This in-depth look at some of the earliest vocal works in America combines two separate LPs from the original Recorded Anthology into a two-disc set. The first disc contains a collection of vocal music by Moravian composers from early Pennsylvanian settlements. Music was everywhere in Moravian life; picnics and outings, births and deaths, and religious ceremonies were accompanied by music and often inspired songwriters. At a time when other American congregations knew scarcely a dozen hymn melodies, the Moravians had hundreds and were constantly creating new, sophisticated harmonized chorales. When viewed against their American contemporaries, the Moravian composers stand apart by virtue of their training, craftsmanship, and experience with orchestral music.

The second disc features beautiful vocal music from the period between the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. Around this time, music was beginning to gain commercial value. Buyers wanted a good tune: memorable but consistent with melodies they already knew. The recordings on this disc are settings of works from the most popular poets of the day by the most highly regarded American composers. Featured are Benjamin Carr (Sir Walter Scott), Oliver Shaw (Thomas Moore), and George Jackson (Alexander Pope). Included is an exhaustive 40-page booklet featuring a comprehensive social analysis and complete texts.