The Paramount Theater on the Downtown Mall had a line out the door Friday for the Black History Month Gospel Concert featuring opening act Madison Ryann Ward and five time-Grammy Award Winner Chandler Moore. The concert — presented by the University’s Division for Community Engagement and Equal Opportunity — was rooted in Christian faith and served as a worship event as well as a musical one.
The concert opened with a short video with photo visuals and voiceover that reminded the audience of the importance of gospel music in Christian faith and the African American community. The video grounded the music in its historical context as a part of American history and emphasized how the evolution and dynamic nature of gospel over time reflects the growth of the Black community in America.
After a brief introductory video, Ward took the stage, and she began her set with her song “Amen” where she sings the Lord’s prayer followed by a chorus of “Amens” over a pop beat. Ward, an Oklahoma native and faith-based singer-songwriter, became popular after a video of her singing in a University of Oklahoma dining hall went viral on social media.
When Ward started to sing, many audience members stood up in their seats and cheered as she progressed into tracks that contained a blend of pop and R&B music infused with gospel influences. Songs played early in her set like “I’ll Wait” and “Familiar” featured her smooth, strong and emotion-invoking voice. Many of the songs in Ward’s set told the story of how her journey to faith had transformed her into a new person.
During her original song “Prodigal,” Ward invited the audience to step and clap along with the beat, which they did enthusiastically, even if they did not know the words. “Prodigal” was originally a collaboration with artist Benji, but Ward sang the rap herself, eliciting cheers from the audience. She frequently prompted a call and response, often asking the audience to repeat lyrics about faith.
After the conclusion of Ward's set and a brief intermission, Moore took the stage with an excited yet personable energy. Throughout the night he was engaging with the audience, often joking or asking them to sing along. His band featured bass guitar, electric guitar, keys, drums and two backup singers, and the music served as a call to worship for the audience.
Moore kicked off the set with “Man of Your Word,” elevating the energy of the crowd by projecting the lyrics behind him and allowing the audience to sing along throughout the show before transitioning into “No Longer Bound (I’m Free).” Moore released both of these songs with Maverick City Music, the band he is a member of. Moore also covered popular songs like “Waymaker,” which is a worship song originally by gospel artist Sinach. During all of these songs, he inspired audience excitement through his mannerisms, frequent movement across the stage and powerful voice.
With Valentine’s Day approaching — at the time of the event — Moore called out to all the couples in the crowd and covered a portion of three love songs from three generations of music history. First, he covered the 2014 Ed Sheeran song “Thinking Out Loud” to appeal to the younger generations. Then he covered a song from the 90s — “Can We Talk” by Tevin Campbell before ending with “Keep On Running” by Tom Jones to appeal to different generations in the room.
After his three covers, Moore transitioned to leading the audience in worship through song. He reflected on his gratitude to be playing, and he asked the audience to spend two minutes opening their hearts and thinking about principles of the Christian faith.
“You have everything you need for the moment you are in,” Moore said.
Then, he began to play “Jireh” which begins as a slow melody on the keys and builds to a powerful, booming chorus that is rooted in Christian faith and the love of God. He ended his show with “Ommema” while the audience clapped and sang along.
Fourth-year College student Natasja Stone reflected on her favorite parts of the Gospel Concert. She said that she was very impressed by the concert.
“I feel truly blessed coming out of that,” Stone said. “I didn’t expect it to be that hype and for there to be a moment of silence and prayer.”
Recalling the history depicted in the introductory video, gospel music continues to serve as a pillar of worship in Black communities and in the Christian faith, carried on by the talents of artists such as Ward and Moore. Ward’s and Moore’s performances stood out not only due to their moving voices, but also because of the way they were able to inspire worship through song.
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