Commissioned by the Hyde Park Jazz Festival in collaboration with the Reva & David Logan Center for the Arts for the Festival’s 20th Anniversary, Held Together is a new work by saxophonist and composer Greg Ward inspired by the music of the Black church and the community that first shaped him as a musician. 

Ward's earliest musical experiences took place at New Hope International Ministries in Peoria, Illinois, where he spent countless hours immersed in worship services led by his uncle, Kenneth Ward, and later by his father, Greg Ward Sr. The church's music ministry featured a powerful choir, a dynamic band, and a congregation that actively participated through singing, clapping, dancing, shouting, and prayer. The music itself was remarkably expansive, ranging from blues-infused and meditative to joyful, sorrowful, and deeply expressive, creating an environment where music functioned not only as artistic expression but also as a force that held people together. 

At the age of three, Ward began performing in a family gospel group led by his uncle, learning songs and intricate vocal arrangements entirely by ear. By age eleven, he had joined the church band on saxophone, performing regularly alongside his father, who assumed leadership of the music department after Kenneth Ward's passing. Ward remained an active participant in this musical community throughout his formative years, performing nearly every week until he left for college. 

Although his professional career eventually led him into the worlds of jazz, improvised music, and composition, the sounds and practices of the church remained foundational to his artistic identity. In 2022, during a fellowship at Ragdale, Ward began a focused exploration of these musical roots. He continued this research during a sabbatical in 2025 and is currently engaged in a process of gathering family histories, personal memories, and oral accounts connected to the church communities of Peoria and Chicago that shaped his earliest musical experiences. These conversations will continue throughout the development of the project and will help inform the work's final form. 

Drawing from personal memory, oral history, and the broader traditions of gospel music, Held Together reflects on the ways communities are sustained through shared experiences, collective memory, and song. Through original compositions and lyrics created collaboratively by Ward and vocalist Brianna Thomas, the work seeks to capture the emotional breadth, communal spirit, and sense of belonging that shaped Ward's earliest understanding of music. At its heart, Held Together is an expression of gratitude for the family, mentors, musicians, and communities whose love, faith, and commitment to one another continue to hold us together across generations. 

The premiere will feature vocalist Brianna Thomas, who will collaborate with Ward on the creation of original lyrics, trumpeter Marquis Hill, trombonist Kirby Fellis, guitarist Matt Gold, pianist Julius Tucker, bassist Runere Brooks, drummer Sam Jewell, and Greg Ward on saxophone and composition.

Supported in part by the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts Jazz Forever Fund, a gift of the Revada Foundation.