Ron Chaplin: >I noticed that [Hanson's Symphony] No. 7 uses Whitman's poetry. While >haunting the CD bins, I've noticed that Hindemith wrote a piece based on >"When lilacs last in the dooryard bloomed." I was wondering what other >compositions have used Whitman's poetry as inspiration. So glad you asked. I keep running across such works and I haven't ever seen them brought together, but here is a partial list, compiled from a library catalog, omitting a few composers I never heard of. Besides Hindemith, other composers set "When Lilacs...", including Sessions, Ives, Crumb, George Walker and Robert Shallenberg. Hanson also set Whitman in Songs From Drum Taps, and Song of Democracy. Some others: John Adams - The Wound-dresser Frank Bridge - The last Invocation Creston - Leaves of Grass, Delius - Sea Drift, Songs of Farewell, A Song Before Sunrise, Dello Joio - The Vigil, Mystic Trumpeter, Proud Music of a Storm, Prelude and Idyll, As of a Dream Roy Harris - Give Me the Splendid Silent Sun Henze - Whispers from heavenly Death Lee Hoiby - I Was There Holst - Mystic Trumpeter Knusen - Whitman Settings Loeffler - Beat! Beat! Drums! Luening - Farm Picture, Here the Frailest leaves of Me Persichetti - Celebrations Ned Rorem - Eagles; [others] Schuman - Free Song Robert Starer - To Think of Time Kurt Weill - Four Walt Whitman Songs Ralph Vaughan Williams - Sea Symphony, Dona Nobis Pacem, Toward the Unknown Region, Three Nocturnes Yehuda Yannay - A Noiseless Patient Spider Jim Tobin