NQC Day 1 Highlights - National Quartet Convention

The first official night of the 2014 National Quartet Convention in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee is in the books. I was able to catch most of the webcast tonight.

The Perrys were the last group to go on and had the moment of the night. We all knew it would be an emotional return to the main stage for the Perrys with Tracy Stuffle present. The group got an overwhelming applause once they got to the stage. Then, Libbi sang "I Can Trust Him." Incredibly powerful and emotional moment from the audience and on stage!!! They sang "Three Men on a Mountain" to feature both Tracy and Jared. I loved seeing the pride in Tracy's face as Jared sang. They closed the night with "I Wish I Could Have Been There," perfect closing song! Andrew Goldman really impressed me with his lead vocals on that song!

Mark Trammell Quartet had a strong set, but it was the last song that really stood out. Mark took the time to mention that he was notified that the U.S. had launched airstrikes on Syria. They then sang "It's Almost Over," so timely and great moment!

A highlight early on in the night was the LeFevre Quartet singing "I Love to Call His Name." I've always been a big fan of this song. They mentioned that Rex Nelon had been the one to sing it with the LeFevres many years ago. Brandon Barry sang it and then Kelly Nelon Clark and Karen Peck Gooch joined the quartet on stage!

Another surprise stage visit was during Mark Bishop's set when he called his dad Kenneth Bishop and Archie Watkins to join him on "I Rely on Him." Kenneth stayed on stage with his son for one more song after that.

Brian Free and Assurance had a strong set to start the night off. They sang mostly new songs and ended the set with "Long As I Got King Jesus," always a crowd favorite. Several other groups had strong sets from start to finish - Karen Peck and New River, Legacy Five, Wilburn and Wilburn, Triumphant Quartet and the Talleys.

Here's my list of the top performances of the night (no particular order except first one) -

• "I Can Trust Him" - The Perrys
• "It's Almost Over" - Mark Trammell Quartet
• "Finish Well" - Karen Peck and New River
• "I Love to Call" - LeFevre Quartet
• "Christ Is Still the King" - Legacy Five
• "I Thank You" - Kingdom Heirs
• "Somebody Died for Me" - Triumphant Quartet
• "A Man Like Me" - Wilburn and Wilburn
• "I Will Rise" - Tribute Quartet

What moments stood out to you??