National Quartet Convention - Monday Night Recap

Unfortunately, I am not at NQC in person this year. Last year was my first time to be there in person, and if you are a gospel fan, I highly recommend it. But this year, for me, the webcast will have to do. You can still subscribe if you are interested and you'll get to watch this year and last year on demand through the end of the year.

I tuned in tonight to catch the last part of the Jim Brady Trio's set, so I missed about the first hour of the night.

Highlights and Commentary -

• The Tracy Stuffle tribute was not a moment I will soon forget. It was incredible and so touching to see all the former members come back to pay tribute. They sang "I Know It Was the Blood," "Plan of Salvation" with a video of Tracy, "I Rest My Case at the Cross," and then Libbi sang "I Will Find You Again." Major kudos to Libbi for powering through the song, because I couldn't see for tears by the end. It was great to hear all the quotes about Tracy from former members. The whole set was just class and such a touching tribute.
• Clarke Beasley honored Libbi as a "hero of faith" before she left the stage. He then pulled up Kim Hopper and Chris Allman to sing "More Than Wonderful" in her honor as they have watched her faith remain steadfast through all the trials of the past several years. It was good to see her recognized as well as Tracy.
• I enjoyed the longer sets of Karen Peck & New River and the Kingdom Heirs tonight. 
• Karen Peck Gooch came up and joined former group member John Darin Rowsey and the Guardians on a song she cowrote "Uncommon Praise." I love when moments like that happen at NQC.
• Of course, with NQC comes the release of several new projects. It was good to hear several groups debuting new songs on the main stage - the Guardians, Jim Brady Trio and Gold City. 

Favorite Performances -

• "Ordinary Love" - Jim Brady Trio
• "I Will Find You Again" - The Perrys 
• "Gotta Be Saved" - Karen Peck & New River
• "The Cross Is All the Proof I Need" - Triumphant Quartet 
• "My Hope Is in the Blood" - Primitive Quartet
• "God Fights on my Side" - The Guardians
• "Calvary Answers for Me" - Kingdom Heirs
• "All My Hope" - Gold City

In Case You Missed It - News and Tidbits - Sept. 23

Here are some news items from this week in Southern Gospel music -

• The McKameys announced that 2019 will be the group's final year of touring. 
• Riley Harrison Clark of Tribute Quartet signed a contract for solo record with Daywind Records. His solo project, Welcome To Me, will release on September 28.
• The Perrys released a new concept video for "It Carried Him." Check it out below!

2018 Southern Gospel Picnic Day One - Showers of Blessing

The first day of the 2018 Southern Gospel Picnic at Silver Dollar City. If you've read my blog in previous years, you know this is an event I look forward to every year. It's the event that really drew me into the music and enabled me to see many of my favorite artists live for the first time.

The groups I saw on park today were - Jim Brady Trio, the Perrys, Southern Raised and the Isaacs. After tonight, I'm adding the Isaacs to the list of groups I've sat in the rain to watch. I feel like that list grows each year, but it was well worth it. Here are highlights from each group - 

Jim Brady Trio

• "Calvary" - This is a song from their brand new project that Melissa wrote. It's such a powerful song that I feel like is going to become a staple in their sets.
• "Sounds Like Home To Me" - They repeated the chorus a cappella on this one and it was amazing!!
• "The Greatest of All Miracles" - I love to hear Melissa sing this song! This is one of my all-time favorites
• "Little Things" - This was another new one that Jim wrote in honor of his dad. This was a great song that Jim sang and played guitar on. The previews of their new project I got today made me really excited to hear this full album!
• "Homesick of Heaven"

The Perrys

• It was good to hear them go back and do a few songs from Through the Night - "One of Those Mornings" and "I Got a Hold of God This Morning."
• "Did I Mention"
• "Damascus Road" - This is always a fun one to see and hear live!
• "If You Knew Him"
• "Find Me Faithful" - Libbi gave a little bit of testimony before this song sharing about how you have to choose joy daily after all they have been through this year. 

Southern Raised

• "Glorious Day"
• "Amazing Grace"
• I have only seen this group a few times, but their talent amazes me every time from vocals to their playing ability.

The Isaacs

Of course right before the Echo Hollow show, the heavens open and rain comes down. It had been raining off and on during the day, but when the shows are inside it doesn't affect you as when you have to sit in it. Thankfully, the rain never got very hard and it did clear up for most of the show. 

• Their new project features some newly recorded favorite songs, so it was good to hear some of those live again - "I Have a Father Who Can," "By His Stripes" and "
• "From the Depths of My Heart"
• "I'm Gonna Love You Through It" - I remember them debuting this song at Silver Dollar City several years ago. Lily read the excerpt from her book of when she found out she had cancer and how her family was there for her. Love this song and thankful it's gotten some recent new life on social media.
• "Stand Still" - I've always been a big fan of this song, but the message just really hit home tonight.
• "Walk On"
• "It Is Well With My Soul" - Love hearing this sing this a capella! Definitely the moment of the night!
• "He Ain't Never Done Me Nothing But Good"

Experiencing the Peace of God - The Perrys - Concert Recap

When I saw that the Perrys were booked in Little Rock at the end of February, I of course put it on my calendar. I didn't realize then how the group would change over the weeks before then, how their world would be shaken with the death of patriarch Tracy Stuffle. When I got there that night, I knew it would be different seeing them again. I just didn't realize the kind of different. But when people have gone through a major loss and can stand on stage and proclaim the name of Jesus and how faithful He is, it's a special kind of worship. The hurt is fresh, but their love and dedication to God hasn't wavered. You can tell that every song maybe means even more than before. Every word that is sung is felt deep down because they are living it. Sometimes in the greatest times of grief, there's the sweetest kind of worship because we can be reassured of just how good God is. That's what the Perrys showed that night.

The Perrys sang several songs from Testament. They started the night with "Let's Stop for a Moment" and also sang their latest single "Moses and Elijah." I was so glad that Troy sang his feature, "Sing in the Valley." This is such an incredible song and fits Troy perfectly. Andrew also sang "It Carried Him," another favorite from that project. Love this song!

They pulled out a few older songs like Libbi singing "Did I Mention" and "Calvary Answers for Me." Andrew does such a great job on that song. They sang several Goodman songs, "Living in Canaan Now," "I Wouldn't Take Nothing for My Journey Now" and then "God Walks the Dark Hills." It was such a sweet spirit with Libbi singing "God Walks the Dark Hills," incredible moment.

Libbi talked about their journey over the last few weeks and how she's learned more and more about the peace and sustaining grace of God. She sang "Celebrate Me Home" while they showed pictures of Tracy with family and friends. It was such a touching tribute to Tracy and a way to honor him, his memory and share with the people a little more about his passing and the journey they have been on in the weeks prior.

They planned on closing the night with "If You Knew Him," until the pastor asked for one more song, a barn-burner, so they started the track for "I Wish I Could Have Been There." It had the entire audience on its feet clapping along.

I'm so thankful for the worship that night. It was easy to see the peace that can only come from truly knowing God and walking with Him even in the hardest of times. Sometimes the sweetest worship can come during the times of greatest grief and that's what I got to witness that night.

In Case You Missed It - News and Tidbits - February 10

Here are some news items from this week in Southern Gospel music -

• The homegoing for Tracy Stuffle was held in Nashville on Tuesday. The homegoing service is available to watch online via First Baptist Hendersonville. The Perrys are honoring all dates this weekend. They sang at Bill Bailey's Winter Convention last night. You can see their set here.
• Abraham Productions, Inc. (API) announced it will be giving away a new Ford Focus SE on Saturday night, April 21, 2018 at Singing in the Sun at Myrtle Beach to someone in attendance. The vehicle, valued at $20,145.00, is fully loaded. You must be present to win and eligible according to the car giveaway guidelines listed on the API website. In addition, if the winner of the Ford Focus SE has been in attendance 5 of the 6 days at Singing in the Sun, not only will they win the brand new car, but they will also win tickets to every Abraham Productions Concert in 2018, tickets to Singing in the Sun next year, and $1,000 cash.
• Absolutely Gospel announced that Amber Nelon Thompson and Joseph Habedank will once again host their awards show this year. The awards will be held on Tuesday, April 10. Performers for the ceremony will be Michael English, Karen Peck & New River, Tribute Quartet, 11th Hour, Joseph Habedank, the Freemans, the Nelons, Michael Combs, New Legacy Project, Griffith Family and the New Speer Family.
• The National Quartet Convention announced three hosts for the evening concerts - Josh Franks, Duane Garren, and Bill Bailey. 

Anything I've missed?

Tracy Stuffle Passes Away

This morning Tracy Stuffle was promoted to Heaven. On Monday, he had a grand mal seizure that left him unresponsive for several days. They removed the ventilator on Saturday around 1 p.m. CST. Please keep Libbi, Jared, Lindsey, Troy, Andrew and all the family in your prayers during this time.

Arrangements have not been announced at this time.

Here is Libbi's post on Facebook on Sunday morning -

Heaven gained a hero and a saint of God at 2:54am!! As family gathered to sing Tracy home, he passed while I held him in my arms. It didn't take long until shouting and rejoicing started in the ICU room because we know Tracy has gained his glorified body. Arrangements will be announced soon, but a service will be held in Hendersonville, TN. All glory be to God, we've come too far to turn back now. Lib & Jared Stuffle

Here's Libbi's post on Facebook on Saturday morning -

Where do I even begin with this update?!?!? My heart is soooo torn into pieces right now. On Monday evening Tracy had a massive grand mal seizure. He was taken to a near by hospital where he seized for over an hour. A 10 or 12 team of drs and nurses worked on him for 2 hours to get him stable before transporting him to Centennial Hospital in Nashville. All beds were full at St Thomas Midtown where he normally goes. When transported to Centennial another set of drs and nurses worked on him and ran numerous tests on him. He was immediately put in ICU on a ventilator, Tracy was at that time was unresponsive. Drs have worked with him for the past 5 days doing everything they can to get him to respond in some way. But, nothing has worked. We (me, Jared and Tracy’s dad George) have made the decision to take Tracy off the ventilator today around 1PM cst. Drs feel that Tracy’s life would be as it is now if left on the vent. Y’all know me, I have fought tooth and toenail for my man over the past 5 years!! I made him a promise 5 years ago when he came home from having the stroke that I would carry him on my back if that’s what it took to give him a life he deserved. I have tried with every fiber within me to do just that!!! I can’t even start to imagine my life, our lives without him!!!! We have fought soooo many storms of life together. For 25 years it was just me and him, living life and Lovin it. Then God blessed us with the most incredible son, then we became the three stooges in life!!!! Always living life to its fullest! Tracy always wanted to have a little girl, so God sent Lindsey to our family as Jared’s wife. Tracy was beyond thrilled!! He finally got his little girl!! He loved and adored her sooooo much and told her so!! We became the fabulous 4 ( well 7 counting the fur babies)! We have leaned on each other in the good times and bad! Now.............our lives are fixing to change again................but, without our main man, my husband, JK and Lindsey’s dad. Y’all our extended family have been soooo incredible to hold us up before God, can I ask you again to please, please, please hold us up in these next few days and in the days ahead of us?!?!? My faith and trust in Jesus is still as strong as ever!!! We pray His will and not ours!!! God has been incredible to us in the past 5 years, and I know He will give us grace, comfort and mercy through this season in our lives!!

In Case You Missed It - News and Tidbits - February 3

Here are some news from this week in Southern Gospel music -

• Please pray for Tracy Stuffle and the family. He was hospitalized on Monday after having a grand mal seizure. He's been unresponsive since then. Please remember Libbi, Jared, Lindsey and all the Perrys and family in the days ahead.
• Myron Cook, former upright bass guitarist for the Inspirations, was hospitalized on Thursday, February 1, in Knoxville, Tennessee where he is being treated for an acute attack of kidney stones and dehydration. Keep him in your prayers.
• Tom Rainer, who sang lead for several quartets, including the Homeland Harmony Quartet, passed away on Jan. 15, 2018 in Shreveport, Louisiana. Keep his family in your prayers.
• Effective with the March 2018 issue, Danny Jones has been promoted to publisher of Singing News. This announcement was made by Kevin Anderson, the General Manager of Salem Media Group’s Nashville Operations.
• Mike Watson, one of the founding members of the Southern Gospel group Exodus passed away on Jan. 27, 2018 after battling cancer. His memorial service was held this past week in Gadsden, Alabama.

Anything I've missed?

2017 Christmas Releases

'Tis the season for Christmas music. If you are anything like me, Christmas music actually started about a month ago. I'm not a wait until after Thanksgiving kind of person.

If you are looking for some new music to add to your collection this year, several artists have released new Christmas projects. Here's a closer look at these albums -

The Perrys - A Very Perry Christmas

The Perrys released their first Christmas project in the history of the group. The project has many traditional songs along with a few fun expected ones like "Mele Kalilimaka." Libbi's rendition of "Silver Bells" and Andrew's version of "O Holy Night" are not to be missed!

I really enjoyed "Silver and Gold" that featured Troy. It's not a song that overdone, so I was glad to see this one make the cut. Another highlight is "We Need a Silent Night/ Silent Night." It's a nice mix of a new song with a Christmas classic. "Love Is Alive Forever" is a old Poet Voices song that I was not familiar with. It's not super Christmasy; however, I think it's a great addition to this album. I really liked that this project didn't have a lot of the standard Christmas songs, but really offers listeners something different with song selection.


Doug Anderson - Back Porch Christmas

Back Porch Christmas is a collection of eight Christmas songs. I'll be honest the opening song and title track just made me laugh because the lyrics are so true to life for what many of our family Christmases look like. It's a great song that I'm sure I'm not the only one who will relate to it.

This project also offers listeners a variation from your typical Christmas songs. "I'll Be Home for Christmas" is the probably the most recognized song. I love all the new Christmas songs. Most of the songs are Christ-centered. I love how these songs make you think about the story we are all so familiar with in different ways. "When I Think of Bethlehem" is not a song to be missed! "Christmas in Heaven" is sweet song that can make the holidays a little more bearable when thinking about the loved ones no longer with us. The highlight of the project for me is "The Manger and the Cross,"


Roger Talley - Christmas Piano Classics

If you don't already have your tree up, this is the perfect project to turn on while you are decking the halls. The first half has a lot of your secular favorites like "Silver Bells," "The Christmas Song" and "I'll Be Home for Christmas" while the second half has more of our church favorites. You'll find traditional carols like "Silent Night" and "The First Noel" as well as "Do You Hear What I Hear."

Roger Talley is known for his arrangements and this album is no exception. I love the tracks where he's meshed two songs like "O Come, O Come Emmanuel/ O Come Let Us Adore Him" and "We Need a Little Christmas/ It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas."


High Road - Wonder

This is an EP of six Christmas songs. It starts out with "I Wonder as I Wander," which has a nice classic, almost Celtic feel. "The Night Before Christmas" has a more country feel. It sounds familiar but I can't find that it's a previously recorded song. "Let Us Not Forget" is another great country-flavored song that reminds us what Christmas should really be about. It's my favorite song on the project.

They also have a great version of "O Holy Night" with a simple piano arrangement. The group included two instrumental songs on the project "For the Beauty of the Earth" and "Winter Wonderland."

In Case You Missed It - News and Tidbits - October 28

Here are news items from this week in Southern Gospel music -

• Congratulations to Morgan Easter and Landan Smith who got married on Wednesday, Oct. 25 in Lincolnton, Georgia!
• Former National Quartet Convention (NQC) board member and Director Don Shumate passed away on October 24, 2017 at age 88. The funeral service was held Friday, October 27, 2017 in Lebanon Tennessee.
• Karen Peck & New River was featured on Joni's Table Talk on Daystar on Thursday.
• Prayers requested for Down East Boys bass singer Rick Walls. He was admitted to the hospital in Monterey, California after experiencing severe abdominal pain. After evaluation by doctors he was admitted for a minimum of three days for further testing. 
• Tracy Stuffle is home after being in the hospital this week. Pray as he continues to recover from his Watchman procedure and heart cath and that his AFib will be controlled. Tracy will have to have a pacemaker later on. 

Anything I've missed?

Fun Clip Friday - NQC

Excuse the lack of posts this week, I'm still recovering a bit from NQC last week. So in honor of that, here are two clips of NQC from last week. The reunions the week features were some of my favorite sets. Here's a look at the Gold City reunion and the Perrys reunion. Enjoy!

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 - Wednesday Night

We're more than half way over with the 2017 National Quartet Convention. Only three nights left! Wednesday was another night full of great music. And everything seemed to run a little bit ahead of schedule.

Here's a look at highlights and commentary from the night -

• It was a night for quartets. Kingdom Heirs, Second Half Quartet and Triumphant were all featured artists having a longer (30ish minutes) set. It's a toss up with Second Half and Triumphant for the best set of the night. With Second Half, they took the time to tell a little bit about how the group came to be. It's good to hear just the voices the the piano and bass guitar. Triumphant sang a few songs from Thankful including the title song and their two-time #1, "Chain Breaker." Eric got to share a little bit about how much the song "Chain Breaker" is changing lives.
• Specials guests were a plenty tonight. Karen Peck & New River's set featured the Wilmington Celebration Choir. Jeff Easter in true Jeff Easter fashion was kind enough to share the stage with Michael Combs and Eli Fortner both of whom have undergone transplant surgery this year.
• For those who left before the power half-hour, they missed some incredible young talent. The Chitans was the showcase winner. The group is five young siblings. 
• Layke Jones and Morgan Easter were the hosts for the night. It's been so good to see the younger generation of Southern Gospel artists showcased in this way this week. 
• There were a number of debuts tonight with new songs and new featured singers. Gold City debuted its new single "I Will Stand." Jason Crabb also sang another new one his dad wrote, "God Works in Mysterious Ways." Kingdom Heirs also sang a few new ones with "Heaven Will Be Sweeter" being a highlight of the night. I think this was the Wilmington Choir's first trip to the mainstage of NQC. Also, the Perrys featured Jared Stuffle for the first time on main stage. 

Key Performances

• "I Will Stand" - Gold City
• "What a Day That Will Be" - The Guardians
• "Heaven Just Got Sweeter" - Kingdom Heirs
• "Like My Mother Does" - Jeff and Sheri Easter
• "Let the Church Arise" - LeFevre Quartet
• "Hope for All Nations" - Karen Peck & New River
• "God Works in Mysterious Ways" - Jason Crabb
• "I Love You This Much" - The Whisnants
• "Wonderful Grace of Jesus" - Second Half Quartet
• "Then I Met the Master" - Booth Brothers
• "It Carried Him" - The Perrys
• "Hallelujah" - Triumphant Quartet

Fun Clip Friday - Perrys Christmas

The Perrys are gearing up for their first Christmas album. They had a very Perry Christmas party yesterday to get ready for it.  Check out this movie from their Facebook Live yesterday.

Enjoying Testament with the Perrys - Concert Recap

I love seeing groups around the time of a new project release. As many times as you can listen to songs on a CD, there's just something about hearing them live. There's something about seeing the power of a lyric communicated during a live setting. The song can take on a new meaning and can speak to you differently. I was glad to see that the Perrys were in my area just a few weeks ago after their release of Testament on June 9. Of course, they sang many of their most requested songs, but it was so good to hear them stage and sing a lot of their brand new songs.

They started out with a few familiar ones like "His Love Lights the Way," "It Was the Blood" and "I Rest My Case at the Cross." Then, they started singing a lot of their newer songs like

• "The Harder the Battle, The Sweeter the Victory" - Of course, this isn't exactly a new song, but it is a newly recorded song by the Perrys. 
• "Sing in the Valley" - Troy does such an incredible job on this song. I feel like this could become one of my new favorite Perrys songs period.
• "It's Not Here to Stay"
• "Moses and Elijah" - This is a fun uptempo song to see live!
• "Lord, Send Me" - It was good to see Tracy featured on this one in person. 
•  "Who I Could Have Been" - It's great to hear more from Jared in concert with him stepping up to sing this one. 
• "It Carried Him" - I love this song and especially how Andrew communicates this song live!
• "Find Me Faithful" - The moment of the night for me was this song! Before the song, Libbi told the story of how the group got started and how God used a tragic situation to start a ministry that has affected so many people. 
• "My Hope Is in the Blood"

If you're counting, that's only two songs they didn't sing from Testament. I feel like one of the ways you can judge the stretch of the project is by how many songs group stage after a release. It's evident that Testament is full of incredible songs the Perrys can't wait to share with the audience. 

They did sing a couple more songs not from Testament like "Cry No More," "Until I Start Looking Ahead" and they had a request at the end for "Celebrate Me Home." I was not familiar at all with "Until I Start Looking Ahead," but this is such a powerful song that Libbi sings. They ended the night with "Whosoever Will" as an invitation. 

It was good to hear so many songs live from the new project! I love how powerful these songs are. If you get a chance to see the Perrys near you, don't miss them!

Testament - The Perrys - CD Review

The Perrys' newest project Testament is just that. Any one familiar wth the Perrys know they have been through a lot in the past few years. This project is full of songs of testimony that speak to where they have been and what they desire in their relationship with God. This is the second album with its current lineup.

The project starts with "Let's Stop for a Moment," which reminds us all just to slow down, stop and mediate on what God has done and praise Him. The song is a slower style that features the group, but also has step out lines for Libbi and then Andrew on a verse.

Libbi has one of the most loved and most recognized voices in Southern Gospel. She has several features on this project including "I Will Pray, "Find Me Faithful" and "My Hope Is in the Blood."  "Find Me Faithful" is the highlight of the project for me. This song features Libbi and was written by Jeff Bumgardner, Karen Peck Gooch and Joel Lindsey. Jeff Bumgardner lost his young daughter unexpectedly earlier this year. This is one of the first songs after that tragic event in his life. Libbi does an incredible job conveying the strong lyrics of this song because she's lived that the past few years as well.

Another highlight is "Sing in the Valley," which has a country sound with a lot of steel guitar. Troy is featured on this song and does a great job. Don't miss the incredible message of this song - sing in the valley, like you're on the mountaintop. Praise Him no matter where He leads, whether that's the mountain or the valley.

"It's Not Here to Stay" is a great toe-tapper song for the Perrys. It features Andrew. This is one of my favorites. "Lord Send Me" is another great uptempo song. It's good to hear Tracy on a few step out lines. My favorite uptempo song is probably "Moses and Elijah," which also features Andrew.

Jared is featured on "Who I Could Have Been." It's nice to hear him on this song. It really shows how he's grown over the past few years. The song has a nice hook and challenges us to think about who we could have been without Jesus and if things had gone differently in our lives.

I love story songs. "It Carried Him" is another highlight and my favorite feature of Andrew's on this project. Andrew does an incredible job on this country-flavored song. It's hinted at what the "it" is throughout the song, but it's clearly revealed toward the very end of the song.

The Perrys shows again why they are consistently one of the top mixed groups in the industry. Testament is the strongest release from the Perrys in several years. From strong ballads to energetic fast-paced songs, the project has a nice variety of songs. The message of each song builds on the theme of Testament and leaves listeners hitting repeat on this project!


Songs to turn up - "It's Not Here to Stay" and "Moses and Elijah"
Song to put on repeat - "Find Me Faithful"
Song to give a second listen - "Sing in the Valley"


Song List -

1. "Let's Stop for a Moment"
2. "I Will Pray"
3. "It's Not Here to Stay"
4. "Find Me Faithful"
5. "Lord Send Me"
6. "Who I Could Have Been"
7. "Sing in the Valley"
8. "Moses and Elijah"
9. "It Carried Him"
10. "My Hope Is in the Blood"
11. "The Harder the Battle the Sweeter the Victory"

In Case You Missed It - News and Tidbits - April 22

It was a big news day on Friday for Southern Gospel with one addition and one departure. Here are news items from all of this week in gospel music -

• Trey Ivey has resigned from Legacy Five. As a new father, he found it difficult to have the full-time touring schedule. Trey plans to continue to be active in the studio producing, arranging and orchestrating, so the good news is that he will still be involved in the industry. He will remain with Legacy Five until a replacement is found. For those interested in the piano playing position with Legacy Five, contact Scott Fowler via email at scottfowler@legacyfive.com.
• Jon Epley joined Greater Vision as a fourth member. He will fill the harmony/ baritone vocals that has traditionally been Gerald Wolfe's part. Gerald will still be traveling with the group, singing some features, playing piano and emceeing. Jon has been with the LeFevre Quartet, the Ball Brothers and the Inspirations.
• Daywind Records announced the addition of Gospel Music Hall of Fame member, Mark Lowry. Mark Lowry's first project on the label will be out in August.
• Mark Hoggard of The Harvesters Quartet had open-heart surgery to repair several blockages on Thursday.  Surgery went well, but continue to pray for his recovery. 
• Pray for Cana's Voice singer Jody McBrayer's in-laws. Diane, his mother-in-law, was having surgery for eye cancer and his father-in-law, Gary, collapsed in the waiting room with a stroke. The eye surgery for Diane went well, but Gary is still in serious condition. Please keep all of them in your prayers.
• Tracy Stuffle (The Perrys) is still in the hospital after gallbladder surgery. He had a light stroke with some mild seizures. They are optimistic about him being able to go home this weekend. 
• The second round of voting is now open for subscribers. Go to www.singingnews.com to vote. 

Anything I've missed?

In Case You Missed It - News and Tidbits -

Here are news items from this week in Southern Gospel -

• Doug Pittman has joined the Down East Boys at tenor. He was most recently with the Dixie Melody Boys. His first concert with the group will be on April 21.
• Congratulations to Kody and Cayla Erwin on the birth of their daughter, Laney Brooke on Sunday, April 9, 2017 at 3:35 p.m. She was 7 pounds, 11 ounces, and measured 20 1/2 inches long.
• The Absolutely Gospel Music Awards were held on Tuesday. Here's the full list of winners. You can also view the entire awards show on Facebook.
• Prayers requested for Tracy Stuffle. He had his gallbladder removed on Friday. With his medical history, there are always risks; however, Tracy came through the surgery well. Please pray for him and Libbi as he recovers.

Anything I've missed?

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 - Tuesday Night

Night two of National Quartet Convention is now in the books. I got home in time to turn on the webcast as the Inspirations were on stage. Here are my thoughts and highlights of the night -

• If the Booth Brothers and Collingsworth Family went on tour together, that would be a concert I wouldn't miss. That was one incredible hour of gospel music. From the opening song together to the last note of "Jesus Saves," it was amazing. I loved Michael's sweet tribute to Jim and his time with the group. He even joined them on the last song. The two instrumentals from the Collingsworth Family, "Let There Be Peace on Earth" and "My Tribute," were also highlights. I also enjoyed Michael putting together the live band on "Life's Railway to Heaven."
• Jim Brady told the story of his sister's battle with cancer to set up "Every Cry Is Heard." Last year at NQC is when he found out his sister didn't have much longer to live, and this song written by Jim was a song that she heard on the radio after her diagnosis. It was one of the more emotional moments of the night.
• It was good to hear the Perrys sing "Calvary Answers for Me," probably my favorite performance by an individual group tonight. 
• Triumphant Quartet had one of the strongest sets of the night with "Love Came Calling" and "This Blood," both being highlights.
• "Jesus Loves You" is such a powerful song from Jeff and Sheri Easter. I'm glad they sang it tonight, definitely the highlight of their set. 
• Both Loren Harris and Trent Adams have just started with their respective groups, Kingdom Heirs and LeFevre Quartet. They are getting thrown in the deep end with this being the biggest event in gospel music, but both have been very impressive!

Favorite Songs/ Performances -

• "Every Cry Is Heard" - Jim Brady Trio
• "I Can Pray" - Kingdom Heirs
• "Calvary Answers for Me" - The Perrys
• "This Blood" - Triumphant Quartet
• "Then I Met the Master" - Booth Brothers
• "Blood of Jesus" - Collingsworth Family
• "Jesus Saves" - Collingsworth Family/ Booth Brothers
• "Jesus Loves You" - Jeff and Sheri Easter
• "He Left No Stone Unturned" - LeFevre Quartet

Keeping On - Perrys Concert Recap

Since I've started blogging, there are a handful of concerts I can count on every year. Some churches you know will have a particular group at the same time every year. One of those is the Perrys being at Oak Bowery around Conway toward the end of each summer. And this is a concert I look forward to every year. I love going to this church. Every concert I've ever been to at this church has had the sweetest spirit, you could feel God working in this church. This year was no exception.

Katy Peach filled in for Libbi that weekend. Tracy had some health issues at the last minute so both he and Libbi were back in Nashville. I had only seen Katy sing live once before almost 10 years ago. I knew she was a great vocalist, but I had forgotten just how good she was!

Here are some highlights of the night -

• "Prior to a Prayer" - Troy took the first verse and Katy the second. Absolutely beautiful song and such a powerful moment! 
• "He Will Hide Me" - This is probably my favorite Perrys song, so every time I get to hear it live, it will be a highlight!
• "Privilege of Prayer" - Troy said that they really don't sing this one often. However, a writer of the song, Rachel McCutcheon, was in the audience, and Katy knew this one so they sang it. Troy talked about how much he loved this song and how it was one of his favorites that the Perrys recorded. 
• "Keep On" - They sang this new one right before intermission. Love how they have the audience join in and sing the chorus with them.
• "Holy Shore" - This is one of those songs I kinda forgot about to be honest. I don't hear them sing this one often, so I'm glad it was staged that night. Andrew was featured on the first verse and Katy on the second. 

They ended the service with the congregation standing and singing "What a Day That Will Be." It was an incredible night of worship.

With all they have been through in the past several years and even in the uncertainty they faced that night, they were able to testify about God's goodness and faithfulness. They are able to stand night after night and proclaim that God is with them through every step, past and whatever they walk through in the future. It was a good reminder that nothing in life takes God by surprise. God knew who exactly would be singing that night and who needed to be in the audience to hear.

Thanks, Perrys, for the ministry and the reminders of God's faithfulness. In the tough times, He never leaves, and we can keep on trusting Him. "Keep On, Be Brave, Hold Fast, Have Faith..."