GRAMMY Award–winning baritone Kenneth Overton and pianist Elizabeth Hill come together in The Living Spiritual, a powerful recording that reclaims the African American spiritual as a living, breathing art form. Released November 14 on Navona Records, this highly anticipated album is a groundbreaking project featuring 23 arrangements of African American spirituals by 23 living Black composers. The recording also includes spoken-word texts by Nathaniel E. Thompson and stirring string contributions from members of the American Spiritual Ensemble String Quartet.
In November, I had the privilege of hosting Overton’s CD release party fireside chat, where the audience and I were treated to live performances of several tracks from the album. In our conversation, Overton described the spiritual as “the heartbeat of America,” and this project makes that truth unmistakably clear. Rooted in history yet resonant in the present, The Living Spiritual highlights the genre’s enduring emotional, cultural, and musical significance. Central to Overton’s vision was the decision to commission living Black composers, each tasked with honoring tradition while creating something contemporary and forward-looking—and they delivered.
The composer roster alone is remarkable, particularly given that Overton had not previously worked with many of them. My first full listen to the album was deeply emotional. I clapped, cried, remembered, prayed, and celebrated—it was a beautiful ride. B. E. Boykin’s delicate piano writing in Mary Had a Baby, paired with the richness of Overton’s baritone, left me feeling full. Joseph Joubert’s He’ll Bring It to Pass transported me straight back to the wooden pews and floors of my grandparents’ church down South, while Damien Geter’s mashup of Give Me Jesus / Over My Head was nothing short of brilliant.
Overton’s commanding yet deeply nuanced baritone brings clarity and expressive depth to each selection, revealing the profound humanity at the heart of these songs. Elizabeth Hill is an equally compelling partner, shaping accompaniments that honor tradition while allowing space for her own individuality and artistry. I especially loved how composers such as Joe Williams and Kyle B. Wooten created moments that allowed Hill to shine just as brightly as Overton.
Overton hopes this album will introduce new listeners to the spiritual and inspire young artists to discover both these composers and the breadth of their musical catalogues. Together, Overton and Hill present performances that feel both intimate and expansive—honoring the spiritual’s origins while affirming its place on today’s concert stage. The Living Spiritual invites listeners to engage with this repertoire not as a relic of the past, but as a vital, evolving expression of faith, resilience, and hope. I, for one, hope to experience The Living Spiritual live on a concert stage near us very soon.
