Concert Reviews
NQC 2014 Highlights: Day 5
Karen Peck and New River sang “We Shall Wear a Robe and Crown” this evening. I was hoping they would sing that. Revelation 2:10 says, “Be faithful unto death, and I will give you a crown of life.”
The Gospel Harmony Boys sang “Listen to His Heartbeat.” It took a minute to weed through the recesses of my mind to remember how I knew that song. Then I remembered that it was an old Singing Americans song. I am so glad someone brought it back. A very good song.
Lauren Talley and Gerald Wolfe were the host and hostess for tonight’s concert sets. Lauren said someone asked her to take a selfie of her and Gerald and the audience, so she took a couple to post on Twitter.
The Booth Brothers included “Trading This Cross for a Crown” in their set and then called Paul Lancaster and the Collingsworth Family on stage to join them in singing a song the LeFevre Quartet made popular: “Jesus Saves.”
Squire Parsons sang a song and then called his son, Samuel, on stage to sing “Hello, Mama.” Samuel and his wife, Leah, sang a couple more songs with Squire.
Lauren Talley joined Brian Free and Assurance to sing, “Where There’s a Will.” That is one thing that I like about the NQC. If you record a song with a guest artist, there is at least one place where fans can see you perform together.
The Collingsworth Family had their children’s spouses join them to sing “As for Me and My House, We Will Serve the Lord,” a song Phil said he and Kim sang or had sung at their wedding 28 years ago. Kim then played “My Tribute.”
David Jeremiah gave a preview of his latest book, which is what he will be speaking on at chapel tomorrow. He then threw a bunch out to the audience.
Lily Isaacs was not at the convention, as she is in California with her mom who fell and broke her hip. I am sure Lily would appreciate your prayers for her and her mom.
Driven got to sing one song on the main stage this year which I am very happy about. They chose “You Can Run On” and did a fabulous job. I hope they get to sing a little more next year.
I always look forward to seeing which song The Hoppers are going to choose as the last song of their set. They have so many great ones but tonight they chose “Shouting Time.”
Jonathan Price, a former tenor of the Dixie Melody Boys, has been filling in for them following the departure of Matt Felts. Their new tenor will be Doug Pittman. For his debut with them, he sang “Little is Much” then joined them in singing, “When I Cross to the Other Side of Jordan.”
NQC Highlights 2014: Day 4
It was great to see Matt Felts sing with the Lesters. Brian said this was only his fifth time to sing with them but he did a great job. They included their signature song, “He Didn’t Throw the Clay Away”
The Whisnants sang “New Day Dawning,” which they have sung at every NQC I have attended or watched online. In my opinion, NQC would not be complete without that song. Dean and Kim Hopper joined in on the last chorus.
I could have cried when Connie Hopper came on stage to sing, “I’ve Come Too Far.” She is one person I would love to get to know: the epitome of class and grace and sincerity. I am so grateful for God’s healing touch on her once again. I hope He leaves her with us for a long time yet. She hadn’t sung in about six weeks but I couldn’t tell. She did great. They ended with a chorus of “Jerusalem.”
I enjoyed getting to see Freedom since I’ve never seen them in concert. Unfortunately, they only sang one song. The group consists of John Rulapaugh, Dale Shipley, Preston Garner, and Burman Porter.
I always love to see Archie Watkins and Smoky Mountain Reunion perform. The highlight of their set was Eddie Dietz singing, “I Just Want to Thank You, Lord.”
Gold City sang, “I’m Rich,” another song which is sung every year but a fan favorite.
It was really nice to see The Mylon Hayes Family. Great sound and stage presence. I hope to hear more of them in the future.
The Mark Trammell Quartet sang mostly new songs, making me want to check out their latest CD. It sounds really good.
I loved Legacy Five’s set. They ended with “He Made a Change.” Ernie Haase joined them on the last chorus.
I also really enjoyed Old Paths. They tore the house down with “Long Live the King.”
The Perrys were outstanding as always. A great set tonight. They ended with “If You Knew Him.”
Tribute was the last group to perform.
NQC 2014 Highlights: Day 3
This afternoon, Warren Lester Roberts was inducted into the Southern Gospel Hall of Fame. Warren was a radio personality who said he was most famous for introducing Wendy Bagwell and the Sunliters on their live recording of “Here Come the Rattlesnakes.” The award was accepted by L. David Young, a family friend and music producer.
Tonight’s concert series began with The Sneed Family singing the old Hinson classic, “He Will Calm the Troubled Waters.” I first heard the Sneed Family last year at the NQC. It’s been nice to see some more mixed family groups start up recently.
The Inspirations did a verse and a chorus from each of their #1 songs from 1972 to the present. They were: “Jesus is Coming Soon,” “Touring That City,” “When I Wake up to Sleep No More,” “Jesus is Mine,” “I’ll Not Turn My Back on Him Now,” and “I Have Not Forgotten.” It’s interesting to me that they still sing some of the songs they sang in the 1970s. This year marks their 50th anniversary.
Jeff Easter’s dad joined him on stage to sing a song Sheri wrote for them called, “Like Father, Like Son.” Then they sang “Thank You, Lord, For Your Blessings on Me.”
I am always so blessed when I see the Primitive Quartet. They started their set with Randy Fox singing, “He Included Me.” He is still as full of the joy of the Lord as ever. Jeff Tolbert sang a song which said, “Would You empty me of every selfish thing that hinders my sweet walk with Thee?” I am praying that tonight. Nothing is worth hindering my walk with the Lord.
Jason Crabb was a fan favorite. My favorite part of his segment was when he sang a chorus of “Through the Fire,” one of my favorite songs.
The Crist Family performed on the NQC stage for the last time tonight–at least for the foreseeable future. They sang three of their most requested songs: “Lift Up the Cross,” “My Heart Knows,” and “The Great Beyond.” (I’m guessing on the title of that last one.) They then sang a song they thought was fitting for their farewell song: “Will You Love Jesus More?” Tears were shed as they waved goodbye to their fans. They have been singing for ten years.
The biggest disappointment of the evening for me was Tim Riley’s absence. Tim had a stroke two months ago and is apparently doing very well, but he was unable to make it to the convention. Chris West is filling in for him.
When The Nelons took the stage, I thought they would have to sing their acapella version of “The Hallelujah Chorus.” They didn’t disappoint me. I was also impressed by Amber nailing “How Great Thou Art.” She has quite the range.
The Collingsworth Family closed out the evening by singing a couple songs. Then they brought two additional pianos on the stage, and Kim Collingsworth, Tim Parton, and Stan Whitmire played a medley of Gospel favorites. Another great ending to a wonderful evening.
I’ll see you tomorrow with more highlights according to Sony Elise. 🙂
NQC 2014 Highlights: Day 2
Wow. What a night! I can listen to Southern Gospel music for hours and not tire of it.
Brian Free and Assurance started the night with an acapella version of “Peace in the Valley.” They then sang a couple of their newer songs and ended their set with “Long as I Got King Jesus.”
I am so glad that Wilburn and Wilburn are on the main stage this year. They may have been there last year too but they definitely deserve it. I have two of their CDs, and they are top-notch–lyrically and production-wise.
The LeFevre Quartet was one of my favorite sets of the night. They started with an old Gold City song: “He set a fire beneath my feet and sent me running.” I don’t know the title but I love that song. They ended with “Jesus Saves.”
Kenneth Bishop joined Mark Bishop on stage to sing an old song the Bishops recorded: “I Rely on Him.” It was great to see Kenneth again. He hasn’t aged a bit.
Scott Fowler reminded everyone that it was 15 years ago that the Cathedrals said farewell to fans at the National Quartet Convention. And it was also 15 years ago that Legacy Five made their debut there. Where has the time gone?
I am not a huge fan of acapella groups but The Pennyloafers did a very impressive arrangement of “Goodbye, World, Goodbye.” They even made instrument noises at one point. That was not what made it impressive to me but it is noteworthy. I don’t think I could describe it well enough but, if you order the webcast, be sure to look for that song on tonight’s portion.
Karen Peck Gooch’s daughter, Kari, joined Karen and New River on the NQC Stage for the first time tonight.
Mark Trammell ended his set with singing, “It’s Almost Over.” It received a standing ovation. A great job and a song many needed to hear with everything that is going on in the world right now.
Lauren Talley sang “He’s Alive” by request. I hadn’t heard her version before but I love how she puts her whole self into it.
The most touching moment of the evening was definitely The Perrys. Tracy joined them onstage in a wheelchair. His voice didn’t have a lot of volume but he was singing. During “I Can Trust Him,” he broke down and cried, tears streaming down his face. I know Libbi was feeling the emotions too but her voice didn’t waver. What a moment! They also sang, “I Got a Hold of God This Morning.” Then Tracy and Jared Stuffle sang “Three Men on a Mountain,” backed up by Bryan Walker and Andrew Golden. They closed with, “I Wish I Could Have Been There.” Oh yes. My cup is full and running over. I look forward to hearing more tomorrow!
NQC 2014 Highlights: Day 1
I am not able to attend the National Quartet Convention this year so I am watching the webcast and I’m thoroughly blessed already. I tuned in a bit late as I thought it started tomorrow but I’m glad I double checked so that I got to see most of this wonderful evening.
Steve French was not singing with the Kingdom Heirs but Andy Stringfield filled in the baritone spot while playing the piano. They included a song the Kingsmen sang years ago, “We Shall Reach Heaven Some Day.” Jerry Martin sang his signature song, “I Can Pray.”
The convention played a video of classic, funny Cathedrals moments. It made me miss them so much but I’m glad their memory lives on.
Connie Hopper recently underwent cancer surgery so she was not there this evening but Melissa Brady did an excellent job filling in for her. Claude said that Connie will arrive on Wednesday. The latest report from the pathologist says that everything looks clear. Praise the Lord for that!
I had to laugh when the Booth Brothers took the stage for the second time and Michael Booth said, “Here comes Ronnie and Quitter.” Jim Brady will be with them until December 31 when Paul Lancaster will be taking over. They were as good as they ever are: fun, entertaining, but still sharing the Gospel message. They did several songs around one mic, including their popular song, “Still Feeling Fine.” Michael talked about how Southern Gospel artists don’t throw away old songs. Then they sang, “Then I Met the Master.”
Willie Wynn made a special guest appearance this evening after being introduced by Gerald Wolfe. He didn’t sing but shared some funny stories.
Mark Trammell introduced “The King is Coming” by mentioning that, if he could sing a song, knowing that it would be the last song he would ever sing, it would be this song. I heard it anew this evening. Very powerful. Nick Trammell’s wife is expecting their second child any time so, if that call comes, he will be heading back to Alabama.
I don’t think Gerald Wolfe can get through a concert without leading the audience in singing hymns, and tonight was no exception. He did it a couple times, one of which was at the end of the night, after which he closed in prayer, asking God’s blessing on the week and mentioning that if at least one soul gets saved this week, the convention’s purpose will be accomplished.
I am looking forward to the week ahead. There will be plenty of favorites and a number of groups I’m not familiar with. I hope to note what I consider to be the highlights each evening. Please don’t critique my writing style, as I will merely be sharing snippets after my brain has more than likely shut down. There will be many more groups performing than I will mention, and better, less choppy ways to say things but you will get a feel for the event, and that is my purpose in sharing.
If you are at the convention or watching the webcast, I would love to hear what the highlights are for you each day as well.
Concert/CD Review: Journey of Hope (Tribute)
I had the blessing of seeing Tribute back in July. They had concert copies of their latest release, Journey of Hope, but since it wasn’t yet available outside of concerts, I held off on reviewing it. I am happy to let readers know that the CD is now available for purchase.
The concert began with the familiar song, Stepping on the Clouds.
Then they went into a song from their new CD: I Could Sing About Heaven. This is a pretty typical song but I can still enjoy a simple, toe-tapping Southern Gospel song. “I could sing about Heaven for a million years. Still I could never tell it all.”
Riley Harrison Clark sings the encouraging I Will Rise. “Trials never last forever. I will rise.”
I like their song, I Want to Thank the Lord. Most people don’t thank Him nearly enough for everything He has done for them.
After that, they introduced the group.
I was glad to see them bring back an old Perrys song, I Remember the Day. They could have put a bit more energy into it but I still like the song. I am so thankful that God saved me when he did over 20 years ago!
Josh Singletary then played I’ll Fly Away on the piano.
I first heard God Wants to Hear You Sing in concert by Jason Waldroup. This was my first time to hear Tribute’s version but they did a good job.
They sang Safe Thus Far and then Riley led the congregation in singing Farther Along.
Good News from Jerusalem is still a fan favorite.
They took a break to collect the offering, then Tribute came back out singing, He’s Leading the Way. I will never get tired of hearing them sing this song. This was the first song I ever saw them sing on stage, and it made me stop to listen. I’m so glad He’s still leading the way in my life.
After that, they sang He’s Been Faithful, and Anthony Davis sang, Leaving on My Mind.
Kyla Rowland wrote, I Am a Soldier. “I am a soldier reporting for duty. I got my sword and shield. I am ready to fight.” Can you proclaim that today?
Many groups no longer give altar calls but they gave an altar call that night and then closed with another chorus of I Remember the Day.
Songs on the CD which the group did not sing in concert include:
The encouraging song, He Can Do It Again.
Josh Singletary sings All Made it Ashore, a song that tells about the shipwreck on which the apostle Paul prophesied that not one life would be lost, and there wasn’t. No matter what you are going through, you also can make it. Keep holding on and don’t give up.
Those Who Know Me Know has a bit of a Jamaican feel.
Everything I Need is another uptempo song of encouragement. No matter what I go through, my Heavenly Father is everything I need.
Everybody Needs Jesus needs no explanation. A simple, true fact.
In the Valley, I Can Hear His Voice: When things are going well, we don’t always take the time we need to be still and hear but, in the valley, that is sometimes a different story.
Another song I really like is God of All My Days. It ends the CD leaving me worshiping the God of all my days.
Everything I Need is another uptempo, encouraging song. No matter what I face in life, God is everything I need.
Concert/CD Review: But for the Cross (The LeFevre Quartet)
The first southern gospel concert I ever attended was on May 13, 1989, when my mom paid for me to see the Gold City Quartet. They were my favorite quartet at the time, and I thought Heaven could not be better. The group at that time consisted of Tim Riley, Mike LeFevre, Ivan Parker, Brian Free, and Garry Jones. Twenty-Five years later, on May 15, 2014, I got to see The LeFevre Quartet, owned by former Gold City baritone, Mike LeFevre. I have seen the quartet a few times at the National Quartet Convention but this was my first time to see a full concert of theirs. It was reminiscent of the Gold City concert I attended long ago: good harmony, great songs, some humor, but everything centered around God and giving Him the glory.
They started the concert with Brandon Barry singing, Plan of Salvation.
Next was a new song to me: Standing on the Daily Promises.
I never tire of hearing Mike LeFevre sing, When I Get Carried Away. He gave another excellent performance this evening.
Mike then introduced pianist Michael Lott, at which point they went into an instrumental version of Just a Closer Walk With Thee.
Brandon was featured again on I’ll Let You Lead Me. Then Mike introduced him to those of us who were seeing him for the first time. After that, Brandon sang, Let ‘Em Find Me Guilty. I had never heard this song before either but it is a very powerful song.
Jordan LeFevre sang, Come and See. “Miracles are still alive today. It’s not the lack of God’s power; it’s the lack of our faith.” Then they sang the old quartet song, There’s a Rainbow.
After Thomas Nalley was introduced he sang, I Know a Man Who Can. That song was followed by a toe tapper Brandon Barry wrote entitled, Saved by the Blood. They ended the first portion of the concert with Jesus Saves.
Unfortunately I lost my notes for the last half but they took requests, singing at least a chorus of each song that was requested. One highlight for me was when they sang I Love to Call His Name, an old Rex Nelon song.
My favorite song of the evening was Put it Right There. The first verse talks about a young man who tells his dad about his drug addiction. The father tells the son to, “Put it right there. We’re in this together. I’ll help you through this” (my paraphrase). The second verse talks about Jesus dying on the cross and possibly telling the soldier to “put it (the nail) right there,” as He paid the price for our sins.
After that, Mike gave a really good message about the importance of surrender. They closed with the perfect song, I Surrender All, as they encouraged those who needed to surrender to come to the altar.
Other songs on the latest CD by The LeFevre Quartet include: But for the Cross, I’m So Saved, The Wedding Song, We Are the Church, The Blessed Hope, and Someday Soon.
This CD was released in 2012 but Mike told me they are working on three CDs which will be coming out yet in 2014. They have a table CD which will be releasing soon, and then later this year, they will release a Christmas CD and a CD of all new songs. I can’t wait to hear them.
NQC Highlights 2013: Day 6
Each year at NQC, there are regional artist showcases for groups who are not on the main stage. As these groups sing, they are judged and the winner of each showcase gets to sing one song on the main stage that evening. What I didn’t remember is that, apparently out of those groups, there is another competition where they are judged and the winners get to perform one more time on Saturday evening. This year, those winners were The Wilbanks and The Erwins. I will say the Wilbanks sang a very difficult arrangement to sing and, for that, they deserved to win. If you get some time, look up The Wilbanks singing “Psalm 23” on YouTube. You could also search “The Wilbanks NQC” and it should come up.
I’d not heard the Taylors before but they did an acapella version of “I Can Call Jesus Any Time” and “Operator.” They started out slow on “Oh I Want to See Him” before picking up the tempo on the chorus.
Melissa Brady joined The Whisnants to sing a song she wrote: “All is Well.” They ended with my favorite Whisnants song, “New Day Dawning.” They were joined by Jim & Melissa Brady and Kim Hopper.
I enjoyed seeing The Down East Boys. They are a decent quartet.
The Voices of Lee did a rousing rendition of a medley: Moving Up to Gloryland/Just Over in the Gloryland/Do Lord/Heaven’s Jubilee/When We All Get to Heaven.
Clarke Beasley reminisced about various things that happened on the Louisville stage: The Speer Family’s retirement, Glen Payne’s call-in, Tony Greene proposing to Taranda, 9/11/2001 (Gerald Wolfe singing “Redemption Draweth Nigh” on that night), George Younce’s last performance with Signature Sound, The Florida Boys’ retirement, etc.
A definite highlight was Tracy Stuffle on camera telling everyone he’ll see them next year. It’s been a hard year for Tracy and Libbi but God is once again reminding us that He is God. We may not know why we go through the dark times but He always has a plan. After the Perrys sang, Dean Hopper commented on how thankful he was to Libbi for making the effort to be there. Everyone then stood and applauded as Libbi cried. She called Tracy via Skype on her phone so he could hear and see and feel the love that was there.
The Collingsworth Family did a set of all hymns which I really enjoyed. Kim Collingsworth then played “A Mighty Fortress is Our God” and “The Hallelujah Chorus.”
The evening ended with one song each from The Talleys, The Mark Trammell Quartet, The Perrys, The Kingdom Heirs, and The Collingsworth Family. Then Dean and Kim Hopper, The Booth Brothers, Greater Vision, and Legacy Five took the stage to sing “Statement of Faith.” A great way to end the evening and the week.
Tickets are already on sale for next year when it will be held in Pigeon Forge, TN. If you can’t attend, you may want to consider subscribing to the live video stream.
NQC 2013 Highlights: Day 5
I’m sorry for the delay in finishing coverage of the National Quartet Convention. I realize this is old news at this point but I will go ahead and post some more highlights since each blogger typically has a different perspective. Unfortunately, I had typed a lot more and lost it so, instead of taking the time to watch all five hours again, I’ll post what I can remember from memory.
Freedom Quartet sang one song on the main stage: “Somebody Touched the Lord” sung by none other than Dale Shipley. I lost track of him after he left Perfect Heart but I’m so glad he’s still singing. Freedom now consists of John Rulapaugh, Dale Shipley, Preston Garner and Burman Porter. I look forward to hearing more of them in the future.
I was blessed by the Gaither Vocal Band’s set. They did as good as I’ve ever seen them on the NQC stage. Each group member (other than Bill) were featured on at least two songs, and they all did a stellar job.
During the Easters’ set, Wes Hampton joined them onstage to sing with Morgan on “When You’re Broken.”
Gerald Wolfe led the congregation in singing some Bill Gaither songs since Bill was in the audience.
I was happy to hear The Mark Trammell Quartet bring back the old Happy Goodman song, “Meet Me Over on the Other Side.” I also loved watching Pat Barker sing, “Wonderful Time Up There.” The group did a stellar job on “The King is Coming.” Their whole set was definitely a highlight.
Another big highlight was Jonathan Wilburn joining Gold City on stage to sing the last chorus of “Get Up Get Ready.” The last time I saw Gold City in concert, the CD that was on was their latest project.
The night ended with Karen Peck and New River singing “Four Days Late,” The Booth Brothers singing, “Still Feeling Fine,” The Mark Trammell Quartet singing, ” That’s Enough for Me to Know,” and The Gaither Vocal Band singing, “It is Finished.”
One more day to go. I’ll try to get to that next week. It takes a while to listen to 5-6 hours of music.
NQC 2013 Highlights: Day 4
In my opinion, Day 4 of the National Quartet Convention has been the best yet. It was hard to pick just a few highlights but I’ll do my best to give you an overview.
Tim Lovelace led the audience in some worship songs, including Mylon LeFevre’s song, “Without Him.”
Tribute Quartet sang their number one song, “Good News From Jerusalem” and were backed by a choir.
Jim Brady and Brooklyn Collingsworth were the emcees and led the audience in singing, “The Family of God.”
Wilburn and Wilburn were the opening act. How neat to see them on the main stage. They sang, “I’m Rich,” “Jesus Will,” and “Let’s All Go Down to the River.”
The Browns sang their new song, “A Place in the Choir.” Then Shelly sang, “It Will Be Worth It All.” They also sang, “Going Home,” “I’ll Fly Away,” “Everywhere I Go,” and an instrumental medley of “Carol of the Bells” and “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.”
One of the winners of the artist showcase was “Back Home” which meant they got to perform one song on the main stage. They did a great job.
The Diplomats sang next. Rita wasn’t there since she is recovering from a torn hamstring but the group sang, “Joy in the Storm,” “There’s a Light,” “If Not for the Cross,” and “I’ll Soon be Gone.”
During the McKamey’s set, Eli sang, “More Like Jesus, Less Like Me.” Peg sang, “God on the Mountain.” Sheryl sang, “He Can.” Roger sang, “Unspoken Request.” They closed with, “He Can.”
The Dixie Echoes sang, “Winging My Way Back Home,” “Roll On Jordan,” “Walk With Me,” and “How Great Thou Art.”
The Perrys sang, “Blue Skies Coming” and “Praise You Through the Night.” Libbi then gave a powerful message about priorities. It brought me to tears as I knew she was talking from conviction. She understands how important it is to have our priorities in the right place. Her message was: it doesn’t matter how much money you make; what matters is your relationship with God and with your family. The more she talked, the more she hit the nail on the head. My favorite quotes were: “If you don’t put Him first, He’ll put you in a position where you will put Him first.” “We go to church and we think we’re doing God a favor instead of listening to what the preacher says.” “The last eight months, God has taught me so much. It doesn’t matter what people think any more … What matters is that there are people going to Hell while we’re playing church.” They ended their set with Tracy’s favorite song: “I rest My Case at the Cross.”
The Isaacs were next and sang, “Accentuate the Positive,” “Grandpa, Tell Me About the Good Ol’ Days,” and “He Ain’t Never Done Me Nothin’ But Good.”
Other highlights include The Talleys singing, “He’s Alive.” Mark Bishop, Gerald Crabb, and Phil Cross sang a song they wrote together, “Song of a Lifetime.” Channing Eleton played piano. Greater Vision sang “When They Ring the Bells of Heaven.” Chris Allman sang lead on “For All He’s Done.”
Triumphant Quartet sang, “The Great I Am Still Is” then went into Clayton Inman’s song, “Old White Flag.” During the song, Chris Allman went onstage and gave Jeff Stice a handkerchief. They ended their set with “Saved by Grace.” Michael Booth was jamming on the drums, and Ronnie Booth and Jim Brady joined in singing the last chorus.
The highlights for the Booth Brothers were singing, “We Believe” and “Trading This Old Cross for a Crown.”
They ended the night with a Christmas segment. Kim Collingsworth played “O Holy Night” on the piano. Greater Vision, Legacy Five, and the Booth Brothers sang, “O Come All Ye Faithful.” Kim Hopper and Reggie & Ladye Love Smith sang, “Silent Night.” Karen Peck and New River sang, “Joy Has Come to the World.” Greater Vision closed with “Hope Has Hands.”
I still plan to cover Day 5 and 6 but, unfortunately, it will have to be next week. I hope you’re enjoying reading some of the highlights from this year’s National Quartet Convention.
