Newsome, a former coal miner who has black lung disease, started singing when he joined a church in 1963. His sings a cappella in a lined-out hymn style — one of America's oldest music traditions.

Julianna Barwick owes a lot of her music to the church. The singer and composer grew up in rural Louisiana, where she’d attend services three times a week and sing a cappella hymns with the rest of ...