Like jazz, the spiritual is an American creation. Whether melancholy or joyous, the spiritual speaks with the voice of power and hope. Black and white spirituals go back at least to the early 1800s, our departure point for this journey. Using music as our vehicle, we’ll move from the Second Great Awakening through the end of the Civil War, and into our own century. You’ll hear many of the grand old African-American spirituals by Hall Johnson, Work, and others, along with new standards by Moses Hogan and Brazeal Dennard. We’ll also take you to Appalachia for haunting white-gospel music, and bring you Peter Saltzman’s up-tempo blues arrangement of Go Down, Moses. Renew your spirits with this uniquely American art form. Steal away to this perfect concert for spring!

Jonathan Miller

Music Director and Bass