John Holiday: Tiny Desk Concert

Tom Huizenga | October 15, 2024 Upon meeting countertenor John Holiday in the NPR lobby, I was immediately tasked with carrying his awesome spangly boots (he brought two pairs) up to our Tiny Desk space. Other arms, including his husband’s, were occupied with clothing and various necessities. The boots reflect Holiday’s sparkling personality — a captivating blend of determination, wit and clear-eyed optimism. These qualities helped propel him into celebrity status, not only in the final rounds of NBC’s The Voice, where he was championed by John Legend, but also in opera houses the world over. While Holiday has made a name for himself in classical music, he says his goal is to be a bridge between the many genres of music he sings. And in this set he gives us a pretty wide range, including an elegant, Bach-inflected French art song, a regal opera aria by Handel, a moving traditional spiritual and the devastating jazz song “Strange Fruit,” made famous by Billie Holiday. “It’s not a feel good son