Anthem of Praise: A Salute to Richard Smallwood - April 19, 2024

Join us for an evening celebrating the music of Richard Smallwood. Gospel luminaries Tramaine Hawkins, Karen Clark Sheard, BeBe Winans, The Walls Group, John Holiday, and Joseph Joubert will join forces with Smallwood’s ensemble Vision and a New Haven-area community choir to resound some of the most treasured pieces of contemporary gospel music, including “Angels,” “Bless The Lord,” “Secret Place,” “Thank You,” and “Total Praise.” Through these standard-setting compositions, unforgettable piano solos, and a lifetime of musical generosity, Smallwood’s multi-faceted artistry has made an indelible mark on the gospel music industry. His creativity and diversity in music have earned him numerous accolades, including the prestigious Dove Awards and a Grammy. Smallwood’s catalog blends multiple streams of musical traditions–spirituals, lined-hymns, gospel, diverse popular genres and Western classical music–building from them a powerful synthesis of art and inspiration. Flowing from a compelling story of struggle and triumph, these songs have, for so many, been a balm in Gilead. Join us at College Street Music Hall in New Haven to salute this living legend. The event is being presented by the ISM’s Interdisciplinary Program in Music and the Black Church and is cosponsored by the following schools and departments at Yale: Degraffenreidt Resource Fund and 320Y Fund, Faculty of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Office, Yale Divinity School, Yale School of Music, Department of Religious Studies, Department of English, Department of Music, Department of African American Studies, Whitney Humanities Center, Theater and Performance Studies, and the Yale Schwarzman Center.