by David Bruce Murray | Sep 28, 2017 | Concert Review, Reviews
HIGHLIGHT NQC 2017 has been about youth as much as it has been about the past 60 years. The highlight of the Thursday evening concert was a group of five children & youth, ranging in age from 10 to 19. They sing at a fully professional level. Their name is The...
by David Bruce Murray | Sep 27, 2017 | Concert Review, History, Major Concert Events, Reviews
HIGHLIGHT: Best Set Jason Crabb and his band set the bar on Tuesday evening. He began much as Monday evening began with the National Anthem. His set concluded with a brand new song about unity. Joining Crabb for the final song were several of Southern Gospel’s...
by David Bruce Murray | Sep 26, 2017 | Awards Shows, History, Major Concert Events
The SGMA benefit showcase on Tuesday afternoon featured an array of performances plus four Hall Of Fame inductions. There was also a plea for more fans to join the SGMA. (The cost of membership is $20 per year.) HIGHLIGHTS Most groups avoided their showier pieces for...
by David Bruce Murray | Sep 26, 2017 | CD Reviews, Reviews
The Last Big Thing is the second CD by the Kingdom Heirs since baritone Loren Harris joined the group last year. The previous recording (Something Good) featured a collection of well-known cover songs. The Last Big Thing introduces eleven new songs written by some of...
by David Bruce Murray | Sep 26, 2017 | History, Major Concert Events
HIGHLIGHT: THE WORD It’s not difficult to choose a highlight from the Tuesday Chapel service. If Mark Trammell wasn’t a singer, he would be constantly on call as an evangelist. Mark brought a clear Word to us this morning. His scripture ranged from the...
by David Bruce Murray | Sep 26, 2017 | Concert Review, History, Major Concert Events, Reviews
2017 finds NQC comfortably settled in the fourth year in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. 2017 is the 61st year NQC has been held since the first event in 1957, or, as the branding goes this week, 2017 is the 60th anniversary of the 1957 event. I’m attending...
by David Bruce Murray | Sep 25, 2017 | History, Singing News
As the 61st National Quartet Convention is now underway in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, let us look back 47 years ago to the October 1970 issue of Singing News. The 14th National Quartet Convention in 1970 fell a couple of weeks after the publication of the October issue...
by David Bruce Murray | Sep 22, 2017 | News
Gospel Happenings Arizona-based baseball bat company Smacker Bats recently partnered with Southern Gospel artist Matt Felts to release the “Matt Felts Signature Series” bat with Felts’ signature and logo on the barrel. In addition to his solo music career and...
by David Bruce Murray | Sep 21, 2017 | CD Reviews, Reviews
I met Darrell Ritchie in the 1980s when we were both completing our respective undergraduate degrees at Gardner-Webb College (now University) in Boiling Springs, NC. Darrell has sung at the church where I lead music a few times over the years as a soloist, and in...
by David Bruce Murray | Sep 20, 2017 | CD Reviews, Reviews
Brian Free & Assurance are back with their second CD since reverting to a trio format in 2015 after the departure of bass singer Jeremy Liles. Bill Shivers has been singing lead since 2001 while Mike Rogers is completing his fourth year at the baritone position....
by Kyle Boreing | Sep 19, 2017 | CD Reviews, Reviews
Love Is The Golden Rule Produced by Jason Clark, *Jay DeMarcus Daywind Records www.michaelenglishmusic.com Format: CD & Digital Release Date: September 15, 2017 Tune-O-Meter: Low Rating: 4.5 stars (out of 5) SONG TITLES: My Love (Jason Clark/Jerome Olds) –...
by David Bruce Murray | Sep 18, 2017 | History, Singing News
What was going on 47 years ago in Gospel Music? Here’s a snapshot from the September 1970 issue of The Singing News. A front-page article announced that concert promoters J G Whitfield, Lloyd Orrell, and W B Nowlin were uniting under the Skylite Talent banner....
