{"id":746572,"date":"2026-02-06T16:09:13","date_gmt":"2026-02-06T16:09:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/746572\/"},"modified":"2026-02-06T16:09:13","modified_gmt":"2026-02-06T16:09:13","slug":"a-life-of-total-praise-that-left-its-mark-on-spain-evangelical-focus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/746572\/","title":{"rendered":"a life of total praise that left its mark on Spain, Evangelical Focus"},"content":{"rendered":"

The news of the death of Richard Smallwood resonated strongly throughout the gospel world. This was also true in Spain, where he made a lasting impression.<\/strong><\/p>\n

For many musicians, choir directors and gospel music enthusiasts, his visit to Zaragoza in 2008 as part of the Agua Viva gospel project during the Expo marked a turning point, not only because of the magnitude of the event, but also because of the human and spiritual example set by one of the greatest figures in contemporary gospel music.<\/p>\n

At that time, Spain barely featured on the international gospel map. ‘Several American artists went to Sweden, Germany, France or Japan, but Spain was not on the radar,’ recalls Nancy Roncesvalles, director of the Madrid Gospel Choir for over three decades.<\/p>\n

All Evangelical Focus news and opinion,\u00a0on your WhatsApp<\/a>.<\/p>\n

However, Smallwood accepted the invitation to Spain and became fully involved in a project that brought together over 17 choirs from across the country, culminating in a massive gathering of around 15,000 people \u2014 one of the largest evangelistic events held in Spain to date.<\/p>\n

During that week in Zaragoza, Smallwood worked intensively with musicians and choirs, but he also shared his testimony publicly.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was very precise and demanding musically, but also deeply kind, encouraging and humble. There was nothing prima donna about him\u201d, recalls Roncesvalles, who travelled to Paris to personally invite him to take part in the initiative.<\/p>\n

She points out that, in the first decade of this century, gospel music in Spain was still expanding and growing, and that, although the AguaViva initiative \u201cwas challenging and difficult\u201d, \u201clooking back, we can only be grateful to God for what we were able to experience\u201d.<\/p>\n

Smallwood was the main guest at the concert. His friendly nature was evident from the moment he took to the stage. However, he made it clear that he didn’t just want to put on a great musical show; he also wanted to share the story that had changed his life.<\/p>\n

“For him, that was essential: explaining how he came to know the Lord”, stresses Roncesvalles, who believes that his songs \u201ccombine biblical depth with musical excellence in a way that makes him stand out\u201d.<\/p>\n

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Richard Smallwood died on 30 December, aged 77, due to kidney failure complications, at a rehabilitation and care centre in Maryland.<\/p>\n

A singer, pianist and composer, he was an eight-time Grammy nominee and winner of the Stellar and Dove Awards. His music was renowned for its fusion of African-American gospel with classical influences, resulting in a distinctive and deeply spiritual style.<\/p>\n

Born in Atlanta and raised in Washington, he grew up in an environment shaped by the church and classical music.<\/p>\n

His mother, Mabel, used to take him to hear the National Symphony Orchestra, while his stepfather, Reverend C. L. Smallwood, was the pastor of Union Temple Baptist Church.<\/p>\n

Richard began playing the piano by ear at the age of five, and attended the renowned Roberta Flack High School. He later became a founding member of the Howard University gospel choir before creating the Richard Smallwood Singers in 1977.<\/p>\n

His work includes songs that have become true contemporary gospel anthems, such as Total Praise, I Love the Lord\u00a0(performed by Whitney Houston in the film The Preacher’s Wife), Center of My Joy, I’ll Trust You and Anthem of Praise.<\/p>\n

Total Praise, released in 1996 with his group Vision, is one of his best-known songs. It was performed by Destiny’s Child, played at Carnegie Hall in New York and sung at the White House during Pope Francis’s visit in the presence of President Barack Obama.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you write a piece, you never know what it’s going to become”, said Smallwood in a 2024 interview, when he was honoured at the Kennedy Centre. \u201cSeeing how people have embraced it and how it has touched their lives over the years means a lot to me as a composer\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"Richard<\/p>\n

Richard Smallwood, during his performance in Zaragoza in 2008.\/ DVD Gospel Aguaviva, Makingospel, Aprogos \u00a0<\/p>\n

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Much of the spiritual power of his music was rooted in his personal history.<\/p>\n

Smallwood spoke openly about his struggle with depression, both in interviews and in his autobiography, Total Praise (2019).<\/p>\n

“Music silences the noise and brings a sense of peace. Many of my songs are born out of personal situations, things I have experienced and felt.\u2019 Music has the power to heal, and it has certainly healed me\u201d, he said.<\/p>\n

That background was particularly clear in his song Total Praise. During the\u00a0concert in Zaragoza, Smallwood explained that he wrote it amid grief over his brother’s terminal illness, while his mother was also ill.<\/p>\n

\u201cI felt as if God had abandoned me. I sat down at the piano and started writing. I wanted to write a song to feel sorry for myself. ‘God, I need you to help me, to dry my tears’ … But then God spoke to my heart and said, ‘I see your tears, I see your pain, but I want your praise. Even though you’re going through a hard time, I’m the only one who can get you out of it’\u201d.<\/p>\n

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Francisco Pascual, a member of the Castilla-La Mancha Gospel Choir and editor of the CD and DVD recording of the 2008 Agua Viva concert, recalls that Smallwood arrived in Spain with clear artistic demands that were always respectful and spiritually motivated.<\/p>\n

Before accepting the project, he sent his musical director to assess the quality of the choirs and the organisation. \u201cIt wasn’t mistrust; it was love for excellence,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n

Once the project was underway, Smallwood became fully involved. His team included top-level musicians such as musical director Grant Bichard,\u00a0a member of the Grammy nominations committee, as well as some musicians from his band and Charrisse Nelson, one of the leading voices in gospel music.<\/p>\n

The visit to Spain gave him a few days of unusual freedom. \u201cIn the United States, he couldn’t go out on the street without being recognised. Here, he experienced it as a break. He always said that Spain was a very special place\u201d, recalls Pascual.<\/p>\n

This atmosphere facilitated a close relationship with Spanish musicians and directors. Smallwood corrected and demanded, but always with respect and encouragement.<\/p>\n

When he said goodbye, he stated that Spain was one of the two countries he would return to \u201cwithout hesitation. Although that return never materialised, it almost happened: in 2020, the first steps were taken to organise it, but the pandemic thwarted the plans.<\/p>\n

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From a musical and organisational point of view, the AguaViva Gospel project marked a turning point in Spain.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt raised the bar. There was calling and passion, but training and excellence were lacking\u201d, recalls Francisco Pascual.<\/p>\n

That experience involved two years of joint work, training and rehearsals, which raised professional standards in sound and production, and resulted in a DVD and CD recording that came close to being nominated for an international award.<\/p>\n

For Roncesvalles, \u201cSmallwood’s legacy is still very much alive. Total Praise continues to be performed in churches and choral gatherings, also in Spanish, thanks to a version revised and approved by the author himself.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you sing his songs, you notice that there is weight, that there is the Word. They are not empty words: they reflect a lived and studied faith,” she says, recalling his theological training and deep biblical knowledge.<\/p>\n

The death of Richard Smallwood has prompted tributes from the musical, political and social worlds. But beyond public recognition, his legacy remains in churches, choirs and the lives of those who found hope through his music, because it speaks of hope in Jesus.<\/p>\n

In Spain, that legacy has a name and a specific story: that of a world-class artist who, for a few days, made this country a special place and left a mark that still resonates today.<\/p>\n

\n Published in: Evangelical Focus<\/a> – culture<\/a>
\n – Richard Smallwood: a life of total praise that left its mark on Spain\n <\/p>\n