The Joyful Gospel Ensemble in MUSIC IS NOW!

In the heart of Effetto Venezia 2026, in the picturesque setting of Fortezza Nuova, comes the overwhelming energy of The Joyful Gospel Ensemble, directed by Riccardo Pagni, with the show “MUSIC IS NOW!”, a choral concert dedicated to the power of music as a universal language, capable of uniting generations and emotions.
Over 60 choir members and solo singers will be the protagonists of an intense, powerful, and engaging show, where choral singing becomes a living experience: a collective voice that expresses the spirituality of gospel music, the communicative power of pop music, and the emotional impact of rock music. A rich repertoire, consisting of great classics, touching ballads, solemn moments, and captivating rhythmic songs, designed to accompany the audience in a crescendo of energy, suggestion, and participation.
The concert fits into the theme of the 2026 event, “Futuro Prossimo”, with a clear message: the future is not only what will come tomorrow, but what we choose to recognize, listen to, and build today. Young people are already protagonists of the present, bringing new questions, sensibilities, and values: sustainability, inclusion, freedom, care, active citizenship, awareness. In this dialogue, music becomes a bridge between generations: a symbolic and concrete space where adult voices open up to listening to the new time, turning singing into a meeting, an emotion, and a sharing.
The Joyful’s repertoire includes songs inspired by the great American gospel tradition, choral reinterpretations of famous international hits by artists such as The Beatles, Queen, Coldplay, Tina Turner, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Adele, Aerosmith, Leonard Cohen, Elton John, and many others. Each song is reinterpreted through vocal arrangements designed to enhance the strength of the choir, the intensity of the soloists, and the emotional involvement of the audience.
“MUSIC IS NOW!” is a choral experience that lives in the rhythm that drags, in the harmonies that envelop, in the contrasts between energy and intensity, in the power of the songs that the audience knows and recognizes. Each song becomes an opportunity to let oneself be carried away, moved, and engaged by music capable of igniting memories, creating connections, and turning listening into participation.

MUSIC IS NOW!

Bio

Founded in spring 2002, The Joyful Gospel Ensemble is now one of the most enduring and beloved non-classical choral groups. With over 400 concerts in Italy and abroad, the choir has built over the years an intense artistic path, made of music, energy, sharing, and great emotional involvement.

The group’s discography includes seven releases: All Things Are Possible, Sing Out, Joyful!, In My Dreams, Right Now, Let’s Sing! and, in December 2022, Joyful Forever!, an album celebrating twenty years of shared history, passion, and music.

With its over 60 choir members and solo singers, The Joyful Gospel Ensemble brings to the stage a powerful and engaging show: an explosion of voices, rhythm, and emotions capable of captivating the audience from the very first notes. Each concert is a musical journey that alternates intense and solemn ballads with rhythmic songs, choral moments of great impact, and surprising forays into other musical territories.

Directed by Riccardo Pagni, The Joyful Gospel Ensemble combines traditional gospel pages with a broad and original repertoire, also paying tribute to many great figures of international music.

Throughout its history, the choir has collaborated with important artists and leading figures of the Italian and international gospel scene, including Rev. Nehemiah H. Brown, who wrote a song specifically for The Joyful, Cheryl Porter, Joyce Yuille, Sybil Smoot, and Jeff Jones .

In July 2015, The Joyful Gospel Ensemble took part in the Wonderful Gospel Festival in Barcelona, ​​achieving great public success. 

For nineteen years, The Joyful has been organizing the “For Peace, Music for Peace and Solidarity” project, an initiative that has received the endorsement of the President of the Republic seven times in a row, also culminating in the awarding of a medal to the Joyful Choral Association and to “For Peace”.

In December 2017, the Joyful Choral Association released the DVD “…per Livorno”, a project in support of the flood victims in the city. 

In March 2026, the choir created “Voci di Donna – The Joyful… insieme in musica”, a special project with concerts at the Livorno Hospital and the Cisanello Hospital in Pisa.