Kirk Franklin — The Rebirth, Lakewood Church, Houston, 2000

Recorded on 16 June 2000 at Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, The Rebirth of Kirk Franklin is a filmed live concert blending gospel fervor with urban-pop sensibility. Leading an imposing choir and a full band, Kirk Franklin — a figurehead of contemporary gospel — orchestrates a celebration in which the traditional spiritual converses with hip-hop, soul and R&B. A choir director, composer and charismatic leader, he turns the concert into a collective experience, inviting the congregation to sing, dance and take part. The capture conveys the vocal intensity of the soloists, the power of the choral harmonies and the energy of a fully invested audience. A platinum-certified album, The Rebirth confirms Kirk Franklin’s standing as one of the most influential artists of modern gospel, able to draw a broad audience beyond religious circles. This full concert offers an ideal immersion in American gospel at the turn of the 2000s, to be seen as a filmed live concert to feel the communal and spiritual dimension of the genre.