Overview

The album is a deeply felt collection of religious songs sung with proper reverence by the 22 year old singer. The album is noteworthy for a number of reasons. Firstly, it is unlike any of Mathis' other studio albums in that it is made up solely of religious music. Although he would include some religious music on his subsequent holiday albums, this is the only time in his career that he would release an album exclusively of this genre. Secondly, this is the first album to feature Mathis singing classical music, notably the works of Gounod and Schubert. Further, Mathis sings songs that represent a number of faiths and in a number of languages, showing his range and versatility as a singer. Finally, the album inspired Barbra Streisand

Barbra Streisand

Barbra Joan Streisand is an American singer, actress, film producer and director. She has won two Academy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Special Tony Award, an American Film Institute award, a Peabody Award, and is one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy,...

 in selecting songs for her 1997 album Higher Ground. Streisand, a longtime Mathis fan, included both "Deep River

Deep River

-Rivers:* The Deep River , a minor tributary of the English River in the United States* The Deep River , in the United States* The Deep River , a minor tributary of the Columbia River in the U.S...

" and "One God" on her album, songs she first heard as sung by Mathis on this album.

Track listing

1. "Good Night, Dear Lord" - 3:30
2. "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot
   Swing Low, Sweet Chariot
   "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" is a historic African-American spiritual. The first recording was in 1909, by the Fisk Jubilee Singers of Fisk University....
   
   " - 3:48
3. "May the Good Lord Bless and Keep You
   May the Good Lord Bless and Keep You
   "May the Good Lord Bless and Keep You" is a popular song by Meredith Willson, originally published in 1950.The song is now considered a standard, recorded by many artists....
   
   " - 3:47
4. "I Heard a Forest Praying" - 3:10
5. "The Rosary
   The Rosary
   The Rosary is a novel by Florence L. Barclay. It was first published in 1909 by G.P. Putnam's Sons and was a bestselling novel for many years running, reaching the number one spot in 1910. A recent edition published in 2002 has a new introduction by Sharon Rich and comments by Jeanette MacDonald...
   
   " - 2:21
6. "One God" - 3:48
7. "Deep River
   Deep River
   -Rivers:* The Deep River , a minor tributary of the English River in the United States* The Deep River , in the United States* The Deep River , a minor tributary of the Columbia River in the U.S...
   
   " - 2:49
8. "Where Can I Go" - 3:36
9. "Eli Eli" - 4:29
10. "Kol Nidre
    Kol Nidre
    Kol Nidre is an Aramaic declaration recited in the synagogue before the beginning of the evening service on every Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement...
    
    " - 2:56
11. "Ave Maria
    Ave Maria
    Ave Maria may refer to:*Ave Maria , the "Hail Mary", a traditional Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox prayer calling for the intercession of Mary, the mother of Jesus-Music:...
    
    " - 4:34
12. "Ave Maria
    Ave Maria
    Ave Maria may refer to:*Ave Maria , the "Hail Mary", a traditional Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox prayer calling for the intercession of Mary, the mother of Jesus-Music:...
    
    " - 2:59

Billboard album chart

The album's sales proved Mathis' continuing popularity peaking at #10 on the Billboard album chart in its original release.

External links

• [ All Music Review]