Sunday’s Outlander episode reminded me of how much I love Samuel Barber’s music. It also completely yanked me out of the story, so that was unfortunate. But back to Samuel Barber. I never met a suspension I didn’t love—let alone open fourths and fifths—so his music always grips, moves, and transports me to that place only the arts can take you. So if you loved Adagio for Strings, listen to this and follow Agee’s text here (which he wrote in ninety minutes). 

Knoxville: Summer of 1915
Music by Samuel Barber
Text by James Agee

Recording:
Renée Fleming, Soprano
Aspen Festival, Lawrence Foster, conductor, Aug. 21, 1993