On July 17, 2026, PENTATONE will release ‘Over My Head,’ the debut album of noted countertenor John Holiday.
Joined by pianist and collaborator Kevin Miller, the album blends styles such as spirituals, art song, and contemporary works as it explores themes of expression, identity, and hope. The playlist draws from artists including Hall Johnson, Robert L. Morris, H. Leslie Adams, along with arrangements by Holiday himself, and world premiere recordings of music by Theo Morrison and Carlos Simon.
“If you are in search of love, beauty, peace, or comfort in the midst of heartache” begins Holiday in the album booklet, “my sincerest hope is that this album serves as a beacon of light, guiding you toward those experiences. I find my truest happiness on stage, pouring my heart out to my audience, and with ‘Over My Head,’ I aimed to recreate that connection.” Heard as a whole, the program unfolds as a personal journey through devotion, longing, memory, grief, and consolation, culminating in a final gesture of grace.”
Ahead of the album release, there will be digital single releases for Holiday’s arrangement of ‘Strange Fruit’ on May 22, and Theo Morrison’s ‘I Hear an Army Charging Upon the Land’ on June 26.