American classical music composers didn’t always view the nation’s various, vibrant folk music traditions as a valid source of inspiration—but once someone realized there’s not so much that separates a violin from a fiddle, this nation’s concert music tradition was permanently enriched. Aaron Copland used an earnest Shaker song, “Simple Gifts,” as the basis of his elegant score for the Martha Graham ballet Appalachian Spring—one of several Copland works that helped to firmly establish an American classical music style. Nearly 50 years earlier, Charles Ives – a composer who eagerly embraced the unpolished spirit of traditional folk idioms – adopted three hymns for his String Quartet No. 1 (“From the Salvation Army”), presented here alongside authentic folk tunes played by Grand Picnic. And Edgar Meyer, a virtuoso bassist and composer equally fluent in chamber music, bluegrass, jazz, and more, proves with his String Quintet that mixing classical discipline with folk-music exuberance is a well in no danger of running dry.

Grand Picnic
Folk Ensemble

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