a salute to the american west
The symphony collaboration program
overview
Showcasing an American Art Form
As cultural custodians, symphonies educate, entertain, and inspire their communities through music. The Sons of the Pioneers are also custodians, for a truly American art form that they, in fact, helped create: the music of the American West. We propose a low-expense but powerfully satisfying collaboration—A Salute to the American West—to create an unforgettable evening of music that fulfills our mutual goals and delights your audience.
Music Born of a Majestic Land
The American West stirs images of the land’s natural beauty, a cultural mindset, and a distinctive music evoking images of the singing cowboy and vivid pictures of tumbling tumbleweeds, cool water, tall timber, cattle drives, and majestic prairies. The Sons of the Pioneers have played a unique role in the evolution and preservation of western music ever since the group’s inception in 1934. The group wrote and recorded many of the most iconic songs of the genre, including Cool Water and Tumbling Tumbleweeds, both in the Grammy Hall of Fame. The group’s appearances in almost 100 movies with the likes of Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, and John Wayne spread this music to the nation and to the world. “No other group had as profound an effect on the history of Western music … painting its colors as no one had done before or has done since,” says one music historian.
A National Treasure
The Sons of the Pioneers’ songs are woven into the very fabric of the West, are an integral part of American popular culture, and the group’s contribution to the nation’s musical heritage was recognized by the Smithsonian Institution, which named them a “National Treasure.” The Pioneers, the most decorated group in western music, has been inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, Western Music Association Hall of Fame, Texas Swing Hall of Fame, and National Cowboy Hall of Fame, among others. They have their own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and several songwriting members have been inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.
HOw the program works
REPERTIORE
A Salute to the American West is a vocal and orchestral presentation of the most-revered music of the genre. In addition to the group’s own iconic compositions, the program features the works of other legendary songwriters such as Cole Porter’s Don’t Fence Me In and Stan Jones’ haunting Ghost Riders in the Sky, along with well-known classics such as Home On the Range and Happy Trails to You.
Flexible Format
This flexible program can be tailored to fit your preferences. The Sons of the Pioneers can provide proprietary scores/parts for up to 45 minutes of joint performance, and different elements can be used to shape your program. For example
Two-part concert
- The orchestra performs 20–30 minutes of music of their own choosing.
- The Sons of the Pioneers perform 20–30 minutes of music unaccompanied.
- The orchestra and the Sons of the Pioneers perform 20–30 minutes of music together using scores provided by the Sons of the Pioneers.
Three-part concert
- The orchestra performs 45 minutes of their choosing.
- The orchestra and the Sons of the Pioneers perform 45 minutes of music together using scores provided by the Sons of the Pioneers.
Scores
The scores provided by the Sons of the Pioneers are proprietary and will be provided at no charge to the organization through the end of the program. All applicable permissions for performance rights and grand rights remain the obligation of the symphony or venue. (Normally these are covered by the organization’s existing blanket license.)
View score excerpt from Home on the Range
View score excerpt from Ghost Riders in the Sky
View score excerpt from The Everlasting Hills of Oklahoma
Logistics
The symphony is responsible for managing venue and ticket sales and will provide minimal sound reinforcement and a sound engineer for the Sons of the Pioneers.
View the stage plot with sound reinforcement requirements.
Promotion
The Sons of the Pioneers will provide promotional materials (photos, bios, press release copy, plus audio and video files) and will promote the concert through social media. Group members will be available for radio, podcast, and TV interviews to share the rich history of the group, founded by famed singing cowboy Roy Rogers. Members will also make themselves available for educational outreach programs with area school or community groups.
Summary
The American West and its music are our shared history, our heritage. This uniquely American style of music has been treasured by our fathers, mothers, grandparents, and children for decades and continues to resonate with audiences today. This collaborative concert will help keep the campfires glowing for this important art form and will create a lasting memory for your audience and patrons.
highlights video
Some excerpts from our 2022 concert with the Sedalia Symphony in Sedalia, Missouri.