Spiritual Sketches

SPIRITUAL SKETCHES Grammy nominated composer, pianist and conductor Damien Sneed teamed with world-renowned operatic tenor Lawrence Brownlee to create Spiritual Sketches, a compilation of fresh arrangements of traditional spirituals. The album, released June 11 through LeChateau Earl Records, blends gospel, classical and jazz elements. The songs pull from the historical legacies of composers such as Harry T. Burleigh, Hall Johnson, Margaret Bonds and Moses Hogan while including elements of American jazz music and gospel music from the African-American church experience. The album is simultaneously a re-imagining of, and a love letter to, a traditional art form. The original arrangements made their debut at Carnegie Hall in March as part of Brownlee’s solo recital tour. Already Sneed and Brownlee have performed the arrangements for audiences in Asheville, Cincinnati and New York City. On Sunday, the pair performed selections from the arrangements at the Abyssinian Baptist Church and the Apple Store in New York City. Spiritual Sketches features original arrangements of Every Time I Feel The Spirit, Deep River, Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child, Sinner Please Don’t Let This Harvest Pass, Down By The Riverside, Soon I Will Be Done, There Is A Balm In Gilead, Come By Here, Here’s One and All Night, All Day. Already All Night, All Day has received rave reviews and is being positioned as the standout among the compilation of 10 traditional spirituals. The song has been met with standing ovations at each performance and the New York Times called the arrangement “striking” – a testament to its brilliance. About Lawrence Brownlee The most in-demand American tenor in the world in the bel canto repertoire, Lawrence Brownlee continues to stupefy audiences with the power and agility of his instrument. From firmly American roots, Brownlee has become a star on the international scene, performing opposite the leading ladies of contemporary opera, and lauded continually for the seemingly effortless beauty of his voice. Brownlee was named the Seattle Opera’s 2008 Artist of the Year, received the Opera Company of Philadelphia’s 2007 Alter Award for Artistic Excellence, and was the winner of both the 2006 Marian Anderson and Richard Tucker Awards, a feat never before achieved by any artist in the same year. He participated in young artist programs at both the Seattle and Wolf Trap Operas. The Ohio-born Brownlee received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Anderson University and a Master of Music degree from Indiana University. Learn more at lawrencebrownlee.com. About Damien Sneed Damien Sneed — an acclaimed conductor, pianist, and composer — was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2010 for his extensive work on Vickie Winans’ album, How I Got Over, which received two Stellar awards. Sneed also released his own album, Introspections Live, in January 2011. In addition to serving as musical director for Sunday Best IV, Sneed has also served as music director for gospel legends Karen Clark-Sheard, Vickie Winans, Kim Burrell, Dorinda Clark-Cole, Kierra Sheard, the Clark Sisters, Richard Smallwood, Donnie McClurkin, Marvin Sapp and many more. Not only has he worked in gospel, Sneed’s music palette also spans into the jazz and classical arenas. The Howard University School of Music and New York University graduate also performed with other artists including Stevie Wonder, Carlos Santana, David Sanborn and Fantasia Barrino, among many others. The talented Sneed has also performs regularly with the legendary Wynton Marsalis – one of the highlights of the musical director’s career. He has also been afforded many opportunities to perform with Opera great and Augusta native Jessye Norman, who is an inspiration to Sneed. Learn more about Damien Sneed at damiensneed.com. .

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