The warm reception of the Old American Songs in 1951 prompted Copland to write an immediate sequel, Old American Songs II, made up of settings of "The Little Horses," "Zion's Walls," "The Gold Willow Tree," "At the River," and "Ching-a-Ring Chaaw." Although they elicited little critical comment at the time, these became extremely popular and remain so to this day. As with the first set, Copland preserves the tunes' rhetorical directness and simple diatonic harmonies in his arrangements, while adding numerous personal touches. In the camp-meeting spiritual "Zion's Walls," for example, he adds a novel contrasting section based on his own countermelody to the original tune, while he entirely rearranges the ballad "The Gold Willow Tree." In "Ching-a-Ring Chaw" he purged the text of its racial implications and revised the story about African-American immigration to Haiti as a more general utopian fantasy. The Old American Songs II were premiered by baritone William Warfield with Copland at the piano on July 24, 1953. During Copland's lifetime, these were widely associated with Warfield, who, like many singers since, preferred singing them in their orchestral arrangements over the piano versions.

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4.At the River

Copland scored his second set of Old American Songs for "medium voice" and piano, later arranged it for voice and orchestra (premiered in 1958 by mezzo Grace Bumbry), and ultimately asked others to prepare versions of four of the five songs for chorus and orchestra; in the case of "At the River," the task fell to former Copland student Raymond Wilding-White.

"At the River" is an arrangement of a hymn that had also caught the attention of Charles Ives, although Copland's version is much more straightforward. The accompaniment tends to be broad and chordal, with Copland-esque harmonies only at transitional points and climaxes in the third and fourth verses. This supports a stately melody line lightened by little melodic skips, with an overall effect of dignity completely free of either pomp or sentimentality. Copland employs the traditional melody in the first, second, and fourth verses, using a related countermelody for the all-important, affirming third verse.



Shall we gather by the river,

Where bright angels' feet have trod,

With its crystal tide forever

Flowing by the throne of God.



Yes, we'll gather by the river,

The beautiful, the beautiful river,

Gather with the saints by the river

That flows by the throne of God.



Soon we'll reach the shining river,

Soon our pilgrimage will cease,

Soon our happy hearts will quiver

With the melody of peace.



(Repeat second verse.)

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