Earl Hawley Robinson was a composer, arranger and folk music singer-songwriter from Seattle, Washington. Robinson is remembered for his music, including the cantata "Ballad for Americans" and songs such as "Joe Hill" and "Black and White", which expressed his left-leaning political views. He wrote many popular songs and music for Hollywood films, including his collaboration with Lewis Allan on the 1940s hit "The House I Live In" from the Academy Award winning film of the same name. He was a member of the Communist Party from the 1930s to the 1950s.
Robinson (left) and Paul Robeson at rehearsal for the first "Ballad for Americans" performance in 1939.
Bing Crosby, Ballad for Americans (Decca Records 1940)
A cantata is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir.
Soloquartet and strings