A song can carry a whole history without ever naming it directly and sometimes that is exactly why it heals. We sit down with Alfred Lynn Roberts, Cynthia Spann, and Dr. Beverly Chin from St. Luke Community United Methodist Church to explore the African American spiritual as a musical tradition built from faith, cultural memory, and the fight to stay human under inhuman conditions. Along the way, we unpack call and response, communal singing, and the way spirituals hold sorrow and hope in the same breath.

Then we turn to a modern choral spiritual that embodies that legacy: “I Got a Song,” arranged by composer Colin Lett. We talk about what listeners should listen for, how contemporary harmony and gospel-like layering can make an old message feel immediate, and why strong performances go beyond “getting the notes right.” When singers believe the text and tell the story, the music stops being a museum piece and becomes a living voice.

Finally, we connect spirituals to mental wellness and music therapy, including the benefits of singing for breath and oxygenation, the mental health impact of belonging to a choir, and how familiar music can unlock memory for people living with dementia. We also name an important boundary: music can be meaningful self-care, but a mental health crisis calls for professional support and real resources. If you find this conversation helpful, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find it. What song has carried you through a hard season?