A Credit to his Calling> Accomplished baritone to perform around state in Arcady series

When Roosevelt Andre Credit sings, he’s a baritone. So when he performs traditional spirituals, as he will next week with local pianist John Haskell at Arcady Music Festival venues around the area, it sounds as if the music is coming from somewhere rich and deep in the earth.

But when Credit starts talking about the fun he has as a musician, the baritone is pushed out by a glee that’s much higher in register.

Like when he talks about the Broadway wonder Audra McDonald, whom he met in workshops for last year’s musical “Marie Christine.”

“Audra is phenomenal! Whew! She can SING!” he said on the phone from his Manhattan apartment.

Or when he talks about touring in Japan with Masanobou Ikemiya, Arcady’s director, who’s crazy for ragtime music.

“His energy is just — oh my gosh! In Japan, he’s an icon. Everybody just loves him. It’s like going around with the president. He’s just a ball of fire,” said Credit.

But the best is when Credit talks about Maine, where he performed for the first time last summer. Not only did he tour the sights of Bar Harbor, but he ate lobster sitting on a seaside deck.

“Maine is one of the most beautiful places on earth,” said Credit, who grew up in Oakland, Calif. “And those lobsters and crabs — it was hysterical. That’s just some of the greatest food and I’ll tell you we just ate and ate. You can’t beat it with a stick. It was a real dose of hometown.”

For all his giddiness about good times, Credit is a serious vocalist, especially when it comes to liturgical music. Yes, he has sung at Lincoln Center, alongside Wynton Marsalis and other top jazzers. And he has performed on Broadway in “Show Boat.” He’s even done a variety of TV and advertising stints as an actor.

But his career has been steadily dedicated to singing in and directing church choirs. During his academic career — a degree in music education from Oregon State University and master’s degrees in opera performance and conducting from Northwestern University — Credit made his living singing in churches.

“I’ve been in church since birth,” he said.

The concerts in Maine will include spirituals such as “Swing Low Sweet Chariot,” “Amazing Grace,” and “Wade in the Water.”

Credit plans to perform one of his signature show tunes, “Muddy Water” from “Big River,” as well as the Fats Waller piece “Your Feets Too Big.” He will also be speaking with school groups. In addition to his work as a singer and vocal coach, he regularly gives motivational speeches to young people.

“I tell them if they want a career in music, they should go for it,” said Credit, who also composes jazzy, contemporary Christian music. “It’s a very glamorous lifestyle and what audiences see is a polished performance. But what they don’t see, which I talk about, is all the preparation and all the other work you have to do to support yourself during the times when you don’t have a job but still have to make ends meet.”

Still, Credit encourages young people to celebrate their artistic gifts.

“We’ve been given some type of talent,” he said. “It’s a special thing and it should be nurtured even if you don’t pursue it professionally. The discipline helps develop your psyche and helps you deal with people and gets you through tough times. You have to go through all the emotions because it’s all in the music.”

Credit’s own talents have carried him across the world. While his Baptist roots are his bedrock — “Yeah, yeah, I’m religious and that’s how I get through life,” he said — the singing has been a more public mission in the world.

“It’s the most universal language,” he said. “I can go to Japan or anywhere without speaking a word of the language. And when I sing, it still touches people’s hearts.”

Arcady Music Festival will present Roosevelt Andre Credit, with pianist John Haskell, and Arcady Youth players, 3 p.m. April 9 at College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor; 7 p.m. April 10 at the Unitarian Universalist church in Bangor; 7 p.m. April 11 at the Congregational church in Dover-Foxcroft; and 7 p.m. April 14 at Stearns High School in Millinocket. For information, call 288-3151 or 288-2141.