Stephen Hill passed away suddenly on Sunday, August 6th. His memorial / home going services was eight days later, on Monday, August 13th. Friends, family, and fellow Southern Gospel artists gathered to commemorate his life.

At the service, Sisters sang the song he closed his final concert with, “It is Well.” This isn’t just worth watching because of the context; this rendition is a work of art on its own merits. The apparently effortless key changes, airtight unison lines, and lush cascading harmonies—all achieved without the help of tracks or stacks—are part of why Sisters’ fellow performers have such a high respect for their abilities.

The Essential Songwriter Collection series lists ten songs each from legendary songwriters that every Southern Gospel fan should add to their collections.

• “A Crown of Thorns”: McDuff Brothers, Here Come the McDuff Brothers with Big John Hall, 1960s. Though one of Stanphill’s lesser-known songs—Stanphill only wrote four or five widely recognized classics—the strength of the rendition played into the song’s inclusion on the list.
• “Follow Me”: J.D. Sumner, The Heart of a Man, 1969. It’s a toss-up between the technical excellence of Larry Ford’s 1994 arrangement and this simpler but heartfelt 1969 version from Sumner. Ford’s arrangement is stronger, but the pathos in Sumner’s voice tips the scales in his favor. 
• “Happiness Is”: Melody Four, A New World. Though this song is more-recognized than some of the others on the list, the Melody Four’s rendition still has little competition.
• “He Washed My Eyes With Tears”: Gaither Homecoming Friends, Passin’ the Faith Along, 2004. This version, featuring Tanya Goodman Sykes and Reggie & Ladye Love Smith, brings modern production quality to the song without losing its hymnlike feel.
• “I Know Who Holds Tomorrow”: Gold City, A Collection of Favorites Vol. 1, 2010. It would be easy to pick the version with the most pathos for every song on this list. In this case, though, while the slower pace George Younce employed brought out the power of the lyric, Gold City’s recent country-influenced version is a fresh and delightful twist.
• “Mansion Over the Hilltop”: Cathedrals, Alive! Deep in the Heart of Texas, 1997. Too many groups treat renditions of “Mansion Over the Hilltop” as a matter of routine—just another performance of just another hymn. Here, Scott Fowler let loose on the verse, delivering it with a passion that led to a round of applause as he finished his solo and the group transitioned back into the chorus. (Runner-up: The Blackwood Brothers turned a solid rendition on Favorite Gospel Songs and Spirituals, 1952). 
• “Room At The Cross”: Weatherfords, The Finest in Gospel Singing, 1959. Though the 1960 Statesmen live version came close, no version has surpassed this one, featuring Lily Fern Weatherford on the solo, as the smoothest to date.
• “Suppertime”: George Younce with Ernie Haase & Signature Sound, NQC Live 2003, 2004 (video). Despite many other fine renditions, there is really no question that, in Southern Gospel, this is Younce’s song. The bigger question is which version to record through his career. He recorded it quite a few times, from a 1957 version with the Blue Ridge Quartet to this final 2003 version. Vocally, it’s not his strongest (that would be his 1971 version on the Cathedrals’ Somebody Loves Me). But that’s not the point. This was Younce’s final NQC appearance, and final appearance outside of his immediate area. In that moment, the lyric and the legend came together for an unforgettable goodbye.
• “Unworthy”: Greater Vision, The King Came Down, 1993. John Rulapaugh offered a similarly strong vocal delivery of the song on Palmetto State Quartet’s Gospel Quartet Favorites album in 2006. However, the supporting elements around Mark Trammell’s feature vocal—the harmonies, the vocal arrangement, and the soundtrack—give the Greater Vision track the edge.
• “We’ll Talk It Over”: The LeFevres, Gospel Music USA, 1975. This hymnlike rendition features bass singer Rex Nelon on lead, just a year or two before the LeFevres would become the Rex Nelon Singers.

What do you consider to be the definitive versions of Ira Stanphill’s songs?

Via Gaither Vocal Band tenor Wes Hampton, on Twitter:

To end speculation, I just talked to Guy Penrod. He did go to the hospital for chest pains & had a stint put in. He’s okay! Pray 4 rest.

UPDATE, 6:22 A.M., 8/21/12: Guy Penrod posted this on his Facebook page (hat tip, GospelMusicFan):

I wanted to let my friends know that I am currently “in for repairs.” After experiencing chest pain recently, my doctors discovered I had a partial blockage in an artery. This morning I underwent a procedure and had a stint put in. All went well; I just need to take it easy for awhile. 

My family and I are thankful for your prayers and good thoughts, and we look forward to seeing you on the road again very soon.

Legacy Five announced early this afternoon that their new bass singer will be Matt Fouch. Fouch, who comes to Legacy Five after an eight-year stint with Soul’d Out Quartet, will start with Legacy Five on September 1.

Fouch comments:

For the past eight years I have had the great opportunity to travel and sing with the guys of Soul’d Out Quartet (SOQT). These men are high character individuals and it has been a pleasure to sing along side them. God has blessed SOQT and I am very thankful for the many friends I have made and the opportunities God has given through the ministry of SOQT.

With that said, after much prayer, thought and consultation with my wife, I have decided to resign my position with SOQT and join the Legacy Five team.

It is an honor and a privilege to join L5. These men have a wonderful calling on their lives and do a fantastic job. They are men of integrity and I couldn’t be happier to join their ranks. I’m excited to see where God leads and what He does in this new season of my life.

My family and I are thankful for your prayers and support, and I ask that you keep SOQT and L5 in your prayers as He leads both groups in the calling He has placed on their lives. God bless!

Scott Fowler adds:

Seasons of life change for us all. Change is never easy but it is inevitable. The older I get, the less I like change, but with change comes the excitement of seeing what new and refreshing doors God opens for us. We are really looking forward to Matt’s contribution to Legacy Five, both on and off the stage. To Matt, Dusty, Michael and Bryan of Soul’d Out, I want to say how much I have appreciated how gracious and kind they have been to Legacy Five and Matt during this time of transition. I cannot remember when two groups have had this type of cooperation in a situation like this. They are truly good men and I have great respect for them.

And in a surprising but classy move, Legacy Five’s announcement even included a comment from Matt Rankin, manager of the group Fouch is leaving:

Soul’d Out Quartet wishes to thank Matt Fouch for 8 years of service to the Lord and the group. We have been a part of seeing many come to Christ in those years. We have been a part of watching God’s hand at work and have watched him supply the group’s needs time and time again. We hate to see Matt leave Soul’d Out but we trust that God is leading this decision. We will be in prayer for a replacement and will continue our prayers and support for Matt Fouch, his family, and Legacy 5. Though change is many times difficult, the big picture is that we all are trying to serve the King. With that said, thank you Matt for making Soul’d Out a better group while you were here. We love you. God bless.

Soul’d Out was a trio when Fouch joined, so he is actually the only bass singer they have ever had. 

For a preview of the humor Fouch will bring to the group, check out the series of On the Couch with Fouch videos he has posted on his YouTube channel.

This is the twenty-third entry in a series on Songs from the Books of the Bible.

Southern Gospel songs focus on many of the highest themes known to mankind—songs of Salvation, the Cross, the Resurrection, and eternity. But critics claim that they focus on these themes to the exclusion of other Biblical themes which are appropriate and perhaps necessary to address in song.

For how many chapters in Isaiah can we find Southern Gospel songs addressing their themes?

• Isaiah 1:18: Whiter Than Snow (Cathedrals, Triumphant Quartet)
• Isaiah 1:18: He’ll Wash You Whiter than Snow (Melody Boys)
• Isaiah 1:18: His Blood Washes Whiter Than Snow (J.D. Sumner & the Stamps)
• Isaiah 2:4: Down By the Riverside (Couriers, Florida Boys, Gaither Homecoming Friends, Kim Collingsworth, Lancers, Statesmen, Southern Gospel Players)
• Isaiah 6: Above and Beyond (McKameys)
• Isaiah 6:1: High and Lifted Up (Cathedrals – Dianne Wilkinson song)
• Isaiah 6:1: High and Lifted Up (Talleys – different song)
• Isaiah 6:1: Above and Beyond (McKameys)
• Isaiah 6:8: Send Me (Whisnants)
• Isaiah 7:14: He’ll Do a New Thing (Inspirations)
• Isaiah 9:9: Bethlehem Morning (Ladye Love Smith and Larry Ford on Gaither Homecoming Friends)
• Isaiah 9:12/17/21: Bethlehem Morning (Ladye Love Smith and Larry Ford on Gaither Homecoming Friends)
• Isaiah 11:6: A Cradle in Bethlehem (Greater Vision)
• Isaiah 11:6: Peace in the Valley (just about everyone)
• Isaiah 24:15: Glorify the Lord in the Fire  (McKameys)
• Isaiah 25:8 (also see Rev. 7:17, Rev. 21:4): Tears Will Never Stain the Streets of That City (Rambos, Allison Durham Speer, Blackwood Brothers, Florida Boys, Inspirations, LordSong, Perrys, Tim Surrett)
• Isaiah 25:8 (also see Rev. 7:17, Rev. 21:4): No Tears in Heaven (Blackwood Brothers, Blue Ridge Quartet, Cathedrals, Chuck Wagon Gang, Gaither Homecoming Friends, LeFevres, Rebels, Spencers)
• Isaiah 25:8 (also see Rev. 7:17, Rev. 21:4): He’ll Wipe Away the Tears (Inspirations)
• Isaiah 25:8 (also see Rev. 7:17, Rev. 21:4): God Shall Wipe All Tears Away (Rambos)
• Isaiah 25:8 (also see Rev. 7:17, Rev. 21:4): There’ll Be No More Tears (Spencers)
• Isaiah 26:19: When Dust Shall Sing (Wilburns)
• Isaiah 35:8: Holy Highway (Gaither Vocal Band and Ernie Haase & Signature Sound, Gaither Homecoming Friends)
• Isaiah 35:8: The King’s Highway (Hoppers)
• Isaiah 35:8: I’ll Keep Walking in the King’s Highway (Blackwood Brothers)
• Isaiah 35:8: Highway to Heaven (Gaither Homecoming Friends)
• Isaiah 37:16: You’re Still God (McKameys)
• Isaiah 38:1-5: Set Your House in Order (McKameys)
• Isaiah 40:4: Even the Valley (McKameys)
• Isaiah 40:4: He’ll Do a New Thing (Inspirations)
• Isaiah 40:8: God’s Word Will Stand (Archie Watkins)
• Isaiah 40:8: God’s Word Will Stand (Williamsons)
• Isaiah 40:11: The Shepherd’s Point of View (McKameys)
• Isaiah 40:31: Eagle Wings (Gaither Vocal Band)
• Isaiah 40:31: Teach Me, Lord, to Wait (Cathedral Quartet, Statesmen, Bill Gaither Trio, Blue Ridge Quartet, Wilburns, Gold City, Gaither Homecoming Friends)
• Isaiah 40:31: They That Wait (Whisnants)
• Isaiah 43:19: A New Thing (Brian Free & Assurance)
• Isaiah 43:19: Lord, Do a New Thing (Greater Vision)
• Isaiah 43:19: He’ll Do a New Thing (Inspirations)
• Isaiah 49:16: In God’s Hands (Inspirations)
• Isaiah 49:16: In the Palm of His Hands (Anchormen)
• Isaiah 49:16: Hide Me in the Palm of Your Hands (Weatherfords, Imperials)
• Isaiah 49:16: In the Palm of His Hand (Dixie Echoes) (allusion)
• Isaiah 49:16: In the Palm of His Hand (Goss Brothers) (a different song)
• Isaiah 49:16: The Palm of His Hand (Palmetto State Quartet)
• Isaiah 49:16: The Palm of His Hand (Ronny Hinson) (a different song)
• Isaiah 53:2: But He Did (Kyla Rowland & Deliverance)
• Isaiah 53:3: Man of Sorrows (Brian Free & Assurance)
• Isaiah 53:5: By His Stripes (Isaacs)
• Isaiah 53:5: By His Stripes You Are Healed (Rambos)
• Isaiah 53:5: From a Star to Stripes (Couriers, Cathedrals, Mark Trammell Trio) (allusion)
• Isaiah 53:5: Scars and Stripes (Cathedrals, Greater Vision, Daybreak Quartet) (allusion)
• Isaiah 53:5: Scars and Stripes Forever (Inspirations) (allusion)
• Isaiah 53:5: The Healer (Cathedral Quartet)
• Isaiah 55:8: Wait for the Morning Light (McKameys)
• Isaiah 55:8-9: God Doesn’t Think Like Me (McKameys)
• Isaiah 59:9: Wait for the Morning Light (McKameys)
• Isaiah 61:3: Garment of Praise (Scott Fowler)
• Isaiah 62:4: Beulah (Tribute Quartet)
• Isaiah 62:4: Dwelling in Beulah Land (Chuck Wagon Gang, Lewis Family, Gaither Homecoming Friends, Singing Americans, Hinsons)
• Isaiah 62:4: I’ve Pitched My Tent in Beulah Land (Couriers)
• Isaiah 62:4: Is This Not the Land of Beulah (Freemans, Gaither Homecoming Friends, Isaacs, Bill Gaither Trio, Kingsmen, Channing Eleton)
• Isaiah 62:4: Longing for Beulah (Gold City, Mark Trammell Trio)
• Isaiah 62:4: The New Beulah Land (Dottie Rambo)
• Isaiah 62:4: Sweet Beulah Land (Akins, Allison Durham Speer, Ball Brothers, Bill Shaw, Browns, Cathedrals, Christian Davis, Chuck Wagon Gang, Danny Funderburk, Dumplin Valley Boys, Florida Boys, Gaither Homecoming Friends, Gaither Vocal Band, Hope’s Call, Inspirations, Kingsmen, Masters V, N’Harmony, Nelons, Old Paths, Paid in Full, Palmetto State Quartet, Stewart Varnado)
• Isaiah 63:1: Mighty to Save (Voices Won, Chigger Hill Boys & Terri)
• Isaiah 63:1: Jesus Alone is Mighty to Save (Perrys)
• Isaiah 65:24: Unspoken Request (McKameys)

What others come to mind?

Randy Byrd, who spent eight years on the Blackwood Brothers’ bus and left earlier this year, is joining the Anchormen as their new bass singer. This follows last week’s announcement that Anchormen bass Paul Harkey left to join the Mike LeFevre Quartet.

UPDATE (8/20/12, 6:07 A.M.): Aaron Swain has videos of the new Anchormen lineup, including this one of Byrd singing “Happy Rhythm.”

Worth Knowing

• Following the Melody Boys Quartet’s retirement at the end of the year, two to-be alumni, lead singer Jason Tapley and baritone singer Chris Walton, will be launching Next Chapter Quartet. [EDIT, 2/21/13. Broken link removed.] They will release two recordings in or around next January, a mainline project titled God’s Not Finished and a project called Tribute to Gerald Williams and the Melody Boys.
• Pianist Mike Hammontree has returned to the Blackwood Brothers, after recovery from a quadruple-bypass heart surgery.

Worth Reading

• Wayne Haun and Joel Lindsay are launching a songwriting blog, http://www.youwritesongs.com/.
• Top ten reasons to share musical opinions humbly.
• Not musical, but relevant: Christian author Randy Alcorn urges Christians to never give up hope that family members will come to know the Lord by sharing the story of how his own father finally surrendered to the Gospel at age 84.

Worth Watching

• The Dills have a video taken underneath their bus, amidst an air valve repair.
• Aaron Swain has videos of the new Blackwood Brothers lineup live in concert.
• The Mark Trammell Quartet had a homecoming celebrating their 10th Anniversary on the road last weekend. Here’s a video of Mark, tenor Eric Phillips, and Eric’s daughter Carli; Carli is singing “I Love to Tell the Story.”
• SGConcerts’ Diana Brantley posted a concert review with videos of a recent concert featuring the Old Paths, Gold City, and a new group called Resurrection. [EDIT, 3/16/13: Broken link removed.] Resurrection is a trio consisting of Inspirations alumni Matt Dibler, Melton Campbell, and Mike Clark. (Clark filled in for Archie Watkins.) Here’s one of the Resurrection videos:

Worth Discussing

It’s open thread Saturday—you decide!

3:1 Reviews offer three highlights of an album and one area that could have been improved.

1: Musical Balance: Groups which have been on the road for decades often struggle to transition the distinctives that made them great into the modern era. Sweet Songs About Heaven does a remarkably solid job at striking the right balance between modern recording techniques and the classic Blackwood Brothers sound. 

2: “Sweet Songs About Heaven”: This song is easily the album’s standout track (and to skeptical observers on the sidelines, I’d already made up my mind on this point prior to knowing that it was a Dianne Wilkinson / Rebecca Peck co-write). Blackwood Brothers fans aren’t looking for the passionate intensity of a Kyla Rowland testimony song. Many current fans have followed the group for decades and gravitate toward songs in exactly this vein: Mid-tempo songs where they can lean back, tap their toes, and reminisce about the good old days.

3: Songs that fit the Blackwood Brothers’ sound: Few writers still employ the musical and lyrical idioms that distinguish the greatest hits in the Blackwood Brothers’ repertoire. Group members have told me that it is actually quite hard to find new songs that have that classic sound and would fit alongside the songs they already stage. For Sweet Songs About Heaven, they have found several songs—“I’ve Heard About a City,” “That’s What Was Good About the Good Old Days,” and “That’s What Heaven Will Be”—that would have been right at home on one of their 1960s RCA Victor records. Of course, there are remakes, like “Swing Down Chariot,” “Someone to Care,” and “The Devil Can’t Harm a Praying Man,” but the new songs are strong enough to be the star of the show.

:1: Song Selection: It’s not that the song selection was poor; tenor Wayne Little, in particular, had a strong handful of solos—”Sweet Songs About Heaven,” “That’s What Heaven Will Be,” and a remake of the Ernie Haase & Signature Sound song “Goodbye Egypt (Hello Canaanland).” (Sadly, that last track is a straight solo, losing the tenor/bass duet that made the original so fun.) It’s hardly that the rest of the songs were weak; it’s more that, had each member been featured on three songs that strong, the album would have been a five-star project.

The Lesters announced this afternoon that Dan and Ginger Pitchers will be leaving the group. The husband-wife team will be coming off the road because Dan has accepted the senior pastorate of First Baptist Church in Annapolis, Missouri. Ginger, who sang alto, will stay on board until the Lesters can find a replacement.

Brian Lester, a third-generation Lesters member, and his son Jonathan, a fourth-generation Lester, plan to carry on the group as a male trio. This will be the first time in the Lesters’ history that they are not a mixed group. They are presently seeking a third male vocalist, commenting: “This is a huge decision for the family, but one that must be made for the betterment of this music ministry.”

Last night, during the International Bluegrass Music Association’s press conference announcing the top 5 nominees in their 2012 awards, they also announced their 2012 inductees into the Bluegrass Hall of Fame. One of this year’s two inductees was Doyle Lawson.

Lawson, of course, is primarily known for his work in the field of bluegrass; he played with Jimmy Martin, J.D. Crowe, and the Country Gentlemen before forming Doyle Lawson & Foxfire in 1979. (He soon renamed the group to Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver). But, over the last decade in particular, he has had significant crossover success in Southern Gospel. He has regularly appeared at Southern Gospel’s largest annual event, the National Quartet Convention and at other Southern Gospel venues, and had significant charting success on the Singing News radio airplay charts (including the September 2008 #1 hit “Help Is On The Way.”)