On Friday, July 17, 2026, PENTATONE releases Over My Head, the debut album from acclaimed countertenor John Holiday. The album brings together spirituals, contemporary works, and art song in a program shaped by faith, love, and individuality. Joined by pianist and close collaborator Kevin miller, Holiday traverses a musical landscape of works by Hall Johnson, Robert L. Morris, H. Leslie Adams, world premiere recordings of music by Theo Morrison and Carlos Simon, and arrangements by Holiday himself.
Holiday writes in the album booklet, "If you are in search of love, beauty, peace, or comfort in the midst of heartache, my sincerest hope is that this album serves as a beacon of light, guiding you toward those experiences. I find my truest happiness on stage, pouring my heart out to my audience, and with Over My Head, I aimed to recreate that connection." Heard as a whole, the program unfolds as a personal journey through devotion, longing, memory, grief, and consolation, culminating in a final gesture of grace.
The album opens with Hall Johnson's I'm Gonter Tell God All O' My Troubles and unfolds through a wide-ranging program of Theo Morrison's James Joyce settings; three world premieres by Carlos Simon in the freeform "vocalise" style; Robert L. Morris's Lyric Suite; Holiday's own arrangements of Fly Me to the Moon, Summertime, Strange Fruit, and Over My Head and Amazing Grace; and four songs by H. Leslie Adams: Prayer, The Heart of a Woman, Night Song, and Sence You Went Away. Together, these works honor a rich musical lineage while illuminating Holiday's singular voice as both interpreter and curator. Reflecting the breadth of an artist equally at home in opera, recital, American song, and contemporary repertoire, Over My Head offers both a deeply personal statement and a distinctive contribution to the recorded vocal canon.
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