Alec Wilder (1907-1980) was at home with American music in the largest sense, from Broadway to Hollywood, popular or “classical.” The idiosyncratic mixture of styles in his music make it just as much an “American original” as that of his avant-garde contemporaries. One trait throughout his song style is a gift for melody that makes the songs very appealing to singers. Classical singers will find these 25 songs to be a natural fit for the recital stage. Poets represented include: Arnold Sundgaard, Loonis McGlohon, Carl Sandburg, Tennessee Williams and William Butler Yeats.