A hymn worth hearing again
Hot on the heels of the Empire re-release of Dirt Under His Nails, Peg Luke is back with something gentler. “Lord, I Want to Be a Christian” is a duet with her husband, Jack Luke. It takes an old spiritual that many people sing on autopilot and makes it worth hearing again.
The big decision is rhythmic. Luke lifts the hymn out of its usual four-count and sets it in three, a soft waltz sway that changes the whole temperature of the song. That lilt gives the words room to breathe. The refrain of “in my heart, in my heart” starts to feel like a prayer said under the breath, repeated until it sinks in.
The voices do quiet, steady work. Peg and Jack blend the way people do after years of singing in the same kitchen, comfortable and unshowy. When they reach “Lord, I want to be more loving,” it plays like a confession shared between two people who know each other’s flaws, which is the heart of the old spiritual anyway.
The release caps a strong stretch for Peg Luke. She was recently welcomed into the Recording Academy’s Class of 2026. “I am humbled and thrilled all at the same time,” she said. She also has a classical side many fans don’t know about: “I am a classical flutist as well and have played 11 sold-out concerts at Carnegie Hall in NYC.”
This is a small record in the best way. One change of meter and a second voice take a hymn people know by heart and let them feel it in their heart again.
