Aaron Copland and Stephen Foster have been called “fathers of the American sound” in classical music. Copland’s Old American Songs, timeless songs by Stephen Foster, and spirituals performed by African American bass Morris Robinson demonstrate how these brilliant artists gave a sound to a nation, and explore how individuals have influenced this nation through song.

Robinson returns to Tucson after his triumphant debut in the very first Tucson Desert Song Festival, when he wowed audiences with Verdi’s Requiem in performances with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra.

Copland’s Old American Songs take on themes — political and religious, folk and theatrical — that present a diversified portrait of America itself.

He gathers revivalist tunes, hymns, and even whimsical children’s songs to reveal the beauty of the sound of America. These songs point to the composer’s desire to return to a less complicated time, perhaps best known in Simple Gifts.

Like Copland, Stephen Foster’s music added to the rich history of popular and folk songs that reflected, and changed, the American story.