By Coral Gables Gazette staff
American gospel music, shaped by faith, endurance, and collective voice, takes center stage in Coral Gables on Friday, Jan. 16, when Seraphic Fire presents a full evening program at the Church of the Little Flower.
The 8 p.m. performance features conductor Jason Max Ferdinand, leading choir and piano in a program that traces gospel’s emotional and musical lineage from its spiritual roots to its enduring place in American culture.
A tradition shaped by struggle and hope
The program centers on the work of Thomas Dorsey, widely regarded as the father of American gospel music. Dorsey reshaped sacred music in the early 20th century by fusing spiritual texts with blues-influenced harmonies, creating a form that spoke directly to hardship, resilience, and faith.
At the heart of the evening is Precious Lord, Take My Hand, the hymn Dorsey composed during a period of personal loss. The piece’s plea for guidance and endurance has carried across generations, churches, and musical traditions, becoming one of the most recognized works in American sacred music.
The concert places that hymn alongside other spiritual standards, including Amazing Grace, offering listeners a panoramic view of gospel’s expressive range — from quiet reflection to rhythmic affirmation.
Jason Max Ferdinand at the helm
Ferdinand, an internationally celebrated conductor known for his work at the intersection of classical, sacred, and historically rooted repertoire, brings both scholarship and vitality to the podium. His approach emphasizes clarity of text, rhythmic propulsion, and emotional transparency, qualities well suited to gospel’s call-and-response tradition and layered harmonies.
Under his direction, Seraphic Fire’s singers balance refinement with immediacy, allowing the music’s spiritual core to emerge without distancing formality. The ensemble’s precision supports gospel’s communal energy rather than overshadowing it.
The role of place and sound
The Church of the Little Flower provides a setting that enhances the program’s impact. Its vaulted interior and resonant acoustics allow choral textures to bloom while maintaining intimacy, drawing listeners into the music rather than holding them at arm’s length.
The venue’s architectural presence reinforces gospel’s dual nature as both sacred expression and shared cultural language, situating the performance within Coral Gables’ broader tradition of arts programming that spans formal venues, public spaces, and houses of worship.
Context before the music begins
One hour before the concert, the evening includes a Pre-Concert Conversation presented by Marques J. Ruff, offering historical and cultural context for the repertoire. The discussion explores gospel’s origins, evolution, and influence, framing the performance as part of a larger American musical narrative rather than a standalone event.
This pairing of scholarship and performance reflects Seraphic Fire’s programming philosophy, which consistently invites audiences to engage with music both intellectually and emotionally.
A living American art form
Gospel occupies a distinctive place in the American canon. Its language remains direct. Its emotional register remains immediate. Its power emerges through collective expression rather than virtuosity alone.
In Coral Gables, where arts programming often bridges civic life, tradition, and contemporary performance, the concert underscores gospel’s continued relevance — not as a historical artifact, but as a living form that continues to console, uplift, and energize.
Program and details
The program includes Amazing Grace, arranged by Greg Jasperse, and Precious Lord, Take My Hand by Thomas Dorsey, arranged by Nathan Carter, alongside additional gospel selections spanning traditional and up-tempo styles.
The performance takes place Friday, Jan. 16, at 8 p.m. at the Church of the Little Flower in Coral Gables. The Pre-Concert Conversation begins one hour earlier.
