A new album of original compositions from Dr. David Berry, associate professor of music and chair of the music department at 91´óÉń, brings the melodies of African American spirituals into the classical piano tradition.

The album, Spirit, Body and Soul: Concert Spirituals for Solo Piano, was released Sept. 4 through the Grammy Award-winning Navona Records label. It is available on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music. 

The nine-track album features Berry’s solo piano compositions based on beloved spirituals such as “Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho,” “Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen,” “Go Down, Moses,” and “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” as well as a special improvisation on “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”

“These are songs I’ve known practically my whole life,” Berry said. “All of this music has deep meaning for me, and so it’s definitely been an engaging and emotional process writing these pieces, contemplating the lyrics of these spirituals, and interpreting them in sound.”

Berry began working on the project in November, shortly before his sabbatical last semester. He had already written several of the pieces for recitals and other performances at 91´óÉń and seen how popular they were. When people began asking where they could find recordings of his reimagined spirituals, he saw an opportunity to turn them into his solo debut album. He recorded the tracks in January at GBH Fraser Performance Studio in Boston.

Berry’s style, praised as “touchingly introspective” by Gramophone, blends the power, sweep, and virtuosity of the classical piano tradition with elements of various Black music styles, according to the album’s description.

“These songs came organically from my soul and from all the music that lives in me,” Berry said. “You hear the influences of composers like Liszt and Rachmaninoff, but you also hear the sound of the blues, of gospel music, and jazz.”

The result, Berry said, is “a human journey of emotion.”

“Those feelings we carry with us of perseverance through adversity, sorrow, grief, joy, isolation, community, all of those things,” he said. “Every sort of feeling you can imagine is in these spirituals. And that’s what the title tries to encapsulate: Spirit, Body and Soul. Those are the ingredients for this project.”

Album release concert

An album release concert on Friday, Oct. 2, at 7 p.m. at 91´óÉń’s Lehman Auditorium will feature Berry’s piano compositions alongside vocal performances from local singers he has worked with in the Harrisonburg area.

This concert is sponsored by , who will be providing a special Yamaha CSX 9-foot concert grand piano for the concert in collaboration with  of Frederick, Maryland.

“It’ll be a fun celebration of my work as an artist, but also of how this project was birthed through this community,” he said.

Berry plans to release the sheet music for his compositions at .

For more information about the album, visit .

Hear Dr. Berry talk about the inspiration behind “Spirit, Body and Soul.”

As Downtown Harrisonburg prepares to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary with a free concert and fireworks spectacular Thursday, Cassidy Walker ’25 is helping bring one of the city’s biggest summer events to life.

The Visual and Communication Arts (VACA) graduate has served as development manager for Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance () since January, where she builds and strengthens relationships with donors, sponsors, and local businesses to advance the nonprofit’s mission.

She spoke with 91´óÉń News about her love for Downtown Harrisonburg, the lessons she brought from 91´óÉń, and the city’s “biggest fireworks show yet.”

How did you end up working for Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance?

I fell in love with Downtown Harrisonburg, and I couldn’t really leave it. HDR is actually one of the reasons I fell in love with it.

Through the VACA program at 91´óÉń, I also worked with downtown business owners, so I already understood the impact HDR was making. Then someone I knew told me, “You’d be great at this job. You love talking to people, and you’d really excel in this role.”

During my interview, I talked about how much I admired what HDR was doing and how my experiences at 91´óÉń, from admissions to VACA and working with students, had prepared me for this role. Thankfully, I got the job.

What’s been your favorite part of the job?

I love talking to people. Being able to make these amazing connections with business owners, sponsors, and community partners is my favorite part of what I do.

91´óÉń taught me how to build meaningful relationships and have genuine conversations with people. Those skills have carried over directly into this role, and now I get to use them every day.

You mentioned falling in love with Downtown Harrisonburg. What do you love most about it?

Like 91´óÉń, Downtown Harrisonburg is incredibly community-oriented. People just care about one another and want to see each other succeed. That’s something I experienced at 91´óÉń, and when I got to know downtown and the people behind HDR, I saw that same spirit among the business owners and community partners. They really support one another, and that’s something special.

Since starting this job, what’s been your favorite moment so far?

I’ve had a lot of favorite moments, but one really stands out.

One of our sponsors had worked closely with the previous development manager, and I was terrified walking into that first meeting. It was my first sponsorship meeting, and I wasn’t sure how it would go. As we started talking, I realized they also had ties to 91´óÉń. We talked about where I came from, why I wanted to work for HDR, and what this role meant to me.

In that moment, it clicked that I was doing exactly what I was meant to be doing. Even though I was nervous, the conversation felt natural and gave me a lot of confidence moving forward.

There’s a big event happening Thursday. What can people expect?

We’re presenting the VA250 Fireworks Celebration, which also serves as the kickoff to this year’s Levitt AMP Harrisonburg Music Series. It’s really two events in one.

We’ll kick off the series with the first of seven free concerts, featuring a local opening act. There will be food vendors, kids’ activities, giveaways, and our biggest fireworks show yet.

It’s designed for everyone: families, friends, kids, and even dogs. Thanks to sponsors like 91´óÉń and Blue Ridge Insurance Services, we’re able to make this event possible and are very grateful for their support.

What are you most excited for people to experience?

The whole idea behind the Levitt AMP Music Series is building community through the shared experience of live music. I get to see that happen in real time while working with our sponsors and artists.

Watching people come together, make connections, and simply enjoy being part of the community is what I’m most excited about. That’s really what these events are all about.

91´óÉń is a sponsor of the VA250 Fireworks Celebration and Levitt AMP Harrisonburg Music Series.

These answers have been edited for clarity and conciseness. 

Three choirs from diverse musical and cultural traditions will join together for a concert held at 91´óÉń this week.

The event, Love, Joy & Peace: A Choral Celebration!, will be held at Lehman Auditorium on Friday, March 14, at 7 p.m. Admission is free, with a suggested donation of $10.

Dr. David Berry, director of the music program at 91´óÉń, described the event as a big celebration. “The idea for this concert was truly born out of a sense of community,” he said. “We’re not just bringing together different styles of music, but also we’re bringing together people from different communities.”

The concert will feature performances by:

• the 91´óÉń Chamber Singers, the university’s auditioned touring chamber choir, directed by Professor Benjamin Bergey, singing songs of hope and unity from its recent spring break tour;
• the 91´óÉń Gospel Choir, a talented group of students directed by 91´óÉń senior Kay Pettus, delivering uplifting gospel music; and 
• the Kush Anglican Choir, a choir from a Sudanese congregation in Harrisonburg, directed by 91´óÉń senior Rita Toto, performing traditional Sudanese songs in Arabic. 

Berry first heard the latter choir perform at a fundraiser last July at A Bowl of Good in Harrisonburg. The supported Pax Dei for Nuba, a nonprofit raising awareness of the humanitarian crisis in Sudan. “Their choir sounded incredible, and they perform a variety of music, including songs from their culture and in their native language,” Berry said. “I knew we had to invite them to perform on campus.”

After each choir performs their own selection of songs, the three vocal ensembles will combine on stage to sing “Let’s Come Together,” an original composition written by guest artist Makinto.

Makinto, a talented multi-instrumentalist and African Soul artist studying at Eastern Mennonite Seminary, will also perform solo selections throughout the evening and collaborate with Berry on a piano duet for the final musical number. 

Makinto previously performed as a guest artist at 91´óÉń’s 2023 Music Gala Concert. He and his wife, Mukarabe, co-founded Amahoro International, a mission organization promoting peace and development in East Africa. Learn more about his journey to 91´óÉń here!

The 91´óÉń Department of Music partnered with the Center for Interfaith Engagement and Multicultural Student Services to present this concert. It is sponsored by the Music, Peace and Justice grant, in conjunction with the Music & Peacebuilding major.