Yale Camerata to perform a concert of all-American music

On Sunday, April 12 at 4 p.m., Yale Camerata will perform An American Songbook, a concert that celebrates the richness and diversity of the American choral tradition in a truly historic year. In 2026, as Camerata marks its 40th anniversary and the United States celebrates its 250th birthday, this program offers a timely reflection on the nation’s musical voice—honoring its beauty, complexity, and many cultural roots.

Curated and conducted by Dr. Felicia Barber, the seventy-five-voice ensemble will perform works spanning early American psalmody, Appalachian folk traditions, the Harlem Renaissance, African American spirituals, and powerful contemporary compositions. Featuring music by William Billings, Florence Price, Moses Hogan, Undine Smith Moore, and others, the concert explores themes of faith, identity, struggle, and hope—inviting us to reflect on what it means to sing—and to be—American. The program will also feature the world premiere of Litany of Praise by Jeffery L. Ames, a work specially commissioned to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Yale Camerata.