This unique arrangement seamlessly blends the haunting urgency of "Wade in the Water," a song born from the legacy of slavery and the Underground Railroad, with the reflective prayerfulness of "Down to the River to Pray," a timeless hymn of repentance and spiritual renewal. Together, they create a soul-stirring journey through anguish, hope, and unshakable perseverance. This is a story of resistance and redemption, where the river is both a hiding place and a holy place.

 

Grant Maloy Smith and Kevin Lucas collaborated to create a fresh interpretation of these classics, blending world instruments like the Indian basuri and African percussion instruments with traditional American ones to represent the universal nature of the struggle for freedom.