Ballad of Baby Doe: Rousing choral piece and aria.

Leadville, Colorado, 1896. A rally for Democratic presidential nominee, William Jennings Bryan, is being held. At age 36, Bryan was and remains the youngest presidential nominee of a major political party in American history. In 1893, repeal of the Sherman Silver Purchase Act caused the collapse of the silver market. Bryan's "aria" may be, in part, a reference to his Cross of Gold speech that made him an exciting new face in the Democratic party. Bryan criticized those who supported the gold standard at the expense of the average worker. Republican William McKinley supported industrial growth, high tariffs, and the gold standard. Bryan campaigned for Bimetallism and "Free Silver" at a ratio of 16:1. He made 500 speeches in 27 states, but McKinley won the electoral college vote by a margin of 271 to 176.