Story By: Charita Smith | CS3 MEDIA Photos By: Charlie Smith | CS3 MEDIA
To kick off the 2023 Chicago Gospel Music Festival, The Praize Productions’ RIZE Youth Company performed an excerpt from their highly anticipated theatrical production, “Call Her By Name.” They presented the full production on Sunday at the Pritzker Pavilion.
Next, Pastor DeAndre Patterson and the Destiny Worship Center Chorale, Janet Sutton and The Voices of Acme, and Bishop Larry D. Trotter and Sweet Holy Combined Choirs paid tribute to church choirs with a variety of traditional gospel songs. They performed seamlessly from song to song giving the audience amazing choir performances.
Four-time Grammy Award winner and multiple Stellar and Dove Award winner Karen Clark Sheard had recently performed at the inauguration of Mayor Brandon Johnson in May. The gospel legend came back to perform at the 2023 Chicago Gospel Music Festival. The crowd anticipated her performance. Once she was introduced and entered the stage, the audience erupted with cheers which filled the park. She performed a medley of her greatest hits and engaged the audience to participate. She opened her set with her hit song “We Acknowledge You”. She called on all sopranos, altos, and tenors in the audience to participate as sang “Heaven”. She paid tribute the Staple Singers and Tina Turner as she sang her rendition of “I’ll Take You There”. Next, she took a praise break as she spoke words of inspiration. She continued with “Favor” and closed her performance with “Balm In Gilead”.
Lastly, Multiple Grammy Award winning artist Tye Tribbett closed the Gospel Festival with an exhilarating performance. His blend of gospel, hip-hop, worship, and dance did not disappoint. He sang many of classic hit songs and songs from his latest album All Things New: Live In Orlando. He sang “Everything” and a praise medley (“Yeshua” and “Stayed on Him”).
Next, newly-elected Mayor Brandon Johnson made an appearance during Tye Tribbett’s performance. Mayor Johnson said, “The greatest city in the world is Chicago, and we are the most sanctified city in the entire world. Don’t you feel the transformation in the air Chicago? I’m talking about a revival that is breaking out in the city of Chicago and all over the world. I’m talking about a movement that will not just transform the lives of families, but how about we transform this city for the lives of our young people.”
Tye Tribbett continued as he closed the fest with songs “I Love You Forever”, “We Gon’ Be Alright”, “Only One Night Tho”, and “He Turned It”. It was a great evening of gospel music in Millennium Park.
