Evergreen Music Artists has released 'America the Beautiful (250th Jubilee)' to Christian radio. Arranged by Kevin Toqe and co-produced by Kevin Toqe and Nicholas Harral, the recording brings together three original verses of the enduring American hymn with a newly written fourth verse by Hope Toqe, offering a prophetic plea for grace, unity, healing, and renewal as the nation commemorates its 250th anniversary.
The recording features four lead vocalists from across the country - Jared Kline, Kenny Munshaw, Mehki Key, and Kevin Toqe - along with the sound of a children’s... Read MoreEvergreen Music Artists has released 'America the Beautiful (250th Jubilee)' to Christian radio. Arranged by Kevin Toqe and co-produced by Kevin Toqe and Nicholas Harral, the recording brings together three original verses of the enduring American hymn with a newly written fourth verse by Hope Toqe, offering a prophetic plea for grace, unity, healing, and renewal as the nation commemorates its 250th anniversary.
The recording features four lead vocalists from across the country - Jared Kline, Kenny Munshaw, Mehki Key, and Kevin Toqe - along with the sound of a children’s choir, an intentional choice designed to represent the breadth of the nation through many voices singing together. Musically, the arrangement blends gospel and Americana influences with a vintage R&B feel while preserving the familiar character of “America the Beautiful.”
The hymn traces its roots to a melody written by Samuel A. Ward on a ferry in New York Harbor and a poem penned by Katharine Lee Bates after visiting Pikes Peak, two works that eventually came together as “America the Beautiful.”
More than a celebration of the country’s natural beauty, Bates’ words carry the language of prayer. The familiar verses ask God to “mend thine every flaw,” refine the nation’s character, and crown its good “with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea.” That prayerful foundation provides the bridge to the fourth verse, which turns toward the divisions of the present day and asks God for healing.
Released to streaming outlets on September 11, the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the recording honors those who lost their lives, those who served, and the families and communities forever affected by that day. Its release also comes as the United States marks its 250th anniversary year in 2026, bringing remembrance of the past together with an appeal for unity, healing, and hope for the nation’s future.
Evergreen Music Artists is a nonprofit organization based in Bluffton, South Carolina, led by CEO and Director of Pastoral Care Kevin Toqe. Through “America the Beautiful (250th Jubilee),” the organization presents the familiar hymn not simply as a reflection on the nation’s past, but as a continuing prayer for what America can become.
