The American Spiritual Ensemble was founded in 1995 by Everett McCorvey to keep the American Negro spiritual alive. The singers, many of whom are soloists in their own right, perform classic spirituals, opera, jazz, and Broadway tunes highlighting the black experience in concerts around the world. They often integrate dance into their performances, as they did on In Performance.
The ensemble has appeared throughout the United States, Europe, and South America and has toured Spain nine times. Founder Everett McCorvey holds an endowed professorship in voice and is director of the Opera Theatre at the University of Kentucky in Lexington.
Singing for In Performance were McCorvey, Alfonse Anderson, Kimberly V. Anderson, Gregory Broughton, Angela Brown, Doris Brown, Jeryl Cunningham, Calesta Day, Keith Dean, Earl Hazell, Lisa Hornung, Andrea Jones, Hope Koehler, LaToya Lain, Albert R. Lee, Ricky Little, Tay Seals, Ben Smolder, Phumzile Sojola, Sherry Warsh, Ervy Whitaker, Bradley Williard, and Amira Young. They were joined by dancer Peggy Stamps and accompanied by Tedrin Blair Lindsay on piano.
