Concert Review: Staffmen/Heralders/Calvarymen/Original Couriers
A couple weeks ago, I attended a concert at Hudsonville Reformed Church in Hudsonville, MI. I was expecting to arrive 1/2 hour before it started and have no trouble getting a good seat. Wrong! As soon as we got to the church, the parking lot was full, making me eager to run in and make sure we had a place to sit. I hadn’t eaten dinner, however, so I probably made record time of eating half a sub (which for me is pretty fast) and then fought to walk like a lady as quickly as possible, hoping I wouldn’t have to stand.
The man who was seating people found my mom and me a seat about halfway back in the middle. We were right behind the sound control booth but thankfully no one was running sound from there most of the evening and, although I’d have preferred to be closer to the front, it wasn’t as bad a view as I thought it would be.
I’d only heard of two of the groups on the program that evening so I settled in as the concert began with the Staffmen. I enjoyed their set as they sang songs which were familiar to me: “Whispering Hope,” “I Know Who Holds Tomorrow,” “Sheltered in the Arms of God,” “Learning to Lean,” “Little is Much,” “Oh What a Savior,” “I am Redeemed,” and “We Shall See Jesus.” Basic arrangements but good harmony made each song nice to listen to and easy to sing along with.
The Calvarymen sang a mixture of songs I’ve heard them sing before and songs I hadn’t, although some of those I’d heard other groups do. Their set included: “He’s So Good to Me,” “In Your Arms” (probably my favorite song they sing), “Excuses” (the old Kingsmen classic), “Wonderful Grace of Jesus,” (the Cathedrals’ acapella arrangement), “I Plead the Blood,” “Love Grew Where the Blood Fell,” and “Heaven’s Joy Awaits.” The last time I’d seen them, they were a quartet. Now traveling as a trio, I was surprised they did this last song but I was not disappointed. If you didn’t know the original included a bass singer, you wouldn’t have noticed the bass part was omitted. They encored the song, walking off stage and shaking hands while singing their “do re mi” parts. Very impressive.
I’d never had the opportunity to see Dave, Duane and Neil (the Original Couriers) outside of NQC but I have a lot of respect for Neil Enloe and I was looking forward to getting to talk with him and seeing his group in person. This trio has been singing together for over 50 years and, as I watched them sing, I thanked God for men who remain faithful to Him and the calling He’s placed on their lives. I’m grateful for men who don’t try to be idols but are willing to be examples of what Godly men look like. You really can be down to earth and reflect Jesus at the same time.
The Couriers sang: “Happiness,” “It’s Such a Good Feeling,” “Euroclydon” (my favorite Neil Enloe song so far), “I Stand Before Your Majesty,” “When It Hurts So Bad,” and “The Next Time I Get Married.”
During the Heralder’s set, I went to stand in the back so I could stretch my legs. Therefore, I only heard the first few songs but they had a great stage presentation and held their audience well. I was very blessed to meet Hank Vander Loon of the group and hope I have the opportunity to hear the Heralders again.
For the finale, all four groups sang “Loving God, Loving Each Other” and “I’ll Fly Away.”
I left the concert thanking God for allowing me to attend. I felt so blessed both by the concert and my conversations with Neil Enloe (of the Couriers) and Steve Ratliff (of the Calvarymen). I pray God continues to bless these groups and use them for His glory.
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