Referring to his New England Holidays, an assemblage of four orchestral works written between 1903 and 1913, Ives stated that "they are separate pieces and can be thought of and played as such. These four together were called a symphony, and later just a set of pieces...." Taking a jab at critics who were appalled at his brash style, Ives further explained his reasons for viewing the work in this way: "I was getting somewhat tired of hearing the lily boys say 'This is a symphony? Mercy!'" Like so many of Ives' works, New England Holidays finds its inspiration in nostalgic recollections of the composer's childhood. Each of the four constituent tone poems takes as its title a different holiday that evoked for the composer memories with specific musical associations.

The first movement, "Washington's Birthday," portrays a midwinter barn dance, complete with strains of "Turkey in the Straw" and "Camptown Races." In his own notes that accompany the score, Ives describes it thus: "The village band of fiddles, fife and horn keep up an unending 'break-down' medley, and the young folks 'salute their partners and balance corners' till midnight; —as the party breaks up, the sentimental songs of those days are sung half in fun, half seriously, and with the inevitable 'adieu to the ladies' the 'social' gives way to the grey bleakness of the February night."

The second movement, "Decoration Day," recalls the holiday once set aside to honor Civil War veterans (since replaced by Memorial Day). After the crowd gathers at the square, the processional embarks for the cemetery to the tune of "How Firm a Foundation." The assembly's arrival at its destination is marked by the playing of "Taps," combined with strains of "Nearer My God to Thee." This somber moment is contrasted by the peppy parade back into town, accompanied by Ives' raucous reinterpretation of the "Second Connecticut National Guard March."

The third movement, "The Fourth of July," calls for various pyrotechnic feats on the part of the orchestra. Ives' impression of this holiday takes shape as a complicated combination of well-known marches and tunes as well as newly composed material, offset by odd beats and assembled into a spirited, mischievous whole. Characteristically, Ives makes use of much nineteenth century musical material with patriotic associations: "Yankee Doodle," "Battle Hymn of the Republic," "Columbia, Gem of the Ocean," and "Battle Cry of Freedom," all make prominent appearances during this schizophrenic, multilayered celebration.

"Thanksgiving," which brings New England Holidays to a close, attempts, as Ives explains, to portray "the sternness and strength and austerity of the Puritan character" in its stubborn polytonality and forceful texture. Though "Thanksgiving" makes reference to several hymns, one in particular receives added emphasis in a setting for chorus. As the movement reaches its climax, the voices exclaim: "Oh God, beneath Thy guiding hand our exiled fathers crossed the sea; and when they trod the wintry strand, with prayer and psalm the worshipped Thee."

© All Music Guide

2.Decoration Day

Decoration Day is the second movement of Ives' Holidays Symphony. Although he orchestrated this music in 1912, it was already in manuscript form as a work for violin and piano (?1909-1911), perhaps serving as a movement of a sonata. The other three movements of this symphony may also have been part of this same violin/piano composition, but only Decoration Day survived in its original chamber music scoring. As with so many of Ives' orchestral works, Decoration Day begins mysteriously and softly, with a sense of mists slowly lifting. Soon the listener begins noticing famous hymns or traditional American tunes, which are nearly always presented in distorted ways, sounding as though they are deliberately exaggerated or coming through a thick fog. In the second of its three sections, the theme to Adeste Fideles appears, its melody more often associated with a church hymn in Ives' youth than with Christmas. Taps closes out this middle panel, and the final section is dominated by a powerful, dissonant march, which is a parody of David Wallace Reeves' Connecticut National Guard March. The music throughout the work is fun, but quite serious fun, as only the masterful Ives could conceive of it.

© All Music Guide

3.The Fourth of July

This is the third movement of Ives' Holidays Symphony, or as it is officially known, A Symphony: New England Holidays. In certain ways, this, the shortest of the work's four panels, is the most colorful of them. As many listeners are aware, Ives often quoted famous folk and patriotic themes in his works, and The Fourth of July here, as well as the other three Holidays, is sprinkled with a bevy of such quotations. It opens darkly and then turns tense and threatening, hardly portending anything relating to joyous celebration, much less Independence Day for Americans. But soon the listener notices boisterous and colorful, but usually distorted quotations from Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean; Battle Hymn of the Republic; Yankee Doodle; and others. The music builds throughout and finally reaches its biggest climactic moment with the proud but quite dissonant tune from Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean stated amid so many other competing lines—whether contrapuntal or counterthematic—that one can hardly keep pace with the sonic activity. It is all delightful, however, reminding one of Ives' typical compositional device of imitating two competing marching bands. At about six minutes, this work is another Ives gem.

© All Music Guide