Learned by Heart, Sung from the Heart: The New Gospelites

By Aaron Henkin

Published November 28, 2014 at 2:03 PM EST

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The New Gospelites started their vocal harmony group in the 1970's, but they’ve been singing the old hymns since they were kids at Wharton Point’s Saint George Methodist United Church on The Eastern Shore.

They've absorbed the musical style of their elders, they've made it their own, and today, they're keepers of a rare and powerful repertoire of songs in praise of The Almighty. In this special co-production of The Signal and Maryland Traditions, radio producer Aaron Henkin and folklorist Cliff Murphy pay a visit to Kent County, Maryland, to record stories and songs with The New Gospelites: Irene Moore, Hester Newman, Mary Hynson, Franklin Hynson, and James Phillips.

This episode's companion slideshow images by photographer Shane Carpenter

Here’s a link to the New Gospelites album Every Day is Sunday: A Heritage of a Capella Gospel