If the name John Holiday sounds familiar, you might have caught him on season 19 of NBC's The Voice, a vocal competition television series. Next week we will talk more about “the crossover” (when opera singers crossover from opera to other genres); however, today, we are going to focus on an important piece this countertenor (the highest male adult singing voice) performed with Opera Philadelphia in 2017.

Today we’re listening to…

"Love is the only word sweeter than black", an excerpt from Daniel Bernard Roumain’s contemporary opera We Shall Not Be Moved at Opera Philadelphia, with countertenor John Holiday. The opera We Shall Not Be Moved revisits the story of the 1985 bombing of the MOVE house in Philadelphia and that events’ impact on Philadelphia’s youth. Joyous, lyrical, and transcendent are the words that come to mind after hearing this piece.

🎧 Listen here (2 minute listen), Opera Philadelphia World Premiere, 2017, We Shall Not Be Moved, mus…