Charles Ives composed nearly 200 songs throughout his life. Wiley Hitchcock, in the thorough introduction to his 2004 critical edition 129 Songs, described the Ives song canon as the contents of a kind of scrapbook or commonplace book or chapbook, or even a desk drawer. Into such a receptacle Ives tossed irregularly, if not casually, his reactions Ñin the form of songsÑto memories, personalities, places, events, discoveries, ideas, visions, and fantasies in his life.' Whether popular tale or personal reflection, this concept of the songs as memorabilia is realized in a most powerful way: the songs emotionally and viscerally evoke memory. Captured memoriesÑreal or idealized, distant or nearÑare the materials for the music. From cosmopolitan incident (Ann Street) to pastoral stroll (The Housatonic at Stockbridge) Ives's songs describe a range of experience: a child's playtime, a commuter's observations, a courter's hope. His songs exhibit reverence for the populace and pop culture, daring adventure, and family devotion; life and death. This new recording of 27 songs features superlative performances by soprano Susan Narucki, renowned for her authoritative interpretations of contemporary American music, and Donald Berman, whose recordings of Ives's piano music have been critically acclaimed. Songs my mother taught me, Tom Sails Away, The Housatonic at Stockbridge, The Greatest Man, West London, The 'Incantation', Du bist wie eine Blume, Down East, The Children's Hour, Where the eagle cannot see, General William Booth Enters into Heaven, The Things Our Fathers Loved, Two Little Flowers, August, September, December, The Light That Is Felt, Ann Street, Evening, The Sea of Sleep, Like a Sick Eagle, Swimmers, Watchman!, Feldeinsamkeit, The New River, Minnelied, Romanzo (di Central Park).