Saturday at Silver Dollar City - Southern Gospel Picnic

I went out to the park late yesterday afternoon. I went to see the Browns before heading down to Echo Hollow to see Michael English and the Nelons. Here are a few highlights!


The Browns

• "Aim Higher"
• "What a Beautiful Day" - Andrew has more energy on stage than anyone else in gospel music. It's great to see him have such an energetic spirit!
• Instrumentals - Love hearing them play their violins. 
• "Grandpa Tell Me 'Bout the Good Ole Days"

Michael English 

• "Mary Did You Know"
• "Daystar" - Michael talked about the song and how it has been a breakthrough song for him with the Gaither Vocal Band.
• "In Christ Alone"
• "Love Is the Golden Rule"

The Nelons

• "In My Father's Hosue"
• "The Sun's Coming Up" - Always good to hear Kelly sing this song!
• "Coat of Many Colors" - Autumn was featured on this one playing her mandolin. She did a great job! 
• "God Bless America" - Their a cappella arrangement of this song was great! 
• "You Needed Me" - Kelly dedicated this song to Jason for this birthday! It was such a sweet moment!
• "Then Came the Morning" - Amber does an amazing job on this song!!

Both groups came out of the very last part and sang a number of songs together including - "Home," "Look for Me," "I Bowed on my Knees" and "We Shall Wear a Robe and Crown."

Good Things Happening - Friday Recap of Silver Dollar City's Southern Gospel Picnic

Friday, we made it out to the park in time to catch four different groups. Three of these groups I don't get to see very often or at all, so it was good to see them live. We ended the night with a packed house for the Booth Brothers! Don't miss the video on my Facebook page of the song that Michael Booth requested to warm up the crowd.

Here are highlights from the day -


High Road

This is the first time I remember seeing this group live. These young people are talented and used no tracks -- all live music. And they write a lot of their own music!

• "We Are Broken"
• "Somewhere I'm Going" - Beautiful song about Heaven!
• "His Hand on Me"
• "Two Coats"

The Craguns

• "Blessed Assurance" - Elena does an incredible job on this song!
• "I Know the Master of the Wind" - They did this chorus a cappella.
• "On the Other Side"
• "This Is My Father's World"

Anchormen

• "Oh What a Savior"
• "Giver of Life" - Loved hearing Chris on this song!
• "I'm Going There" - Newest member Ronnie Bright was featured on this song.
• "Come to the Fountain"

Booth Brothers

Of course, it's always good to see the Booth Brothers. They sang several songs from their recent project that I wasn't as familiar with, so it was a good mix of the newer songs and classic favorites. 

• "I Just Feel Like Something Good Is About to Happen"
• "Moment of Grace" - Love hearing Paul sing this song!
• "Stop the Storm"
• "It Is No Secret"
• "Down by the River" - Such a fun one that really gets the crowd going!
• "Jesus Saves" - This was just a powerful moment of worship with the crowd on its feet!
• "Life's Railway to Heaven"
• "Look for Me at Jesus' Feet" - Always a powerful song from Michael!
• "Then I Met the Master" - No one sings this better than Ronnie.
• "Facts Are Facts"

Ain't God Good - Thursday Recap of Silver Dollar City's Southern Gospel Picnic

Wednesday night was the Second Half Quartet and the good news is that all of the members were back in the park on Thursday. I got the chance to see the Mark Trammell Quartet, Pat Barker and Greater Vision before heading down to Echo Hollow to see Ernie Haase and Signature Sound. Here's a look at highlights from the day -


The Mark Trammell Quartet

• "Leave Your Sorrows"
• "Treasures in Heaven" 
• "I Know" - Nick did a great job on this song! This is one from their new project, which releases today. 
• "The King Is Coming" - No one does this song better than this group!
• "He Hideth My Soul"
• "Echoes From the Burning Bush" - They joined new piano player Trevor Conkle around the keyboard for this song with just the keys backing them up. 

Pat Barker

• "Ain't God Good"
• "How Big Is God" - Of course he received several requests for this song. He said it was 10 years ago when he first sang that song at Silver Dollar City on the stage where he was yesterday.
• "I Can See (Emmaus Road)" - Such an incredible song!! He shared a bit of his testimony and what the song meant to him now.
• Request time - Pat took time just to hear what people wanted him to sing or answer questions. He sang a cappella verses and choruses of several songs like "Amazing Grace," "The Lighthouse" and "Because He Lives." 
• "Thanks to Calvary"

Greater Vision

• "There Is Hope" - Great one they started with from Still.
• "God Doesn't Care" - Love this song also from their new project! It's a song that Chris wrote.
• "My Name Is Lazarus" 
• "He's Still Been God" - They ended with this one that you could tell the audience still loved hearing!

Ernie Haase and Signature Sound

• "Some Day"
  
• "Noah Found Grace" - Even if it might not be Devin's favorite song, it's one the audience loved hearing. 
• "Give Me Jesus" - This is a song that Fanny Crosby wrote lyrics to but was only recently found. 
• "Sometimes I Wonder" - So glad to hear them staging this song again!
• "A Soldier Coming Home" 
• "Then Came the Morning" - This was the moment of the night for me!! Ernie said it had been a while since they had sung this one, but it was incredible!
• "Step Into the Water"
• "Heavenly Parade" - It's good to hear them doing a lot of these older gospel songs. 
• "Draw Me Nearer" - They put an EHSS spin on this Fanny Crosby classic.
• "Any Other Man"

Beginning the Second Half - Silver Dollar City's Southern Gospel Picnic

I was back at Silver Dollar City Wednesday ready for a full day of gospel music. And I'll be here for the rest of the second half of the festival. And what a better way to start the second half of the picnic than a night with the Second Half Quartet! But before the evening in Echo Hollow, here's a look at highlights from other groups throughout the day -

The LeFevre Quartet

• "He Was There" - I've been hearing this song so much on the radio, so I'm glad I got to hear it live!
• "Let the Church Arise" - Incredible song from their new album!
• "I'm Gonna Be Movin'"
• "I Want to Walk Every Day With My Lord" - Good to hear their new bass singer Keith Plott.

Soul'd Out Quartet

• "Blessed Assurance"
• "I'll Fly Away" - Love their spin on this song!
• "I Believe" - Always enjoy hearing Ian featured on this song. 
• "Arise My Love"

The Talleys

• "After All This Time"
• "His Life For Mine" - Always such a powerful song! 
• "Up Above" - I hadn't heard them sing this one in a while, I forgot what a great song it is! 
• "People in the Line"
• "But I Need You More"
• Piano medley - They had audience member call out hymns, "Great Is Thy Faithfulness, "What a Day That Will Be" and "How Great Thou Art" and Roger put them together on the piano.
• "He's Alive" 

Second Half Quartet

• "Standing on Holy Ground"
• "Master Builder" - Always love hearing Mark on this song! 
• "There's Something About That Name/ I Will Serve Thee" - This was absolutely beautiful! 
• "Cheer the Weary Traveler"
• "Prodigal Son" - I believe this is the song that started it all for this group. 
• "How Big Is God" 
• "I Know a Man Who Can"
• "Going Home"
• "Wonderful Grace of Jesus" - Good to hear them on the Cathedrals a cappella arrangement. 
• "Boundless Love" - Last song of the night and the audience was on its feet!

Sundays are Family Days - Silver Dollar City Southern Gospel Picnic

I am currently back home working for a couple of days before heading north again to catch the last half of Silver Dollar City's Southern Gospel Picnic.

Sunday we started the morning at the Red Gold Hall for morning worship. We had a great service with the Hosea Bilyeu family. I was able to see four different family groups. Here is a look at some of the highlights.

The Lesters

This was the second time I have seen the Lesters since it became an all family group again with the addition of Bailee Lester. They are just getting better and better!

• "Hold On Tight"
• "Ain't God Good"
• "Call on Jesus Medley" - Great song that really got the crowd going. 
• "I Shall Know Him" - They did a great job on this old hymn!

Reggie Saddler Family

• "In Christ Alone" - Ingra sang this song solo from her new project. This was the highlight of the set for me! Absolutely beautiful!
• "Whiter Than Snow"
• "I've Got Me a Home"
• "Fill My Cup Lord" - This is the title song from their new project. Good to hear some of their new songs!

The Erwins

• "Isn't He God" 
• "I Choose to Be a Christian" - Katie knocked this one out of the park!
• "Plan of Salvation" - With all that Kody has been through recently, it was good to hear him bring the bass on this Cathedral classic.
• "Well Done"

Jeff and Sheri Easter

In true Jeff and Sheri Easter fashion, they didn't take the stage right away that night at Echo Hollow. They gave up part of their time to let the Erwins sing a few songs that night to a packed house of almost 5,000. The Erwins certainly got the crowd going with "Chasing After You," "He's Still Alive" and "What a Lovely Name." This was such a great opportunity for these talented siblings!

• "Small Town Someone"
• "Someone's Listening"
• "Sitting on Top of the World" - One of my favorite love songs they have recorded.
• "Jesus Loves You" - This has become one of my all-time favorite Jeff and Sheri songs. 
• Instrumental - "Beulah Land" and "I'll Fly Away" - Jared Easter is one of the most talented musicians on the road today.
• "Praise His Name" - So glad this was a request for Sheri to sing!
• "Thank You Lord for Your Blessings on Me" - It's such an incredible moment to hear Jeff and Sheri and a full amphitheater choir sing the chorus of this song.  

I can't wait to get back up there for the second half of the festival!