2018 National Quartet Convention - Thursday Night Recap

I tuned in last night to catch the last part of Greater Vision's set. I will miss tonight's but be back for most of Saturday night.

Highlights and Commentary - 

• Of course, Thursday has become known as Gaither day at NQC. I didn't hear if it was sold out like last year but just judging by the webcast it looked pretty full. The Gaither Vocal Band had a 45 minute set last night. The more I hear this lineup, the more I like them - Wes Hampton, Adam Crabb, Reggie Smith, Todd Suttles and Bill Gaither. Wes Hampton is one of the best vocalists on the road today, in my opinion.
• Someone recently asked me who's going to be the next big up and coming group. My answer was the Jordan Family Band. I 100% stand by that after hearing them again last night during the power half hour on main stage. They are one to watch!

Favorite Performances of the Night - 

• "He'll Carry Me" - Greater Vision
• "When the Prodigal Comes Home" - Tribute Quartet
• "My Faith Still Holds" - Mark Trammell Quartet
• "Calvary" - Jim Brady Trio
• "I Will Go On" - Gaither Vocal Band
• "He Made a Change" - Legacy Five 
• "Walking Through Fire" - Ernie Haase and Signature Sound
• "He Never Made a Promise" - Kingdom Heirs
• "You Better Get Right" - Jordan Family Band

2018 Southern Gospel Picnic at Silver Dollar City - Day 6

Yesterday was a full day of gospel music from 10:30 a.m. at the first Mark Trammell Quartet show until the last chorus of "God on the Mountain" from the McKameys. If you love traditional Southern Gospel, this was your day on the park.

Here are a few highlights -

Mark Trammell Quartet

• "He Hideth My Soul" - Love to hear Blake sing this him!
• "Go Show John"
• "The King Is Coming" - Always such a powerful moment when they sing this one. No one does it better!
• "The Statue of Liberty"
• "The Lighthouse" - Love to hear Mark sing this song. 
• "All the Way Home" - Such a fun top-tapper and Nick does a great job. 
• "Echoes From the Burning Bush" - I'm glad they chose to sing this one yesterday. It's one of my favorites! Randy does a great job on those step out bass lines!
• "My Faith Still Holds" - Such a great song, another one I was glad to hear them sing live!
• Trevor was featured on his Redeemed medley and the "Hallelujah Chorus." 

Mylon Hayes Family

I have only gotten to see this family a handful of times and mainly at hymn sings, so it was good to hear a full set from them yesterday. If you have not heard this family, make it a point to see them! And for all my Arkansas friends, they will be in Pine Bluff Thursday night. 

• "One More Opportunity" 
• "Well Done, My Child, Well Done" - They do convention style songs so well!
• "Oh What a Morning"
• "What a Day That Will Be" - Loved hearing them sing this old hymn. 
• I didn't realize that the boys played piano, but they did a piano duet of "Goodbye, World, Goodbye" yesterday. 
• "What An Anchor" - Such a powerful song! I've been hearing this one more and more on the radio, so I'm glad I got to hear it in person!

Greater Vision

• "Paid in Full"
• "Still" - One of my favorite recent songs from Greater Vision. 
• "For All He's Done"
• "Why Me Lord" - Jon does a great job on this song. Apparently his in-laws were in the audience yesterday and when he finished his father-in-law yelled out for him!
• "He'd Still Been God"
• "Hallelujah Square" - I love hearing Chris sing this song. I'm glad it's on their most recent project. No one sings this one better than Chris.
• "Rolled Back Stone"
• "It Pays to Pray" - Gerald said there was a man there from Germany who requested that song, so they closed their last set with it. It was definitely the highlight of their sets for me!

McKameys

I don't get to see the McKameys very often in person. I forgot just how passionate they are about what they do - the ministry and the music. They are just authentic and real. I love seeing that spirit just shine from them. It was good to see Eli doing so well from his kidney transplant last year and good to hear him sing one by himself! They sang most of their most popular songs. 

• "Living for Eternity"
• "Unspoken Request"
• "God on the Mountain" 
• "On and On"
• "What If"
• "Be Brave"
• "There Is Jesus"
• "For the Record"
• "Do You Know How It Feels"
• "I've Won"

After they finished, Duane gave Connie and Sheryl time to get to the top of the stairs to the product table. He asked Peg if she would sing the last chorus of "God on the Mountain" and had everyone sing with her so everyone there could say they sang "God on the Mountain" with Peg and the McKameys!

2018 Southern Gospel Picnic at Silver Dollar City - Day 5

Today was a day I've been looking forward to for a while. With the promise of America's largest hymn sing, it was an event not to be missed! But before the evening's service, I got the chance to see three other groups on park - the Whisnants, 2nd Generation and the New Speer Family. Here are highlights from the day and night.


The Whisnants

• "He's Never Moved"
• "Should Have Been Three" - I don't think I'd ever heard them sing this one live. This featured Austin, Ethan and Jeff. Great song!
• "Faithful" - This was another one I hadn't really heard live. Aaron does a great job on this song. 
• "All Is Well" - One of my all-time favorite Whisnant songs! So glad I got to hear Susan sing it this morning. 
• "I'll Pray for You"
• "I'm Trusting the Blood" - I'm glad they sang this one. Such a powerful song!
• "New Day Dawning"

2nd Generation

• "One More River" 
• "He Will Come Through" - I don't remember hearing Brenda sing this one live before. Such an incredibly powerful song, loved hearing her on this one!
• "Waving on the Other Side" - Always a treat to hear Randy featured on this song! 
• "Faithful As You" - Elaine was featured on this one. I had been a while since I had heard this one live. What a great message!

New Speer Family

This was my first time hearing this group in person, and understandably so considering they have really only been touring a month. This group sounds amazing together! It is pure Southern Gospel. 

• "Heaven's Jubilee"
• "I Feel It in My Soul"
• "I'm Building a Bridge" - Ben Waites was featured on this song and what a voice!!
• "He Is Mine and I Am His" - Loved hearing Allison sing this one! One of the highlights of the day!
• "I Never Shall Forget the Day"

Hymn Sing

This was the event we had all been looking forward to! And what a night it was - one I will not soon forget. We had more than 4,000 voices singing outside hymns for about 1.5 hours. The groups participating were Greater Vision, Mark Trammell Quartet, the Whisnants and the Mylon Hayes Family.

It was such a sweet, sweet time of worship. It's hard not to list every song as a highlight, because every song we sang was a great one - "Victory in Jesus," "Blessed Assurance," "Heaven Came Down and Glory Filled My Soul, "Wonderful Grace of Jesus, "Rock of Ages," and on and on. It was hard not to stop singing and listen throughout the night.

Chris Allman and Mark Trammell backed up Sandi Payton as she played and sang "I Must Tell Jesus." We sang "Jesus Paid It All" and Gerald had the balcony level sing for the main level and then the main level sing for the balcony. It was so sweet to hear all those voices just a cappella.

Here's a clip of the night of "His Eye Is on the Sparrow" and "It Is Well," my favorite hymn of the night -

Fun Clip Friday - Mark Trammell Quartet SGMA

The Southern Gospel Music Hall of Fame announcements were made this week. Check out this clip that Diana Brantley captured when they announced to the Memphis Quartet Show that Mark Trammell was one of this year's inductees!

Homecoming - Mark Trammell Quartet - Concert Recap

In early November, the Mark Trammell Quartet came to Benton, Arkansas. It's always great to see these guys in Arkansas with two group members having Arkansas roots. However, this night was actually at the church that Randy Byrd grew up in and his dad pastored for many years. It was nice to see the response he got from the congregations and the gratitude that he showed toward people who had invested in his life. Randy shared how much the night meant to him and how thankful that he was to get to travel with the Mark Trammell Quartet. It was such a sweet moment!

It was good to hear such a great mix of songs from their latest three projects. We got to hear several classic hymns and gospel standards to the upbeat songs like "I'll Take It to the Grave" and even a few Christmas ones thrown in.

The Lancaster Family from Arkansas sang during the break. They did an a cappella version of "Hallelujah What a Savior," and it was beautiful!

Here are highlights from the night -

• "He Hideth My Soul" - I love their arrangement of this classic hymn that's always been one of my favorites. Blake does an outstanding job on this song.
• "I Know, I Know" - It's good to hear them on this song from their most recent project, Great Moments. Love to hear Nick on this song!
• "Hallelujah" - Trevor has been a great addition to the quartet. He was featured playing this song.
• "My Faith Still Holds" - This song is so powerful from their Full Sail project. They ended the first half with this song.
• "Oh Holy Night" - Randy requested that Mark sing this song, and I am so glad he did! It was the first Christmas song I've gotten to hear live this year, and there's none better. Love Mark's version of this song. After this song they sang another Christmas one, "Glory to God in the Highest."
• "Thanks to Calvary" - It was great hearing Randy on this song! You could tell that the night meant so much to him and he was really felt so much of the song.
• "The King Is Coming" - No group sings this song better. Period.

Saturday Night - National Quartet Convention

Well, NQC 2017 has now come to an end. Since I first discovered gospel music as a teenager, I heard about the National Quartet Convention and how it was a "must" event for gospel music fans. It's been a "bucket list" item for a while for me, and this week I got to check it off. It's truly been an incredible week. I've gotten to attend more than 42 hours of concerts during this week (and I didn't even go to everything!).

This morning's chapel was a hymn sing hosted by Gerald Wolfe and Dr. Tim Hill speaking. It was one of the most precious times of worship I've ever been a part of. The message was one of the best I've ever heard. This afternoon, we got to see a Dixie Melody Boys reunion and a tribute to the television show The Gospel Singing Jubilee.

Here's a look at highlights and commentary from tonight -

• The reunions and tributes were my favorite sets of the night. The Gold City reunion featured Jay Parrack, Mark Trammell, Jonathan Wilburn and the one and only Tim Riley. The Perrys reunion went through the decades starting with the original Perry siblings - Libbi, Debra and Randy. They sang clips of all their hits through the decades. Then, the Nelons did a sweet tribute to Rex Nelon. They had Jason's dad, Dan Clark, singing bass for them. They all lived up to the hype!
• Tribute and the Isaacs had the longer sets tonight. Tribute got to sing a lot from Here For You. Sonya (who hosted along with Scotty Inman tonight) got to give part of her testimony before singing "I Love You More."
• The finale of the night featured #1 songs from eight different groups. Well, except for the Kingdom Heirs who were supposed to sing "Joys of Heaven" but there was a track issue. They ended up having Gerald Wolfe come up and play piano for them on "I Know He Heard My Prayer." This ended up being such a great moment!

Key Performances -

• "I'd Rather Have Jesus" - The Blackwood Brothers featuring Michael Helwig
• "Scars in the Hands of Jesus" - Diplomats
• "When He Calls I'll Fly Away" - Gold City Reunion
• "Every Cry Is Heard" - Jim Brady Trio
• "Jesus Saves" - Tribute Quartet
• "I Wish I Could Have Been There" - The Perrys Reunion
• "Just When You Thought" - Joseph Habedank
• "Damascus Road" - Kingdom Heirs
• "He Is Mine and I Am His" - The Hoppers
• "I Love You More" - The Isaacs
• "It's Almost Over" - The Mark Trammell Quartet
• "Oh, For a Thousand Tongues" - The Nelons
• "Then Came The Morning" - Ernie Haase & Signature Sound
• "Til the Storm Passes By" - Greater Vision

National Quartet Convention - Thursday Night

Day four of the National Quartet Convention is in the books. I attended the afternoon showcase of Aaron Wilburn and the Gaither Homecoming sing-along. I have to say that the two-hour Homecoming sing has been my favorite part thus far of convention. I've never had an experience quite like that one. When I've been to Homecoming concerts in the past, there have never been that many artists on stage at one time.


So for the evening concert, here are highlights -

• Tonight was a sell out. Of course, the Gaither Vocal Band was the closer tonight. They had an extended set as well as the Hoppers.
• The reminder of Heaven was a major theme tonight. Jim Brady shared of his dad's passing and the song that came out of that. Mike LeFevre said goodbye to his mom only a few weeks ago and shared about her passing and then they sang a tribute to her.
• Patriotism was another theme of the night as it has been all week. The Nelons sang several from their recent Americana project. Selah actually joined the Nelons during their set. Of course, Legacy Five sang and played a couple as well. 
• Bill Gaither came up during the Hoppers' set talking about the new album he just worked on with them. Mark Trammell paid a touching tribute to Gaither before singing his song "The King Is Coming."
• The Gaither Vocal Band set was great tonight and gave us something different from what we had been hearing this week. Mark Trammell Quartet, the Hoppers and Tribute Quartet also had some of my favorite sets of the night.

Key Performances -

• "I'll Worship You Again" - The Taylors
• "To Say Goodbye" - LeFevre Quartet
• "When Grandpa Sang Amazing Grace" - The Nelons
• "Hallelujah, Praise the Lamb" - The Talleys
• "It Is Well" (a cappella) - The Isaacs
• "The King Is Coming" - Mark Trammell Quartet
• "Farewell, But Not Forever" - Jim Brady Trio
• "What a Meeting in the Air" - Tribute Quartet
• "Be An Overcoming" - The Hoppers
• "Facts Are Facts" - The Booth Brothers
• "'Til the Storm Passes By" - Gaither Vocal Band
• "It Is Finished" - Gaither Vocal Band

Sunday Night at National Quartet Convention

Today we drove all day to get to Pigeon Forge tonight. We weren't sure if we'd make it in time or be able to go to the kickoff concert, but we made it! The Sunday night bonus concert featured the Hoppers, Mark Trammell Quartet, Tribute Quartet, Tim Lovelace, the Jim Brady Trio and Greater Vision. Each group came out and sang two sets. I have to say overall the second sets were better than the first sets. There were some incredibly powerful moments!

As is pretty typical, we got to hear some songs from some new projects. Mark Trammell Quartet sang several from their Great Moments project. Tribute Quartet also featured one from their quartet tribute CD.

Here are some highlights of the night -

• "Life Is Good" - The Hoppers - Dean is back on stage with them. For them to stand and sing "Life Is Good" with all they have been through with Dean back on stage, you couldn't help but smile.
• "Why Me Lord" - Greater Vision
• "God of the Storms" - Tribute Quartet
• "What a Day That Will Be" - Jim Brady Trio
• "He Is Mine and I Am His" - Mark Trammell Quartet
• "Come on and Go to That Land" - Tribute Quartet
• "Grace at Its Best" - Tribute Quartet 
• "Love of God" - Jim Brady Trio
• "Grace Will Always Be Greater Than Sin" - The Hoppers
• "The King Is Coming" - Mark Trammell Quartet
• "For All He's Done" - Greater Vision

I'm going to tie the two grace songs for the moment of the night with "Grace at its Best" and "Grace Will Always Be Greater Than Sin."

Can't wait for a week full of gospel music!

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"

In Case You Missed It - News and Tidbits - July 17

Here are a few recent news items in Southern Gospel -

• Silver Lining Entertainment presented their faith-based film, “A Question of Faith,” as the closing film at MegaFest 2017. Amber Nelon Thompson is one of the main cast members of the film. With more than 1,000 MegaFest attendees coming out to see the film, the turnout far exceeded expectations. The film is scheduled to release on September 29, 2017 via Pure Flix Entertainment.
• The Mark Trammell Quartet announced the addition of Trevor Conkle as pianst. Trevor is only 19 and has been traveling with the Hoppers most recently. He is from Arab, Alabama. His first date with the group will be July 20. 
• Mark and Carolyn Bishop became grandparents on Saturday July 8 at 1:38 p.m. Lochlan Rhys was born to Mark’s oldest daughter Courtney and son-in-law John Isaacs. Lochlan weighed 7 lbs., 11 oz. and measured 20 inches long.
• Song Garden Music Group welcomed Mercy’s Reign. They were organized in the summer of 2011 and have appeared on The 700 Club and at the National Quartet Convention.

Anything I've missed?

Memphis Quartet Show - Fun Clip Friday

The Memphis Quartet Show is going on this week. That's where I plan on wrapping up my week. It's always a great event!

The Memphis Quartet Show has been sharing a few clips this week on Facebook of concerts, news announcements and even one special moment you don't want to miss! Check them out below for today's Fun Clip Friday!

Praisefest Branson 2017 - Recap - Part 2

Friday morning at Praisefest Branson they teased that there would be a surprise that night. You could hear a few guesses and suspicions of what that might be. The groups scheduled to be there that night were Legacy Five, Cana's Voice, Ernie Haase and Signature Sound and the Mark Trammell Quartet.

Here are a few highlights of the first half of the night -

• "One Holy Lamb" (Legacy Five) - Tenor Josh Feemster was featured on this song. 
• "Hands of a Carpenter" (Legacy Five) - Scott Fowler told a little bit about the background of this song. It was a last minute edition to their latest album. Trey Ivey arranges all their music and Scott sent him the song the night before to arrange. Scott later told him the final piece of including this song on the project would be for Trey to sing it. So Trey stepped out from behind the piano for this one. 

• "Oh for a Thousand Tongues" (Cana's Voice) - They said this was the first song they ever sang together at Wayne Haun's house when they were talking about forming the group. Loved hearing them sing this with just the piano.
• "Jesus Never Fails" (Cana's Voice) - This is one of my favorite songs released in the last year. Love hearing it live!
• "Blessed Assurance" (Ernie Haase and Signature Sound) - I love the group's unique take on this classic hymn. 
• "Get Away Jordan" (Ernie Haase and Signature Sound) - This is always such a fun, uptempo song, and it definitely got the entire audience on its feet clapping along. However, Ernie took it down a notch and took a break between the song to talk about the lyrics of the last verse and what it meant to him especially after George Younce passed. I think it's easy for us to get caught up in the fast songs and sometimes lose the meaning, so I loved that he did this!
• "The King Is Coming" (Mark Trammell Quartet) - Love hearing Mark sing this song! It was their last song of the night.

The Mark Trammell Quartet sang a few songs actually to start the second half. Then, Landon Beene,president of IMC Concerts, came out and said when you had Gerald Wolfe, Ernie Haase, Scott Fowler and Mark Trammell all together, there needed to be a little bit of a Cathedral Reunion segment. Pat Barker was brought on stage to join them for the bass part. Here are some of my favorites that they sang -

• "Echoes From the Burning Bush"
• "Master Builder"
• "Boundless Love"
• "There Is a Fountain" (a cappella)
• "We Shall See Jesus" - This was the last song of the night and was probably the moment of the night!

The tease to a surprise was better than expected! So glad we got this mini Cathedral Family Reunion!

Saturday morning was the last session of the weekend. It was a little sad for it all to come to an end. In addition to great music, we also got to hear great preaching from Phil Hoskins. This was my first time to hear him speak in person. I'm thankful that IMC Concerts included Biblical teaching and preaching during the weekend. 

Saturday morning had music from the Erwins, Cana's Voice and Legacy Five. This was my first time to hear the Erwins in person. Jody McBrayer led the congregation in worship to start the final session of the day with "Oh How I Love Jesus" and "In the Garden." 

Here are a few highlights from the morning - 

• "Greater" (Erwins) - I'm really glad they included this one in their set. It's one of my favorites they sing. 
• "Clouds" (Erwins) - They talked about how the song came from a verse in Nahum. It's such a great song about how great God is if the clouds are the dust at His feet. Keith does a great job on this song. 
• "Big Enough" (Cana's Voice) - Loved hearing this one live. TaRanda also took time to explain where the name of Cana's Voice came from. Jesus used the broken and dirty ceremonial pots to perform his first miracle. She talked about the repurposing of those pots for a new purpose. God had a special plan and way to use them, they felt the same way with their ministry and where they were in their lives. 
• "Great Medley" (Legacy Five) - Love hearing all these old songs together. Their arrangement of these songs is one of my favorite songs from that project. 
• "Christ Is Still the King" (Legacy Five) - Such a great song to end the weekend on!

If you ever get a chance to attend a Praisefest event, I highly recommend it! Check out IMC Concerts for information on next year's event or one near you!

Praisefest Branson 2017 - Part 1

Praisefest Branson was one of those events I'd always heard about but never been able to experience. This year, I decided to fix that. The event was held at the Mansion Theater over the course of three days with more than 10 different artists. 

As my grandmother and I were driving back to where we stayed Thursday night, we said if the rest of the weekend was like that it would be one of those events we wouldn't forget. It was! I keep trying to pinpoint a favorite session, but they were all great and different because of the artists, comedian or speaker. 

Gerald Wolfe kicked off the first night with a little hymn singing "The Family of God" and "Because He Lives." On Thursday night, the featured artists were the Jim Brady Trio, Greater Vision, Aaron Wilburn and Triumphant Quartet.

Here are some highlights of Thursday night (in order of the night) - 

• "Greatest of All Miracles" (Jim Brady Trio) - I love to hear Melissa Brady sing this Squire Parsons song. She talked about her dad and what a great testimony he had of completely turning his life around for Christ.
• "I Know a Man Who Can" (Greater Vision) - No surprise that Greater Vision had some requests for this song. In my opinion, no one does it better than Chris.
• "Hallelujah" (Triumphant Quartet) - The group sang its own version of this song that was included on their latest Christmas project. If you see them anytime soon, make sure to request this song. Each member takes a verse and it walks through the life of Christ to the melody of the popular Leonard Cohen song. 
• "Side by Side" (Aaron Wilburn) - This definitely wasn't the most spiritual moment of the night, but Aaron Wilburn sang the song that George Younce sang during one of his public appearances. The audience definitely enjoyed it!
• "He Is" (Triumphant Quartet) - The quartet ended their second set with this song. I love their version of this song that is such a reminder of God's power and presence throughout all of scripture.
• "That Sounds Like Home to Me" (Jim Brady Trio) - Loved hearing the trio on this Goodman classic.
• "My Name is Lazarus" (Greater Vision) - Greater Vision ended the night with probably Rodney Griffin's most-loved song.

Friday morning started the same way as Thursday night with Gerald leading the audience in a couple of hymns. 

Here are highlights of Friday morning - 

• "Hallelujah Square" (Greater Vision) - I think this was another request from the night before. Always enjoy hearing Chris on this one!
• "I'll Carry Him" (Greater Vision) - I don't get to hear this song often enough live! I forget what a powerful song it is. So glad they chose to include this in the morning set!
• "I Walked Today Where Jesus Walked" (TaRanda Greene) - I was really glad that she did a few solo songs that morning. I don't remember ever getting to hear her sing this one live. It's such an incredibly powerful song!
• "It Is Well With My Soul" (TaRanda Greene) - Her version of this hymn is simply incredible! Probably the moment of the morning for me! (Funny side note: Aaron Wilburn was right after this, he took the stage and asked, "How do I even begin to follow that?" )
  
• "Lay Up Treasures in Heaven" (Mark Trammell Quartet) - They sang several fast songs from their latest project, but this one is probably my favorite.
• "My Faith Still Holds" (Mark Trammell Quartet) - Love, love, love this song from their Full Sail project. It's always a highlight to hear them sing this in person. 
• "Too Much to Gain to Lose" (Mark Trammell Quartet) - Love hearing Mark featured on this song!

Will post the second session on Friday and Saturday morning later this week!

Top Moments of 2016

Each year, I enjoy looking back at the top moments of the year. I look back at either memorable concerts or moments that I experienced live either in person or via webcast. This year they were all in person and it seemed that they either occurred toward the beginning of the year or toward the end. Here's a look at the top 5 moments of the year -


5. Home for Christmas Tour - It's no secret that I love all things Christmas, so when two top groups (The Whisnants and the Mark Trammell Quartet) team up for a tour chances are it's going to make the list of top moments. I was able to see them on their first night of the tour this year, and it was the perfect night to put you in the Christmas spirit. Not only was it full of great Christmas songs, but they had a few of their newer songs too that made for some great, worshipful moments. Here's the full recap.

4. Sheri Easter testimony - This was a moment that came early in the year in January actually. Jeff and Sheri Easter were in concert in Sherwood, Arkansas. Sheri spoke candidly about life-defining moments, her breast cancer diagnosis and the death of her father at a young age. Life happens to everyone, but it's what we do about it, how we come through it and the perspective we gain from it. She sang "Jesus Loves You," which made for such a touching moment. Read the full concert recap here.

3.  Crabb Family Reunion Concert - Last year this the moment of the year, and it was definitely one of the best this year as well. I love seeing this family together, knowing how much they have been through together and as individuals. It was an incredible night! It was very nostalgic hearing so many classic Crabb Family songs. Read more on the night here.

2. Tribute Quartet concert on Dec. 1 - Ironically, my first and last concert of the year was Tribute Quartet in Ward, Ark. The church liked them so well in January, they had them back in December. And I'm glad they did. You can read my full recap here, but it was one of the sweetest nights of worship I experienced this year.

1. Gospel Music Hymn Sing in Conroe, Texas - This moment was easy to identify. In October, I got the chance to visit a friend in Houston. It happened to be the same weekend as the Gospel Music Hymn Sing in Conroe, Texas. So I took advantage of that trip to pass through Conroe on my way home, and I'm glad I did! Because of the DVD taping, we were allowed to have our phones our during the concert, so I have no real photos or notes, but it's a night I won't forget. The choir from Mims Baptist was amazing. The artists on stage included Greater Vision, Mark Trammell Quartet, the Whisnants, Karen Peck & New River, Jim Brady Trio, the Mylon Hayes Family, Pat Barker and Stan Whitmire. There was such an incredible spirit that night. I loved the hymn singing, and you could hear the entire congregation singing along. I can't wait for the DVD to release soon.


What are some of the top moments you have seen this year?

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all! I hope you are all have a wonderful holiday celebrating the birth of our Savior. Here are a few of my favorite Christmas songs. Enjoy!

Southern Gospel Christmas CD 2016 Releases - Part 2

Next week is Christmas! If you're looking for some more great Christmas music for the holiday season, here are three other Southern Gospel Christmas releases this year!


Glad Tidings (Home for Christmas Series) - The Whisnants and Mark Trammell Quartet

This is the second Christmas CD the two groups have done together. The project includes more non-traditional and new Christmas songs than the first. I like the mix of the groups singing together and then each group having a few songs that are their own.

As much as I love traditional Christmas songs and carols, my favorite songs on this project are the new ones or ones that you aren't as familiar with.

Favorites -

• "That's Why We Adore Him" - Incredible song for any time of year!
• "His Excellent Greatness"
• "Ordinary Donkey, Carrying a King" - I love songs from a unique perspective on the Christmas story, and this one fits the bill!
• "Glad Tidings" - The title track features both groups and really gets you in the Christmas spirit. 

Song List -
1. "Glad Tidings"
2. "Glory To God In The Highest"
3. "Away In A Manger"
4. "Christmas Is Coming Again"
5. "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel"
6. "Glory"
7. "That’s Why We Adore Him"
8. "Hark The Herald Angels Sing"
9. "Silver Bells"
10. "His Excellent Greatness"
11. "Ordinary Donkey, Carrying A King"


He Is Christmas - Triumphant Quartet

I like that they included the more traditional songs in medleys to switch things up a little. It was also a good way to incorporate some of the fun, nonsecular songs into the project.

They had a choir backing them up on several songs, which was a really nice touch especially on "Jesus, What a Wonderful Child."

Triumphant fans will recognize "He Is" (the books of the Bible song). You don't think about it as a Christmas song, but it does work!


Favorite Songs -

• "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" - I really like their a cappella take on this song!
• "Mary Did You Know" - Eric's version is a new favorite. 
• "Hallelujah" - I've never heard this Christmas version before, but loved it. Don't skip this song. 
• "Hope Has Hands"

Song List -
1. "Repeat the Sounding Joy"
2. "Celebration Medley"
3. "He Is"
4. "Hallelujah"
5. "Blessed Be the Day (Of Our Savior's Birth)"
6. "Medley of Fun"
7. "Thank God for Kids"
8. "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen"
9. "Jesus, What a Wonderful Child"
10. "Mary Did You Know?"
11. "Hope Has Hands"
12. "Jesus Is Lord for all Time"


Messiah - Legacy Five

Legacy Five released this Christmas EP this year. They are all songs that you have probably heard of but not familiar enough that you know all the words to. It begins with a big instrumental "Prelude" to kick off the Christmas feeling.

With a six song EP, you'll find yourself wanting more, but this is great taste of Christmas!

Favorite Songs -

• "For Unto Us a Child Is Born" - I really like this arrangement. The bass step out lines by Matt Fouch are great!
• "I Pray on Christmas" - I like the soulful feel to this song.
• "Mary's Wish" - Beautiful song!

Song List -

1. "Prelude"
2. "For Unto Us a Child Is Born"
3. "I Can Still Celebrate Christmas"
4. "I Pray on Christmas"
5. "Mary's Wish"
6. "Hallelujah Chorus"

Home for Christmas with Whisnants and Mark Trammell Quartet - Concert Recap

There's nothing better than a Christmas concert right after Thanksgiving to get you in the holiday spirit. And a concert with two of the top artists in gospel music, even better! This was my second year to see the Mark Trammell Quartet and the Whisnants joint Christmas tour, Home for Christmas. It was the perfect way to kick off the Christmas season.

I love how these groups work so well together. This year, Vilonia, Arkansas was the first stop on the tour, so we got to see the first concert this year. They had a new joint Christmas CD out this year, so it was great to hear so many songs from that.

Here are some highlights of the night -

• "His Excellent Greatness" - This was one of the new songs featuring both Jeff Whisnant and Nick Trammell. I wasn't really familiar with the song, but it's not a brand new song. Glad this was one they chose to record.
• "Strange Way to Save the World" - Ethan Whisnant does a great job on this song!
• "Ordinary Donkey, Carrying a King" - Love this new song that features Susan. It's tells the story of Jesus' birth from the perspective of the donkey carrying Mary and Joseph that night, such a unique song!
• Non-Christmas Songs - It was the Christmas season, but I'm so glad the groups threw in a few non-Christmas songs. The Whisnants sang "All Is Well," and it was one of the most powerful moments of the night. Mark Trammell Quartet also sang one of their new songs, "My Faith Still Holds," such an incredible song. Of course, we had to hear a bit of "New Day Dawning," which the audience was on its feet clapping along. 
• Traditional Christmas songs - They sang several familiar Christmas favorites like "Away in a Manger" and "Silent Night."
• "Beautiful Star of Bethlehem" - One of my favorites and Mark Trammell Quartet does this one the best!
• "O Holy Night" - Mark Trammell sings this one solo, and his version is one of my favorites. 
• "That's Why We Adore Him" - I love this song!! This one is one the new Christmas project and features the Whisnants. Beautiful song!!

I hope this tour with the Whisnants and Mark Trammell Quartet will continue for years to come! I love that this is becoming a Christmas tradition.

2016 National Quartet Convention - Saturday Night Recap

The 2016 National Quartet Convention is now complete. It was a great year. I am looking forward to seeing some of the performances again on demand and also catching what I missed Friday night. Here are my thoughts and highlights from the last night of NQC -

Commentary/ Highlights -

• It was great to see so many of the younger generation in Southern Gospel highlighted tonight. I loved what the Erwins did by having so many of them join them on stage for "I Choose to Be a Christian." It was definitely a highlight of the night. The Bowling sisters singing "At the Cross" was another incredible moment. That sister harmony cannot be beat!
• The hour of Tribute and Triumphant Quartets were the best of the night. These two groups had the longer sets of the night. Tribute again sang a lot from their new project again. I loved hearing all the new songs; their new project is a must buy! They ended their set with Triumphant joining them on "I Remember the Day." Triumphant then did a lot of favorites and requests. They closed with "He Is," great moment!
• Gerald Wolfe had some chest congestion so he asked Mark Trammell to join Greater Vision on stage to help him sing. During their set, he said he felt like he could sing bass like J.D. So they did the Cathedrals arrangement of "Wonderful Grace of Jesus" with him singing bass. 
• I have to say I was expecting more during the finale. I was a little disappointed that several groups didn't come back to the stage and sing some of their hits. 
• Voices of Lee, though not officially on the program this year, made an appearance during Gordon Mote and Mark Trammell Quartet's sets. They also sang a great arrangement of "Good, Good Father." 

Favorite Songs/ Performances of the Night -

• "I Choose to Be a Christian" - The Erwins
• "At the Cross" - Bowling Family (sisters)
• "Only Jesus Can Heal This Hurting World" - Gordon Mote
• "Holy Shore" - Perrys
• "My Faith Still Holds" - Mark Trammell Quartet (with Voices of Lee)
• "When the Prodigal Comes Home" - Tribute Quartet
• "He Is" - Triumphant Quartet
• "His Life for Mine" - The Talleys
• "Wonderful Grace of Jesus" - Greater Vision with Mark Trammell

2016 National Quartet Convention - Thursday Night Recap

It's hard to believe that Thursday night is already over. I tuned in tonight in time to catch the end of the McKameys set. I was in and out some but was able to watch most of the webcast after that.

Commentary/ Highlights -

• The set of the night has to go to the Mark Trammell Quartet. Each song they sang, I kept thinking this was the highlight of the set, but they kept getting better and better. They sang several songs from their latest project, Full Sail. Apparently Sunday night they sang one and had a little mishap on the words. They made some jokes about it tonight, and tonight every word was sung! Blake Buffin is really doing a great job on tenor with them. Love their arrangement of "He Hideth My Soul," but the last song of the set was probably my favorite, "My Faith Still Holds."
• Last night it was Trey Ivey, tonight it was Bryan Elliot. It's good to see some of these vocally talented piano players getting a chance to step up to the mic. Gold City featured Bryan on "When I Get Carried Away." It was good to hear him sing!
• Greater Vision pulled up young Eli Shaw, who some might remember from Singing in the Sun at Myrtle Beach. The clip of him singing "I Know a Man Who Can" with them quickly went viral. He was there tonight, so Mark Trammell actually suggested him coming up to join Greater Vision on the stage again.
• The Nelons teased on Facebook that they would have a special guest on stage with them tonight. Karen Peck Gooch joined the Nelons for a highlight of the night, "Old Friends." It was sweet to see Kelly and Karen both get teary-eyed as they sang. Kelly joked at the end that they made it through it. 
• Remember Jeff Chapman in your prayers as the Kingdom Heirs were a trio tonight. He just went to the hospital with elevated blood pressure for precaution since he's just had a stent put in recently. The Kingdom Heirs pulled up Quartet Gilead to finish up the night with them on "He Locked the Gates."
• Matt Rankin of Soul'd Out Quartet paid tribute to Ian Owens who will be coming off the road in November. Ian was featured on a song that he's become known for, "I Believe."

Favorite Performances/ Songs -

• "Praise His Name" - Jeff & Sheri Easter
• "There Rose a Lamb" - Gold City
• "Keep On" - Perrys
• "Faces" - Greater Vision
• "My Faith Still Holds" - Mark Trammell Quartet
• "Old Friends" - The Nelons with Karen Peck Gooch
• "Moment of Grace" - Booth Brothers
• "I'd Rather Have Jesus" - Kingdom Heirs
• "Worship You Again" - The Taylors
• "Arise My Love" - Soul'd Out Quartet

I won't be able to watch any Friday night but will tune in again on Saturday for the last night!

2016 National Quartet Convention - Wednesday Night

Overall this has been the strongest night so far of the convention. I started watching during the end of the Mylon Hayes Family's set tonight. I was in and out a bit, but got to see most of it from then on.

Commentary/ Highlights -

• I am struggling to crown a set of the night. It's a toss up between the Hoppers and the Second-Half Quartet. It was good to hear from the Hoppers' new project as well favorites like "Jerusalem." I also was glad that the Hoppers included the Hopper Brothers 2.0 coming up and singing "I Know." I think after this week people are going to be interested in seeing more and more from the Second-Half Quartet. I think people love their sound and the voices with just piano and bass. 
• Kudos to the Ball Brothers for doing an a cappella number tonight. A cappella is challenging anyway, but especially at NQC. However these guys pulled it off with "I Shall Know Him."
• It's good to see Trey Ivey step out from behind the piano. I really enjoyed hearing him sing "In the Hands of a Carpenter."
• Susan Whisnant singing "I Love You This Much" was definitely one of the top moments of the night. It was sweet how she asked where her parents where in the audience before singing and how she paid tribute to her mom. 
• I don't know who came up with #DaywindBusKaraoke, but thank you. Hilarious, especially Legacy Five's impersonation of Tribute. 
• Ernie Haase joined Legacy Five on stage for "He Made a Change" for a nice Cathedral tribute. 
• The webcast cut out for me during the Talleys set. I saw the first song and then it came back in during them singing with the audience "What a Day That Will Be." 
• I would have rearranged the schedule a bit tonight. Nothing against the Browns, but the part where all the Daywind artists came back to the stage and sang some of their most popular songs felt like the finale. It was one of my favorite parts of the night. 

Favorite Songs/ Performances -

• "I Shall Know Him" - Ball Brothers
• "It's Almost Over" - Mark Trammell Quartet
• "Pray Now" - Karen Peck & New River
• "Sometimes I Cry" - Jason Crabb
• "I've Come Too Far" - Hoppers
• "Standing on Holy Ground" - Second-Half Quartet
• "After All This Time" - Talleys
• "I Love You This Much" - The Whisnants
• "God of the Storms" - Tribute Quartet
• "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross" - Legacy Five
• "Jesus The One" - Hoppers
• "Christ Is Still the King" - Legacy Five joined by Tribute Quartet