America at 250!
Everyone is making plans now to celebrate America’s 250th birthday, a momentous, once-in-our-lifetime event. To mark the occasion, we gathered 25+ vocal/choral American songs of different styles including Broadway, jazz, gospel, and Americana with a dose of spirited patriotic music added in. Great composers from Gershwin to Bernstein to George M. Cohan, with excellent soloists or groups performing their favorite repertoire! Each song has a YouTube link.
We wish you all a happy Fourth of July as you enjoy and share these tunes with your family and friends, remembering these special moments going forward into America 251!
The Joy of Choral Singing American Music Playlist
Categories
Opera and Broadway
Jazz
Americana and Folk
Popular
Gospels and Spirituals
Patriotic
Opera and Broadway
“Oh, I Can’t Sit Down,” from Porgy and Bess, George Gershwin, Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra & Cape Town Opera Chorus (amazing recording by a great cast!). LINK
“The Promise of Living,” from Tender Land, Aaron Copland, Concordia College Choir, Moorhead, MN (outstanding collegiate choir singing music by one of America’s great composers). LINK
“All That Jazz,” from Chicago, cast recording. LINK
“America,” from West Side Story, Leonard Bernstein, cast recording. LINK
“Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats,” from Cats, A. L. Webber (2026 Revival Tony Award in NYC). LINK
“Seasons of Love,” from Rent, Pentatonix (one of our premiere a cappella jazz chamber groups). LINK
“76 Trombones,” from Music Man, Robert Preston, original movie (Nostalgia! This is fabulous “feel-good” music!). LINK
Jazz
“Birdland,” Joe Zawinul and Jon Hendricks, Manhattan Transfer Live in Munich, 1991 (fine NYC jazz group active with various cast members for over 50 years of recordings). LINK
“Come Sunday,” Duke Ellington, Basilica Choir (This song was originally an instrumental in 1943 then Duke added lyrics in 1958 for his Sacred Concerts, NYC). LINK
Americana and Folk
“Homeward Bound,” arr. Mack Wilberg, The Tabernacle Choir (beautiful arrangement with noble Celtic echoes). LINK
“Let the River Run,” Carly Simon, arr. Craig Hella Johnson, Conspirare. LINK
“New York, New York,” John Kander and lyricist Fred Ebb, Frank Sinatra, original recording. LINK
“Scarborough Fair,” arr. Stan Engebretson, Vocal Spectrum/Gas House Gang (Barbershop but with vocal jazz harmonies and radical 11/8 meter & rhythms near the end). LINK
“Let My Love Be Heard,” Jake Runestadt, California State University, Long Beach (very fine collegiate group singing a passionate remembrance of a classmate lost from terrorist bombing). LINK
“Shenandoah,” arr. James Erb, Chanticleer (one of America’s excellent classic groups). LINK
Popular
“You Are the New Day,” King’s Singers (beautiful music and lyrics, well sung in their tradition!). LINK
“Working 9 to 5,” Dolly Parton (This is just fun! Truly a classic and timely how we all feel at 5 pm!). LINK
Gospels and Spirituals
“Deep River,” arr. Anders Paulsson, saxophone, St. Jakob’s Choir, Norway (brilliant jazz saxophone plays riffs over his rich choral arrangement of this great spiritual). LINK
“Glory, Glory! (I Feel Better),” arr. Adam Podd and Matt Podd (These guys rock!). LINK
“Music Down in My Soul,” arr. Moses Hogan, Atlanta Master Chorale (Hogan is perhaps America’s best arranger for spirituals—sadly we lost him way too soon). LINK
“Total Praise,” Richard Smallwood (an amazing composer who wrote this heartfelt piece while he was a caregiver for his mother and another friend with cancer). LINK
“When the Saints Go Marching In,” arr. John Rutter, The Cambridge Singers (Dixieland-style finale of “Feel the Spirit,” a larger collection of 5 American classics including “Deep River,” “I Got a Robe,” others). LINK
Patriotic
“God Bless America,” Irvine Berlin, Celine Dion (this video scrolls American quotes from Lincoln, MLK Jr., et al, while she sings so fervently. An amazing recording that will rain tears at text and beauty). LINK
“You’re a Grand Old Flag,” George M. Cohan, Jr., The Tabernacle Choir. LINK
“Bring me Little Water, Sylvie,” Huddie Ledbetter (Lead Belly), Women of the US Navy Sea Chanters (plus great choreography). LINK
“I’ll Be on my Way,” Shawn Kirchner, USAF Band/Chorus (country music special by fabulous musicians). LINK
US Military Song Medley, National Symphony Orchestra and Military Choruses from 2025 A Capitol Fourth in Washington, DC. LINK
Image credit: Yefrin Turkin from Vecteezy.com