Prime Cuts: "My Tribute," "The Prayer/The Lord's Prayer," "In the Garden"
Overall Grade: 5/5
Kim Collingsworth takes center stage in this elegantly filmed solo concert at Fisher Center at Belmont, delivering a performance that blends classical finesse with gospel warmth. Best known as the matriarch and pianist of The Collingsworth Family, Collingsworth demonstrates both dazzling technique and pastoral sensitivity in a program that feels as much like worship as it does a concert.
The evening flows seamlessly between exuberance and intimacy. "Fill My Cup, Lord" receives a straightforward rendering, yet its simplicity becomes its strength - unembellished, reverent, and quietly effective. By contrast, the "Sound of Music Medley" - weaving together "The Sound of Music," "Do-Re-Mi," "My Favorite Things," "Edelweiss," and "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" - showcases Collingsworth's playful agility and dynamic control. She moves effortlessly from light, whimsical phrasing to sweeping, cinematic grandeur, with "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" rising to an especially stirring climax.
Sacred highlights anchor the night. "In the Garden" becomes a joyful congregational moment, while "The Prayer/The Lord's Prayer," performed with Dino Kartsonakis, is tender and deeply moving. The closing "My Tribute" is majestic and celestial, building to a triumphant finish that lingers long after the final chord.
A particularly meaningful segment is the expansive Lanny Wolfe Medley, honoring Lanny Wolfe - the legendary gospel composer and choir pioneer whose songs helped shape modern church music. Moving through "Greater Is He That Is in Me," "God's Family," "Jesus Is Still the Answer," "My House Is Full (But My Field Is Empty)," "Only One Life," "Cherish That Name," "Jesus, We Crown You with Praise," and "Surely the Presence of the Lord (Is in This Place)," Collingsworth pays heartfelt tribute while allowing each melody room to breathe. The medley serves as both homage and ministry moment, connecting generations through songs that have defined congregational worship for decades.
Add to that the rousing "The Entertainer/New York, New York" with its brassy punch, patriotic flourishes like "Battle Hymn of the Republic," and the sweeping "Miracle of Heaven Medley," and the result is a concert that feels richly textured without ever losing focus.
Technically brilliant yet spiritually grounded, polished yet personal, this DVD is a masterclass in gospel piano performance. Kim Collingsworth doesn't simply play the music - she ministers through it. A resounding five-star experience.
