From: From the Heart: Three American Women
Volume: Two Remembrances
Category: Vocal Music / Art Song
Instrumentation: voice, guitar
Duration: 2 minutes
Difficulty: Intermediate
Text / Source: Words by Susan Laura Lugo
Publisher: Columbia Music

August is a bluesy song that immediately evokes the atmosphere of a sweltering afternoon on a porch, with no breeze in sight and every gesture shaped by heat. Baxter’s setting captures both the physical stillness and expressive color of the scene.

Within Two Remembrances, the song offers a vivid contrast to the reflective grief of Gone With the Wind. Its blues-inflected character gives performers an opportunity to explore mood, color, and atmosphere within a compact art song setting.

Suitable for intermediate performers, August benefits from relaxed pacing, warm tone, and a strong sense of atmosphere. The bluesy character should feel natural and evocative rather than exaggerated.