American Spiritual Ensemble

Founded by Everett McCorvey, Music Worcester’s 2026 Artist in Residence, American Spiritual Ensemble performs across the world celebrating the roots of American music – the Negro Spiritual. Negro spirituals are folksongs that emerged in the American South and were passed through oral tradition, shared in and outside the church. An element of the spiritual that lives on is the use of “call-and-response” (when singers repeat the leader’s sung lines) in music. While some spirituals use biblical imagery and reference, others don’t; the history of this music is rooted in strength, the search for freedom, and community.

Join Music Worcester in celebrating the roots of Negro Spirituals and the premiere of Artist-in-Residence Everett McCorvey.