Gospel powerhouse inspires Rowan audience

The weather might have been frigid, but the energy bursting from inside Pfleeger Concert Hall last Sunday could’ve melted the mountains of snow that lay outside. In a dynamic, explosive and wonderfully moving evening of spiritual song and music, world-class composer, pianist and arranger Richard Smallwood proved that gospel music not only warms the heart but sets the soul on fire.
Smallwood, a Grammy winner whose gospel albums have earned him 87 weeks on Billboard’s gospel chart and praise from the Smithsonian Institution, performed with his choir, Vision, in front of an energetic, receptive and emotional crowd Jan. 21 at Glassboro Center for the Arts’ first event of the new year.
There was clapping, shouting and praying. Some audience members wept; others clutched their neighbors and passed along a hug. Arms waved and lips mouthed the lyrics. What no one did was sit still-that would’ve been impossible. With all the power and emotion emanating from the stage, sitting was out of the question.
A powerhouse behind both the microphone and piano, Smallwood made it clear that the performance was more than just amusement. “If you came to be entertained,” he told the audience, “you might as well go home and watch HBO.” Cheers rang through the crowd, and everyone agreed that the night’s celebration was about praising God and appreciating His work.
Smallwood’s set ranged from songs that stirred the heart to songs that stirred the entire body. One such musical extravaganza was “Faith,” a hip-hop-inspired beat that pulled audience members to their feet as the choir proclaimed, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, nothing is impossible.”
An equally emotional, yet more reflective piece, was “Healing,” an inspirational ballad about God’s way of healing the soul. Written by Smallwood for a friend who lost both parents within four weeks of each other, “Healing” moved the crowd to gentle swaying, tears and graceful hand gestures that followed the choir’s words.
Smallwood captured the crowd with his songs, but his inspirational sermon-like interludes also generated applause. “Some of the deepest hurt, pain and depression is found right in church,” Smallwood noted. “I don’t know if that’s true in New Jersey!” Throughout the night, Smallwood encouraged audience members to remember that “God is the healer of the soul, the spirit and the heart.”
Revving the crowd before Smallwood’s appearance were two local gospel choirs, The New John Howard Gospel Caravan, directed by Rev. Charles R. Lyles, and John Howard Jr. and the End of Time Levites, directed by Rowan graduate John Howard, Jr.
Juanita Steele, an administrative assistant in the President’s office at Rowan, is a member of the Gospel Caravan, as well as its director of management. “[Gospel music] is about salvation, knowing the Lord Jesus Christ, healing and getting people to realize they can go to someone in times of trouble,” she explained. “It’s a type of comfort we deliver to people through music.”