For Juneteenth - Theresa Thomason - "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" - Audio & Video - from the new Paul Winter Consort Album "Concert in the Barn"

LITCHFIELD, CT – Vocalist Theresa Thomason gives new depth to the sweet comfort of the traditional spiritual, "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot," on the new Paul Winter Consort album, Concert in the Barn, scheduled for release on June 17, 2022. Theresa Thomason takes the fabled gospel number beyond its old-time context. The song is reborn, in her performance, as a powerful, universal anthem.

Download "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" HERE.

Watch a video of Theresa Thomason performing "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" with the Paul Winter Consort on Juneteenth last year HERE.

"Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" has been one of the perennial theme songs of Juneteenth, the holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the U.S. It is said to have been a favorite spiritual of Harriet Tubman (1820 – 1911), who escaped from slavery in 1849 and risked her life to conduct hundreds of other slaves to freedom through the Underground Railroad.

Very early on the morning of Juneteenth last year, in the hills of northwest Connecticut, the Paul Winter Consort gathered in the hayloft of a barn to perform a special livestream concert in celebration of both the summer solstice and Juneteenth. Consort member Theresa Thomason sang, in the concert's finale, "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot." The recording of this thrilling performance is heard on Concert in the Barn.

Paul Winter notes, "We had never performed this song before. And the spontaneous version that Theresa Thomason and pianist Henrique Eisenmann created is, to my ears, extraordinary, perhaps one of the most iconic ever."

ABOUT THERESA THOMASON:

Theresa Thomason is a jazz and gospel vocalist whose career has spanned more than two decades of performances and recordings with the Grammy-winning Paul Winter Consort, Pete Seeger, Dream Theater, renowned conductor John Rutter, actor and activist Ruby Dee, jazz group FRENS, and many others. She has toured for over 25 years in the most hallowed theaters of Europe and even performed at the Vatican in 2005. Thomason continues to expand her range, style, and creativity, and has her own acclaimed musical production called The Sisterhood.

Thomason began her long career in the 1990s by reaching the airwaves with "Fresh Enuff," a popular club single, and a winning performance at the Apollo Theater in New York City. Along with the aforementioned collaborations, she also has a stunning acoustic-gospel solo album called Ten Hymns that showcases her dynamism and range. Beyond concerts, she has graced Broadway in the musical Hot Feet, which was conceived, choreographed, and directed by Maurice Hines and features the music of Earth, Wind, and Fire. Decades into her career, Theresa Thomason continues to deliver jaw-dropping performances that embrace her gospel roots while speaking directly to a universal audience.