Now all but forgotten, the songs of Sidney Homer (1864-1953) were at one time well-regarded and often performed. Married to the great American contralto Louise Homer, he was in a unique position to have his songs performed by the great artists of the time. Unlike the cloying "parlor songs" of many of his contemporaries, his works consistently demonstrate a respect for both the great poets as well as the European art-song tradition. One of the most cosmopolitan of the American composers of his day, his involvement with Louise's career brought him into contact with many of the great composers and performers of the day including Massenet, Puccini, Humperdinck, Mahler, Toscanini and Caruso. When viewed in their entirety, his songs reveal not only a tremendous variety, but also the maturation of his compositional style.

The lecture recital was given on August 5, 1976. Subsequent to a presentation of some pertinent background material, diverse influences on the compositional styles of five representative composers of the period were discussed. Nine songs by Edward MacDowell, Charles Loeffler, Sidney Homer, John Alden Carpenter, and Charles Griffes were interspersed as musical illustrations. In addition to the lecture recital, three other public recitals were performed. The first solo recital was presented on July 26, 1973, and included works by Johann Sebastian Bach, Richard Strauss, and Wolfgang Fortner. The second solo recital, given on December 3, 1973, was comprised of works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Jacques Ibert, Arrigo Boito, and Modeste Moussorgsky. The third solo recital (with Miss Jo Ann Pickens assisting), was presented on June 26, 1974, and included works by Thomas Arne, Richard Wagner, Johannes Brahms, Benjamin Godard, Giuseppe Verdi, and Carlisle Floyd.