On the Delos CD 'Great Day!' Indra Thomas sings spirituals with both fervor and vocal refinement

[Great Day! Indra Thomas Sings Spirituals; Indra Thomas, soprano; Sandra Lutters, piano; Delos DE 3427 (2012)]

Shorter University of Rome, Georgia is a Baptist institution which announced on October 25, 2012 that Indra Thomas would give a free concert of samples of the music on Great Day! On Nov. 2, 2012:

“October 25, 2012 - Internationally acclaimed soprano Indra Thomas will debut selections from her new CD, Great Day! Indra Thomas Sings Spirituals, during an upcoming concert at Shorter University. The event will be held Friday, Nov. 2, at 7:30 p.m. in Brookes Chapel and is open to the public at no charge.

“Thomas, a 1993 graduate of Shorter, has built a successful career performing in operas around the globe. She is considered one of the foremost Aida in the world today, having recently performed the role during a nationally televised performance in France, with the Hamburgische Staatsoper, at the Bregenz Festival in Austria, at the Palau De Les Arts Reina Sofia in Valencia, Spain, and at the Avignon Music Festival. She made her New York recital debut during the 2010-2011 season at Weill Recital Hall.”

On October 30, 2012 AfriClassical posted: “'Great Day! Indra ThomasSings Spirituals' on Delos CD.” Lindsay Koob writes the liner notes of the recording:

“While the spirituals in this album are rendered by a single soloist, the 'call-and-response' style (with rhythmic clapping) is an additional feature of 'Great Day' (track 15), in which Ms. Thomas's lines are intermittently echoed by a vocal trio. 'Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho' (tr 6) and 'Witness' (tr 10) stand as examples of both the manic African dance influence as well as high-energy biblical storytelling.”

The notes tell us that messages other than religion, including earthly liberation from captivity, can be seen in several of the songs, including Steal Away, Deep River, Sometimes I Feel l a Motherless Child and There is a Balm in Gilead. The notes also explain: “Indra Thomas, a minister's daughter, was born and raised in Atlanta, GA. Her mother, a gifted amateur singer, served as young Indra's first voice teacher, introducing her to spirituals at an early age.”

The performances of Indra Thomas on Great Day! reflect both the emotional fervor and the refined professionalism of an accomplished operatic soprano who grew up singing traditional African American spirituals. We were not surprised when Megan Mashburn posted this comment on AfriClassical on November 2, 2012:

“I am so excited about this recording! I have heard Ms. Thomas perform live, which was a truly moving, enriching experience. She is one of my favorite singers. She always sings with such clarity and passion, taking the listener to a place of intimacy and joy!

“I'm buying a copy of this recording for myself and friends and family for gifts. This is definitely something I do not want to miss out on!”

[Henry Thacker Burleigh (1866-1949) and Margaret Allison Bonds (1913-1972) are profiled at AfriClassical.com, which features a comprehensive Works List and a Bibliography for each composer by Prof. Dominique-René de Lerma, www.CasaMusicaledeLerma.com Burleigh arranged Give Me Jesus; Deep River; Steal Away; and There Is A Balm in Gilead. Bonds arranged He's Got the Whole World in His Hands.]

Disclosure: A review copy of this recording was provided by the record label.

Comment by email:
Thank you so much Mr. Zick. I saw the review and loved it. All the best! Peace and love!  Indra  [Indra Thomas]