The work features four vocal soloists who represent Native American, Sephardic, African American and Protestant religious traditions, along with instrumental music based on early American hymn tunes.
—
Mark Swed,
Los Angeles Times,
2 July 2026
Transplants from the British Isles In 1776, as the nation’s founding generation proclaimed democratic ideals, music in the emerging United States consisted largely of British ballads, fiddle tunes, sea chanteys and hymns.
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.