The Philadelphia-born singer Marian Anderson (1897 - 1993) is always remembered as the first African-American interpreter to enter the elitist world of opera and an important figure in the struggle for black artists in the context of the civil rights movement. Spirituals showcases Marian Anderson as one of the most celebrated singers of the twentieth century. Her voice has been described as a rich, vibrant contralto of intrinsic beauty. Anderson, with only help from pianist Franz Rupp, gets deep in the world of Spirituals, delivering a long sequence of her favorite devotional songs interpreted with soul and grace.