Southern Gospel Concerts

I was able to attend a benefit concert for Bowling Family that was held at the Rec Center in  Bremen, Georgia, a small town near the Georgia/Alabama border.  It was very casual and it was very warm!!  The organizers were able to put together a nice group of artists and, although the crowd was not large, they were able to collect over $1300  to help the Bowlings with their expenses while they are unable to be out on the road.

Callihan Junction was up first.  They are a local country-style gospel group with a very heavy emphasis on electric lead and bass guitar!  The most outstanding feature of the group was their 10-year-old drummer, who was very, very good for such a young person.   I was totally unfamiliar with their music and would be just guessing at most of the song titles, so let me just say that they sang for about 30 minutes beginning with the Bowling’s song, Your Cries Have Awoken the Master, which was so appropriate!

Josh and Ashley Franks were up next.   (Josh also acted as the emcee for the evening.)  This was my first time getting to see them and I enjoyed their energetic set so much that it was hard to choose which videos to post!  They sang for about 45 minutes.  Here’s what they sang:

• He’s In the Midst
• I’ve Got a Feeling
• Jesus Is Coming
• When I Get There -  Ashley was featured on this one.
• He Buried My Sins in the Past – Josh was featured on this one!
• We Shall Wear a Crown – Nice job on this song made famous by the Nelons.
• Levi Horton, an 11 years old from Galaxa, Virginia came to the stage and sang two songs for us.   You can read about Levi and his situation here .  He sang 2 songs and then Josh and Ashley sang a song that Ashley wrote that was inspired by Levi.  Here is a video of  Levi singing There’s Something Going On in the Graveyard and Josh and Ashley singing Levi’s Song (All You Need Is Jesus).

The Jonathans were up next.  Members include Parker Jonathan (formerly with the Kingsmen) and his wife Paula, Eric Dunson, and pianist Jake Pitts.  They performed quite a variety of songs from their first CD and several that  will be on a new CD that will be coming out in the next few months.

• What a Beautiful Day – Eric  took the lead on this lovely song.  And What a very nice start to their program it was!  Here is a video from a previous concert.
• Damascus Road -  They did such a  nice job on this familiar song, too!   Here’s a video of this one from a previous concert.
  
• He May Be on the Next Cloud Passing By – Based on Parker’s introduction of it, this is an old song, too, but I hadn’t heard it before and I really enjoyed it!
• We Have Come to Seek Your Face – This one really slowed the pace and was a very effective worship song.
• God Rides on Wings of Love – They picked up the pace again and featured Paula on this one.
• Meet Me Up in Heaven Some Day -  This was really fast!!!  I loved the convention style and they pulled it off with a lot of pizzaz!
• Here Comes the Bride – This was a wonderful way to end the concert, of course, referring to the next coming of Christ.

The organizers of the benefit then able to get Kelly Bowling on the phone and we got to hear her give an update on the condition of all of the members that were hurt.

The Shadrix Trio was last on the program.  Their members are Barry Shadrix, Dedra Henry, and Angela McCaslin.  I had not seen them before and was unfamiliar with their music, too.  They did a fine job on the following songs that I’m guessing the titles on.  I would really like to hear this group again in a better environment for their sound.  The gym was pretty loud with people talking and moving around during everyone’s performances.

• I’ll Fly Away
• First of All – This one featured Dedra and I loved the lyrics of the chorus!
• Hallelujah for the Cross – This featured Barry.  Very nice song.
• His Life for Mine – Angela was featured on this song made famous by Lauren Talley and they followed it with an a capella chorus of The Old Rugged Cross.  Very nice touch!
• Great, Great Feeling
• Unless We Go – I think one of the members might have written this and Dedra brought her 3 adopted children up as she sang it.  It will be on their new album.  What another great message!
• Canaanland Is Just In Sight

There was a finale – How Great Thou Art and I’ll Fly Away – with all of the singers and with Corey Pearson of the Diplomats playing the keyboard.  Good times!!

As a side note, I see that Miracles & Memories, the DVD that the Bowlings recorded back in May or June, is now ready for pre-orders.  There is a “sneak peek” from the video on their website that you can view, too.  Go to their website at http://thebowlingsonline.com/ to order and take advantage of a special offer that expires tomorrow, Sept. 3!!

The beautiful Tivoli Theater was the setting for a concert that featured Voices Won and The Collingsworth Family.  I really enjoy both of these groups so seeing them together was very special.  The theater in downtown Chattanooga is certainly not your typical Southern Gospel venue like a church or gym or city auditorium.  It is a beautiful theater from the 1920′s which has been extensively renovated.  Videos weren’t allowed in the theater, so I’ll give some links of some of these songs from previous concerts.

I guess you could say that the concert was really a family affair since both groups are families!  Voices Won is a trio of brothers Jaron, Shantell, and Staclynn Faulknor from Dalton, Georgia who have been singing together as Voices Won for about 10 years.  Not only do they sing, but they write a lot of their own songs.   They admitted on their website that they had always dreamed of singing at the Tivoli, so it was a dream come true for them.  Here’s a picture of them in the lobby of the theater that I’m sure they won’t mind my borrowing from their website:

Here’s what they sang:

• Tell Your Story – It seems like they open many of their concerts with this song!
• Fishing Trip – One of my favorite of their “fun” songs with a great meaning!  Here’s a link to a video from a previous concert.
• Knowing You – This one features the baritone Shantell.  Here’s a previous video of this song.
• He Lived to Love the Lord – Very touching song that expresses what we should all want people to remember us for after we pass on.
• Guess What Zacchaeus Found – Another fun song!  Here’s a video from a previous concert.
• Easier to Live – This is the title song of one of their CDs.  Here’s a video from a previous concert.
• The Road Less Traveled
• He Came to Me – This isn’t one of their regular songs and I thought that Shantell did a wonderful job on it.
• God’s Big Hand – Terrific song about trusting God.
• Requests from the audience – I’ll Fly Away, How Great Thou Art, and Amazing Grace performed with just guitar accompaniment by Jaron.

In case anyone is reading this that is not familiar with the Collingsworth Family, this is a group of Kim and Phil and their four children, Brooklyn, Courtenay, Phil, Jr., and Olivia.  One of the things that I like about The Collingsworths is that they have such a variety within their program – from Kim’s piano solos, to a trio of Mom, Dad, and Brooklyn, to songs featuring just the kids, to violin duets.  Here’s what they sang and which configuration of the family performed each song:

• Trading the Old Cross – the whole family
• Goodbye, World, Goodbye – piano solo by Kim
• God Is In the Shadows – Courtenay, Brooklyn, and Kim
• I Could Never Praise Him Enough – the whole family.  Here’s a video from a previous concert.
• Kim and Phil on piano and trumpet – Medley of several praise choruses
• Tell Me About the Good Old Days – featuring Olivia with the rest of the kids on the choruses.
• Fear Not Tomorrow – Courtenay, Brooklyn, and Kim.  Here’s a video from NQC 2009.
• I Know – Featuring Phil, Jr. with the rest of the family.  Here’s a video from a previous concert.
• Wonderful Grace of Jesus, No One Ever Cared for Me Like Jesus – Courtenay & Brooklyn on their violins with Kim on the piano
• My Tribute – piano solo by Kim – This one got a very long standing ovation.
• I Can Trust Jesus – This featured Courtenay
• The Barrel Is Full – This one started with Kim, Phil and Brooklyn and the rest of family joined on final chorus
• Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho and, at Phil’s request, Love Me Tender – Kim – piano solos
• There is a Fountain – Featuring Courtenay on the violin; Kim joined on the piano on the second verse.
• The Blood of Jesus – Kim, Phil, and Brooklyn.  Here’s a video from a previous concert.
• How Great Thou Art – piano solo finale by Kim.

Special Note:  Voices Won will be opening a concert with Ernie Haase & Signature Sound on Oct. 16th in Dalton, Georgia.  Please contact Robert York at 770-926-6021 or  770-617-0359 for more information.

I got to see another group that I really like but that I don’t get to see nearly often enough:  HisSong.  This dynamic trio now consists of Adam Elrod (tenor), Dennis Humphries (lead), and brand new baritone, David Price.  I wasn’t expecting a personnel change and I had really enjoyed Adam Cannon when he was with the group.  But change is part of life and I’m glad that Adam is getting to spend more time with his wife and baby boy and I’m very glad to have gotten to hear David.   Here’s a compilation of several songs from the evening:

Here is the entire song list:

• Bethlehem, Galilee, Gethsemane – They started right in on a song that features their new baritone on the second verse!   David did a wonderful job on it! 
• Journey Through the Sky – This is the upbeat title song from their newest CD.
• They’re Getting Ready In Glory – Adam was terrific with his distinctive tenor voice!  It really got the audience involved, too. 
• Just What I Needed – What a great, upbeat song! (This is one of the  songs in the compilation above and it starts around the 4:50 mark.)
• When God Moves a Stone – This beautiful song featured David. 
• What a Difference a Day Makes – This song is #11 on the September Singing News chart.   They did an a capella reprise of the chorus  that was very, very nice.
• That’s When God Steps In – Adam got a standing ovation for this song that I’m sure has been  an encouragement to so many HisSong fans since it was released on their On the Way Up CD.
• Jesus Is the Best Thing – from the Gladys Knight hit by another name! 
• Can You Burn – This upbeat song from Dianne Wilkinson encourages Christians to burn with the fervor they had when they were first saved.  HERE’s a link from a previous concert.
• I Still Have It All – One of my favorites!
• Joy In My Heart  – This is my personal HisSong favorite because I love their energy on it!
• The Grave Can’t Hold Me – This was another song from their On the Way Up album that was immensely popular, making it up to #13 on the Singing News chart.
• Sheltered in the Arms of God – Adam performed this as a solo (with Dennis on the keyboard) and it was beautifully done.
• medley – Oh, How I Love Jesus/To Me He’s So Wonderful/God Is So Good
• When We Talk to the Father – This is also from the new CD and has just been released to radio.
• During the prayer time, Adam sang He Looked Beyond My Faults and Written in Red.

This was such a great concert/worship time with HisSong!  I can hardly wait to see and hear them again!!

There are a number of benefits that have been planned for the Bowlings since their horrific bus accident.  Here is the information on two of them that will be held within the next week:

A concert on August 27, 2010 at the Bremen Recreation Center in Bremen, Georgia will feature Josh & Ashley Franks, The Shadrix Trio, Callihan Junction & The Jonathans:

And on August 30, 2010 in London, Kentucky, a benefit will be held at the First Baptist Church.  This one will feature Brian Free & Assurance, The Nelons, Beyond the Ashes, Mark Bishop, The Perry Sisters, The Comptons, and others:

Hope you can go and help to support the Bowlings during their long recovery period.    And I hope you’ll come back on here and let us know how you enjoyed these concerts!!

When I wrote the highlights review for Triumphant last week, I meant to include some videos featuring Bryan Walker. Many people will remember Bryan from his tenure with the Dixie Melody Boys or from his appearance on American Idol.  Bryan has been serving as a police officer in Sevierville, Tennessee, but he is making some time in his schedule for singing as well.  He sang two songs for us during a Kirk Talley/Triumphant Quartet concert recently in Maryville.

On the first song, Almost Morning, the sound man couldn’t find the right track for some reason, so Bryan sang the song a capella.

For the second one, Truth Is Marching On, the track was used.  Both of these songs have special messages that Bryan was really intent on delivering.

Thanks, Bryan!  It was great seeing you singing!

I had not seen the Blackwood Brothers Quartet in a full concert until recently.  And now I’ve seen them twice in the span of three weeks!    Group members include Wayne Little (tenor), Jimmy Blackwood (lead), Billy Blackwood (baritone), Randy Byrd (bass), and Mike Hammontree (“piano showman,” as he is listed on their website!).

They sang many of the same songs at the two different concerts but there was such a difference in the concerts themselves.  The concert in Avondale Estates (in the greater Atlanta area) was at the First Baptist Church.  They have a very, very large, beautiful sanctuary as you would expect in a big city first baptist church.  The audience was more subdued and the program was a little more reserved than at the filled-to-capacity small Newnan Springs United Methodist Church in Rossville, Georgia.  Here is a list of most of the songs they performed, although not necessarily in the order they appeared on either program.  You’ll be able to tell which concert each of the videos came from!

• He Touched Me
• The Old Country Church – This is such a Blackwood Brothers standard.  I can’t imagine a concert without this song.  Here they are singing it on the NQC Main Stage in 2009,
• Jesus Is Coming Soon
• Feelin’ Mighty Fine
• This Old House – I love this old song!  Great job by bass, Randy Byrd!!
• The Lighthouse – Tenor Wayne Little did a great job on this.  His style reminds me a lot of Brian Free.
• Piano solos - Bell of Joy Keep Ringing, Wait Til You See Me in My New Home, and Goodbye, World, Goodbye.  It was so hot at the church in Rossville, that I was amazed Mike’s fingers didn’t just slide off of the keyboard!!  He did a really good job on the piano throughout both concerts.
• His Hand In Mine – This got a wonderful audience response at both concerts.
• Everyday Will Be Sunday By and By – This was also extremely well received at both concerts!
• No Better Reason – This is their current radio single.
• Daddy Sang Bass – This was performed Johnny Cash style with Mike Hammontree!  Wow, he sure does sound like Johnny!!
• Medley: Give the World A Smile, Peace Like A River, God Made A Way, Learning to Lean, Lead Me To That Rock, I’ll Meet You In The Morning – Here’s a video of this medley from the 2010 Harmony Honors program where the Blackwood Brothers were recognized for 75 years of singing!
• I Want to Be More Like Jesus
• The Joy of Knowing Jesus
• Just a Little Talk with Jesus

There were two very special guests in attendance that were recognized at the Avondale Estates concert -  Bob Shaw and Hall of Famer Eddie Wallace.

After the concert in Rossville, the group was headed to the Grand Ole Gospel Reunion over in Greenville, South Carolina.  I’m sure the fans over there will enjoy them as much as we did here in Georgia.

The 2009 Singing News Horizon Group of the Year, The Crist Family, were the special guests of the Macland Baptist Church in Powder Springs, Georgia, for their annual Homecoming service a few weeks ago.  This church regularly hosts Southern Gospel artists and they have a wonderful choir and orchestra that sing and play a lot of gospel music themselves!

I always enjoy hearing The Crist Family in concert and this was no exception.  They sang a short set of 6 or 7 songs before the sermon.   Among the songs they sang was My Heart Knows.  This beautiful song has done very well, making it all the way up to #9 on the Singing News Top-80 chart.  I think it really highlights the lower part of soprano Jackie Crist’s range.  Here is a video of the song:

Here is another song they sang during the service, The Rock.  It is currently on the Top-80 chart at #47 in the September issue of Singing News.   The church was very enthusiastic in their response to it, as you’ll see in this video:

WOW!!!  I attended the live video taping on Sunday, Aug. 15, at The Akins’ home church, Harps Crossing Baptist, in Fayetteville, Georgia and it was such a fantastic event!   Their fellow church members had come out en masse to support this group and a small army of them were serving at the product table, as ushers, etc., to make the event as smooth as possible while assisting, by my estimate, over 2000 people.  The doors were supposed to open at 5:30 pm and I didn’t get there until 5:45, so my seat was in the next to the last row of the balcony!

Among the people closest to me was a middle-aged couple from the area who had just happened to see the notice on the church’s sign that there would be a live performance taping.  They had never seen The Akins but they came because the husband enjoys guitar playing.  He did not go home disappointed – they both LOVED what they saw and heard.  There was also a small child sitting on the aisle steps beside his parents’ pew.  I didn’t see him until the end, but if he enjoyed the rest of the concert as much as he enjoyed the last song, Victory In Jesus, I guarantee he slept well that night.  (Watch this short piece of video and you’ll see what I mean!  Is this a little drummer in the making?!?!)   And then there were the teenagers who occupied an empty space on the carpeted stairs just above me.  They were obviously enjoying it – rather loudly, I might add – and I just had to be pleased about their enthusiasm!

The final product may not be ready for sale until late this year or the beginning of next year and no pre-orders are being taken yet.  But I can tell you from seeing the taping, it is certainly going to be worth having in your collection!

This will be a little different kind of review.  I see Triumphant Quartet a number of times during the year and don’t write a review every time, but I thought I would just give a few highlights from the past several times I have seen my favorite group.

Triumphant has recorded two live DVDs in the last couple of months.  One was a Christmas DVD with selections from their two previous Christmas CDs.  I was able to attend that taping, so I’ll probably be shown in the audience!!  The other is their freshman CD with The Mansion Entertainment with mostly new songs on it.  Triumphant has been singing some of the new songs at their concerts and I’ve been enjoying them immensely!  I’m told that some of the accompaniment tracks that have been used at the concerts aren’t the finished tracks, so there will still be something new to hear when the CD comes out!   The CDs and DVDs are expected to be ready by September and I can’t wait to get my hands on them!!

Here are some videos from different concerts of a few of the songs that will be on the new CD/DVD:

• Movin’ Up to Gloryland – from a concert at the Steve Hurst School of Music
• Saved By Grace – also from the Steve Hurst School of Music
• Love Came Calling – from a concert in Acworth, Georgia
• He Gave Me Mercy – also from the concert in Acworth, Georgia.

At a concert in Maryville, Tennessee, the Sojourner Dance Ministry performed to the song “He Is.”  One of the group’s members is Eric Bennett’s daughter, Erin Kendall.  I know that you’ll enjoy seeing this video of their performance, even though my camera angle wasn’t the best.

And last but not least, Triumphant appeared during the Harmony Honors program as part of the SGMA week in Nashville, Tennessee.  They sang the title track from their grammy-nominated album, Everyday, a song that was performed years ago by the Oak Ridge Boys.  During the second verse, the Oaks joined them on stage and it was pretty exciting!  HERE’s a video of that very special event.

Sometimes I get so busy going to concerts that I don’t have time to write about them!  This is the case right now and it has delayed the review of my first time seeing The Akins family!  I was very happy to finally get to see this group that is based right here in the greater Atlanta area.  This concert was at the Mt. Carmel Baptist Church in Douglasville, Georgia.  This is the first church I’ve ever been to that gave attendees a watermelon just for coming to the service!

The Akins family consists of father, David, his sons, Dave, Nick, and Eli, and David’s godson Zach.  This group is a definite change of pace from “mainstream” southern gospel.  They are a mix of country, gospel, and rock and they play all of the instruments to accompany themselves – and there are many – including keyboard, drums, bass guitar, rhythm guitar, accoustic guitar, electric guitar, mandolin, and saxophone!  This group writes the vast majority of their their own songs based on everyday, ordinary happenings in their lives with a basic biblical truth or comparison drawn from those situations.

Here’s the song list from the concert.  It contains quite a variety from vocal to instrumental numbers, hymns to new songs, quiet and meditative to loud, rock band songs.   I’m sorry, but the faces in the videos are a little dark because the only lighting in the church was the overhead lighting from their chandeliers.

• I’ll Fly Away – Nick played the drums and sang lead on the first few songs, but then Zack took over on the drums for most of the other songs.
• Nothing But the Blood of Jesus  – This was an instrumental featuring Eli on the  electric guitar
• Blessed Assurance  -This one  started off with slow and soft vocals and then had Eli on a sax0phone solo on the chorus and he sure did get some beautiful tones from that sax!
• Faith Thing -  This is their current radio single and it’s already #39 on the Singing News chart. This was written by Nick.
• Good to Know It’s Not the End -  This song was a slower paced song and was one of my favorites  from the evening.  It was written by Nick and Josh Kirk.
• I’ll Be Happy When – I loved the message in this song!  We always think we’ll be happy when so and so happens, but really we’ll be happy when all of our “I’ll be happy whens” are over!  This was written by Nick and Eli.
• Love at First Sight – They slowed down again with this  really sweet song,  This was written by Nick and Eli and Eli’s wife Whitney.
• When You Get Home – This was a wonderful song about forgiveness that started with a couple having a fuss and one of them storming out of their house and ends with a comparison of how we’ve sometimes turned our backs on God but he’s waiting to welcome us back into His arms.  This was written by Nick and Josh Kirk.
• What If God Says No – This very touching song dealt with situations when God answers prayers with a no.  “It doesn’t mean He loves us less, It just means that He knows what’s best.”  This was written by Nick and David.
• You’ll Never Walk Alone  – David sang this by himself while playing the keyboard until the end when the boys joined him.  This was combined with another song that I don’t know the name of.
• Peeples Road – This was an instrumental song that featured Eli on the mandolin and was named from the street his wife grew up on.   Eli wrote it.
• Good Tired – David gave a little talk during the middle of this song that talks about being tired from “when you know you have done the best you can to reach out to a hurting world and lend a helping hand.”  Great song written by David.
• I Want My Stage To Be An Altar – This great song went to #1 on the charts.  It was written by Nick.
• Victory in Jesus – They ended the evening with this song that went from soft and slow to very lively!

I really enjoyed the messages of these songs so much that I am planning to see them again during their live video taping on August 15 at the Harps Crossing Baptist Church in Fayetteville, Georgia at 6:30 pm.