It is hard to walk into a Black church on a Sunday morning and not hear the echoes of Richard Smallwood. If you haven't heard Anthem of Praise specifically, you have almost certainly heard the rafters shake to "Total Praise" or felt the quiet shift in the room during "Center of My Joy." But "Anthem of Praise" is different. It’s not the "pity-party" song Smallwood once joked about trying to write during his darkest hours; it is a high-octane, rhythmically complex explosion of gratitude that has outlived its creator in the most literal sense.
Smallwood passed away on December 30, 2025, from kidney failure at the age of 77. The timing of his death makes looking back at his catalog feel a bit more urgent, doesn't it? We aren't just talking about "old school" gospel anymore. We are talking about the architectural foundation of modern worship.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Smallwood Sound
Usually, when people talk about Richard Smallwood, they fixate on the "classical" thing. Yeah, he graduated cum laude from Howard University. Sure, he studied under Roberta Flack and can play a Bach invention like it’s second nature. But calling "Anthem of Praise" just a "classical-gospel hybrid" is kinda lazy. It misses the point of why the song actually works in a live setting.
The "Smallwood sound" is really about the tension. It’s the way he uses those "plings" (the high-register piano arpeggios he’s famous for) to create a sense of shimmering light over a bass line that is pure, uncut funk. Anthem of Praise—which famously draws from Psalm 150 and Psalm 34—isn't a polite hymn. It is a demand.
"Praise Him with the timbrel and dance... let everything that hath breath praise the Lord."
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When you listen to the recording from the 2003 album The Praise & Worship Songs of Richard Smallwood, you can hear the group Vision doing things with their vocal cords that shouldn't be physically possible. The song moves through these massive, jagged blocks of harmony. It’s not just "singing"; it’s a choral workout.
Why this song is a nightmare for lazy choirs
Honestly, if your choir doesn't have a tight soprano section, don't touch this song. The "magnify the Lord" hook isn't just a repetitive chant. It’s a rhythmic trap. Smallwood was a master of the "call and response" but he made the response just as complicated as the call.
Most gospel songs from that era (the late 90s and early 2000s) followed a very predictable verse-chorus-bridge-vamp structure. Smallwood, however, treated his anthems like mini-operas. In Anthem of Praise, the bridge doesn't just transition you to the end; it builds a staircase of tension that feels like it’s going to snap before the final resolution.
The 2026 Perspective: Why It Still Hits
We are living in a weird time for music. Everything is short, compressed, and made for TikTok loops. Then you have a track like Anthem of Praise that clocks in at nearly five minutes of pure, unadulterated musicality.
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It’s interesting to note that even after his passing, Smallwood’s influence is everywhere. You’ve got artists in 2024 and 2025 like Cybèle Coutet Craig releasing tributes that try to mimic those specific "Smallwoodisms." They’re trying to capture that specific blend of reverence and raw energy.
- The Scriptural Integrity: He didn't just write "catchy" lyrics. He took the Psalms and basically set them to a score that matched the intensity of the Davidic text.
- The Complexity: In a world of three-chord worship songs, Smallwood gave musicians something to actually practice.
- The Emotional Range: He was open about his battle with depression. That honesty gave his "upbeat" songs like this anthem a layer of authenticity. You know he’s not just happy—he’s triumphant over something.
The Whitney and Destiny’s Child Connection
You might not realize that Smallwood’s reach went way beyond the church pews. Whitney Houston famously took his "I Love the Lord" for The Preacher’s Wife soundtrack. Even Destiny’s Child—yes, Beyoncé, Kelly, and Michelle—closed out their "Gospel Medley" with a nod to Smallwood's "Total Praise."
While "Anthem of Praise" hasn't had a massive pop-crossover moment quite like "Total Praise," it remains the "musician's favorite." It’s the song directors use to show off what their choir can actually do. If you can pull off the timing on the hand-claps and the vocal stacks in this anthem, you’ve officially "arrived" in the gospel world.
The Practical Legacy of the Praise Anthem
If you’re a worship leader or just a fan trying to understand why this man’s music is being played on a loop right now, it comes down to the "Smallwood Method." He taught us that "excellence" isn't a dirty word in spiritual music. You can be technically perfect and still be "anointed," or whatever word you want to use for that feeling you get when the hair on your arms stands up.
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Basically, Richard Smallwood proved that gospel music didn't have to choose between being "smart" and being "soulful."
Actionable Insights for the Smallwood Enthusiast:
- Listen Beyond the Hits: Everyone knows "Total Praise." If you want to understand his genius, listen to the Anthem of Praise lead vocals by Charisse Nelson-McIntosh and the rest of Vision. Pay attention to the way the piano and the voices fight for space without ever getting in each other's way.
- Study the Lyrics: This isn't fluff. Go back to Psalm 150:3-6. Smallwood was a "Bible-to-Sheet-Music" composer.
- Watch the Live Performances: There’s a 2026 YouTube reaction trend for a reason. Watching the physical energy of a Smallwood-led choir is a masterclass in conducting.
The man might be gone, but the "Anthem of Praise" is basically a living organism at this point. It’s being sung in New Haven, London, and Tokyo this very morning. That’s a legacy you can’t manufacture with an algorithm. It’s just good music.
To truly honor his memory, don't just play the song as background noise. Sit down. Listen to the way he stacks those diminished chords. Try to find the "pling" in the middle of the noise. That is where Richard Smallwood lives.