High-Powered Gospel Spreads the Joy

Kirk Franklin likes to greet gospel audiences by shouting, “Let me hear you make some Holy Ghost crazy noise!”

And at the Forum on Saturday, Franklin left the house lights on, turning the venue into massive revival meeting and delivering a potent mix of classic gospel with modern pop styles that was as moving as it was deeply religious in message.

The bandleader headlined “A Joyful Noize,” a four-hour gospel festival that also included the high-energy traditionalist Dorinda Clark-Cole and the duo Mary Mary.

The Z in “noize” was meant to signify an element of hip-hop awareness, but Franklin’s gift in a decade-long career has been to modernize gospel without cheapening the music and tradition at its core. His 2-million-selling “Nu Nation Project” album in 1998 crossed over to a wide popular audience by firing up his gospel with hip-hop and modern R&B; elements, putting him in direct competition with secular pop.

But if anything, his hourlong set leaned far less on modern gimmicks and more toward straight gospel.

Running, shouting, rhyming, pumping his fist like a football coach to the accompaniment of his 13-member choir and five-man band, Franklin opened with “Hosanna,” demonstrating that at its best, gospel is all about voices erupting with passion and faith.

His newest album, “The Rebirth of Kirk Franklin,” opens with a wrenching dramatization of his abandonment as a child. And on Saturday, he talked repeatedly of hard times transformed by faith, pausing once to mention a younger sister who recently finished a decade in prison. “This is not a celebration of how much money we have, what kind of car we drive!”

A reworking of Bill Withers’ “Lovely Day” provided some smooth, sunny soul, not unlike Earth, Wind & Fire’s finest moments.

Franklin cast a powerful presence, even if his role has him working the room more as a preacher and bandleader than as traditional gospel frontman. He did sing a bit during the gospel funk of “He’s Able,” from his early career.

His audience spent most of the show on their feet, hands in the air, and when Franklin told fans to leave their chairs to “hug three people and tell them that you love them,” they did.