The Pacific Boychoir has become known for heartfelt and intense interpretations of music from America's roots. This is the third time the Pacific Boychoir has presented American spirituals, with director Kevin Fox being awarded a Heritage Keeper's Award from the Friends of Negro Spirituals in 2006. This concert features a half of American folk hymns, including arrangements of Hark I Hear the Harps Eternal, Wayfaring Stranger, and the tunes Resignation and Land of Rest. The second half features African-American spirituals for which the choir has been heralded on tour around the world.
Baritone Jonathon Hampton delivers a rich and moving vocal performance of traditional African-American Spirituals, sacred and secular songs on slavery, salvation, and soulful inspiration. As a soloist and/or with choir, he sings and teaches about these emotional and powerful pieces, including work songs, call-and-response, folk and concert Spirituals. His voice resonates with the passion and power of his ancestral roots, resulting in exceptional beauty and unique presence that has been heard and acclaimed throughout South Africa, Russia, China, Brazil, France, Argentina, the Baltics, and across the United States. Hampton has also recorded with the early music quartet Conflitti di Voci, the American Boychoir Alumni Chorus and the Trinity Choir of Trinity Wall Street. He has also sung with such acclaimed ensembles as Early Music New York and the choirs of St. Thomas Fifth Avenue, St. Mary the Virgin and St. John the Divine. Hampton performs regularly with the choir of Grace Church in Newark where he is also Director of Choristers.
