Lizz Wright Gospel

On her return to Prague, Lizz Wright performs a special programme of the music which resonates most deeply with her: gospel.

For Lizz Wright, the return to gospel is a return to a childhood filled with music. Her father, a priest and church choirmaster, shared his musical passion with both his flock in Hahira, Georgia, and his family at home. Lizz quickly learned not only to carry a melody, but also how to sing second, third, and other backing vocal parts in traditional arrangements of spiritual songs. Sharing the art of gospel with her audience is a natural step for Wright, who has become known for bringing together forms such as folk, blues, jazz, and r n' b in her work.

Lizz Wright's debut album Salt was released 18 years ago and was highly praised for its eclectic yet coherent mix of styles. The follow-up, Dreaming Wide Awake, enjoyed a long stay at the top of the Billboard Top Contemporary Jazz chart. Wright has maintained a remarkably consistent level of quality across subsequent albums The Orchard, Fellowship, Freedom & Surrender a Grace, and from record to record her gospel DNA has come increasingly to the fore. Her sound has gradually developed from r n' b-jazz to an even more authentic form of expression rooted in traditional Afro-American spiritual music, and she continues to take an engaged stance on some of the key questions facing society.

Lizz Wright's return to Prague following her triumphant Strings of Autumn concert – as well as her return to her gospel roots – is not to be missed.

Schermer Meeting Hall

American jazz and gospel singer Lizz Wright will perform in this live and intimate concert. Dinner and drinks will be available à la carte for an additional fee.

Acclaimed vocalist Lizz Wright is a steward of American music bringing brilliant color and vibrancy to singular original works and compositions by some of the greatest songwriters of our time. Wright has garnered widespread attention as one of the most venerable popular singers of her generation through the release of five critically acclaimed albums. From her breakout Verve debut album Salt, Wright lives life filled with beautiful possibilities centered on the power of song.

Through an inimitable voice that The New York Times touts as, “a smooth, dark alto possessed of qualities you might associate with barrel-aged bourbon or butter-soft leather,” Wright sings with a soaring reflection of the cultural fabric of America. She lies beneath the script of human history transcending social divides with an offer of love and deep sense of humanity. Her music accepts the beauty of reality and a collective experience of belonging. For the listener, Wright’s songs embody a tradition that allows us to always feel at home, wherever we might be physically or emotionally.