Opera soprano Jacqueline Echols lifted her voice in the gospel anthem “For Every Mountain,” with a sound as pure as crystal. Backed by a 48-voice choir and an instrumental combo, the song of praise soon intensified. Echols’s vocal melismas reached into the stratosphere in an astonishing display of artistry and emotion. When she modulated up a step, Music Hall’s audience was in ecstasy.
A number of African American opera singers grew up singing gospel in their church. Morris Robinson’s…
