the official hymn of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, St. Louis, 1904. The performance here is the version for orchestra only. Performance is by Richard Bales and the National Gallery Orchestra.
