A little over a week ago, I started a series of posts on whether there are enough Southern Gospel songs to record a CD themed around a given topic. We started with songs about family heritage.

This week, let’s tackle a more challenging topic. We cannot fully appreciate God’s mercy and grace until we first grasp the reality of His justice and wrath. Yet despite how clearly Southern Gospel songs lay out other key doctrines, Michael Booth recently searched in vain for a Southern Gospel song on the topic.

Are there, perhaps, a few he missed?

Yesterday, Wes Burke put up his most insightful post of the year to date, Albums that Cause Amnesia. He poses an interesting question: Does an album that is so successful as to redefine a group’s sound cause fans to forget the albums that came before?

His strongest case study was Gold City’s Pillars of Faith. That 1992 release so defined Gold City’s sound that fans tend to talk less about the albums that preceded it. He also raises another persuasive case, the Kingsmen’s 1977 Chattanooga Live.

Count me among the convinced that this unusual phenomenon happens.

One example he gave, though, started my thoughts down a different path. He asked whether the success of the Cathedrals’ 1982 album Something Special causes us to talk less about their previous projects. What I’m wondering is this: Suppose the Cathedrals had never recorded Something Special, because they hung up their traveling shoes in 1979, after Roy Tremble, George Amon Webster, and Lorne Matthews quit. Don’t we actually talk about their 1960s and 1970s projects more thanks to Something Special establishing them as a mega-group than we would had they quit?

Many Southern Gospel songs address one of a fairly small list of topics (the Cross, the empty Tomb, Heaven) directly. That’s hardly a bad thing, considering that other Christian genres go through phases of being weak on those key topics.

At the same time, the Bible addresses a number of other topics that are certainly germane for a Christian song, and Southern Gospel songwriters, from time to time, address these areas. So, from time to time, let’s pull out a theme and explore what Southern Gospel has to offer on that topic.

Are there enough Southern Gospel songs on the topic of leaving a Godly family heritage to put together a complete CD with that theme?

Though others are well on their way to the top, there is little question that Lari Goss knows how to use an orchestra better than anyone else in Southern Gospel. But why?

I have this theory that Goss’s use of the woodwind section is what sets him apart and makes his impeccable arrangements instantly recognizable.

Am I right?

Update: For whatever it’s worth, my comment the other day comparing Goss to the giants of classical music was part of an overall discussion about his skills in arranging for orchestra. That Goss has a talent the level of the great classical composers was part of a larger discussion about his skills at arranging for orchestra. Of course he does not compose Sonatas and Oratorios (though he surely could if he desired). I stand by my original point, which is that he is as good as they were at coaxing the maximum potential out of the almost limitless sonic combinations available in an orchestra.

Two days ago, several other bloggers and I posted a mega review of Declaration, the Booth Brothers’ latest CD. Via Nate Stainbrook, tenor Michael Booth sent and gave us permission to post some fascinating follow-up thoughts (via Nate Stainbrook).

He explains why over half of the songs are from other genres:

There are truths that I can’t get to in our concerts because of time. I talk enough as it is, so I cannot take any more time away from the music. I shared this frustration of truths un-proclaimed with my close friend Scott Fowler. He suggested that we sing the truths in songs. Duh! Why didn’t I think of that?

The problem was finding songs that contain certain truths that I was wanting to proclaim, that would fit our audience. One might think that gospel songs cover everything that needs to be covered but I TOTALLY disagree. Many SG songs have fallen short of seeing truths (such as God’s wrath) through in a concise way. I have never heard a SG song address this truth in an effectively concise way. If I did, then I can’t remember.

Fundamental truths are sadly taken for granted and left unclear too often in gospel songs. Now I realize the almost impossible task of clearly presenting some truths in three to five minutes, however I still believe that we can do better. So with Declaration we made an attempt at growing to a new level of intelligible, concise doctrine and theology in music.

. . . We feel good about the truths in Declaration. Our hope is that it will influence others to take note and pursue an effort in growing the level of material on future recordings.

He discussed the choice of Lari Goss as producer:

Someone asked when they heard that Lari produced the recording if it sounded like everything else that Lari does. It made me laugh because that “Lari sound” is why we went to Lari! We wanted it to sound fundamentally like all of Lari’s other recordings—but we believed that we could make it unique enough with our sound and input. Lari is one of a kind.

Another thing is that we recognized the Cathedrals’ Symphony of Praise recording has lasted and continues to sustain its initial impact. Meaning that if Declaration is anything like SOP then it will last and sell a LONG time. That is why we could justify the great expense of this recording. We put three times more money into this recording than for any of our past recordings.

He also addressed an issue Brandon Coomer raised in his summary, the percentage of ballads:

Now the negative issues.

It’s too heavy for simple listening. My mother said that is wears her out to listen to all of it. It does the same to me also. We knew that this would happen. The problem, as one of you said, is that it is an in-your-face-ballad, lyrically-heavy recording. I agree! The problem was that it was almost impossible to find up-tempo songs that could hang with the ballads on this recording.

To ask the average SG up-tempo song to stand beside one of these diamonds would certainly prove to be unfair and would diminish the purpose of a fresh sonic approach. However it was made more challenging to record an up-tempo that would be palatable to our current audience and sonically fit with the Goss ballads. This was one of our greatest musical challenges in our entire career. We “almost” did it. I think at the least ONE more up-tempo would have helped—BUT then we would get into higher production cost, royalties etc. At some point ya just gotta stop! Also…. I just couldn’t find another uptempo song. Not at the time anyway.

So far the recording is working very well in concerts and people are being impacted by the truths. That is all that we could ask for.

. . . Your positive comments are greatly appreciated and any negative comments, I feel, were accurate.

The last sentence is astonishingly humble—after all, this is the Tenor of the Year from the Group of the Year talking to a bunch of (mostly) amateur bloggers. (Even though one of us does have a day job in the industry, all of us run these sites on an amateur basis on our off hours.)

Several years ago, the Booth Brothers started sweeping the Singing News Fan Awards consistently. For the first year or two, they did the typical acceptance speech routine, thanking the fans for their support.

But somewhere along the way, they realized that it could be a God-given platform to challenge the industry to move to the next level. So, for the last year or two, they have been urging groups to bring more Scripture into their concert emcee work. This statement goes even farther, urging groups to carefully re-examine the theology in their songs.

Perhaps more than any previous group who has been Group/Quartet/Trio of the year, the Booth Brothers are redefining what the role can mean. Challenges like this one, if heeded, can reshape a genre into what it could and should become.

There is sometimes discussion about radio not reaching as many Southern Gospel fans as it used to ten years ago—and with half as many stations now as then, there is reason to lend credence to that.

Do you listen to (traditional) Southern Gospel radio? (By traditional, I mean radio over the airwaves, not Internet streaming radio.)

If not, what do you listen to?

Several months ago, I came across a fascinating blog run by Bob Kauflin, a long-time songwriter, former GLAD vocalist and current Sovereign Grace Music recording artist and worship leader. While many of his posts concern worship in a contemporary setting, I added his site to my must-read list since he frequently thinks outside the box, sharing thought-provoking insights about delivering Christian songs on stage. From the ones that everyone would agree with to the ones that spark vigorous discussion, here are a few highlights:

• “Behold the beauty of brevity.“
• “Plan the progression of songs so you don’t have to say that much.” If the transition from one song to another just makes sense, no need to explain it. You only need to explain a bend in the road.
• “View testimonies, personal illustrations, and non-biblical quotes like spices – use them sparingly or they ruin the meal.” Awesome analogy!
• “Recognize that God’s words outlast ours.” This is an insight the Booth Brothers, in particular, have been applying in their concerts; sometimes all they do to introduce a song is to pull out a Bible and read a passage of scripture that applies.

If you ever lead worship or emcee a concert, check out the whole list here.

During their 35 years on the road, the Cathedrals probably recorded somewhere around 700 individual songs. Many of them are still being sung by groups today, but there are a number that aren’t but should be.

Naturally, a number of Cathedrals alumni still on the road would do excellent renditions of their own songs. So to make this post a little more creative, let’s just look at artists without Cathedrals alumni members.

1. “When the World Looks At Me” (The Prestigious Cathedral, 1984). The lyric and melody, originally featuring Roger Bennett, would fit the Collingsworth Family to a T—particularly their female trio configuration.
2. “I Don’t Want to Live No More Without Jesus” (Something Special, 1982). The jazzy accompaniment has been the only way we’ve known the song for so long that it might be hard to reiimagine it, but . . . picture it with the simple guitar strum and mountain harmonies of the Chuck Wagon Gang.
3. “The Lamb Has Prevailed” (Climbing Higher and Higher, 1990). If the Mark Trammell Quartet doesn’t want to revisit the song, Voices Won could use their tight sibling harmonies to make this song come alive once more.
4. “God is God” (Goin’ in Style, 1988). This uptempo convention song with a spiritual-style groove would fit the Dixie Echoes’ classic style.
5. “I’ve Never Been This Homesick Before” (Keep on Singing, 1979). The Rambos’ trio version, and similar covers of the song, are familiar to most Southern Gospel fans. But the Cathedrals’ arrangement, reinventing the song as a bass solo, is too good to be forgotten. Joseph Brown and the Diplomats would be among the best possible choices to bring this one back.
6. “Mighty the Lord” (Statue of Liberty, 1974). This song is so good that it’s amazing nobody is still singing it. The Kingsmen would be quite solid on this song (especially if the producer remembered to include the requisite snare drum.)
7. “He the Pearly Gates Will Open” (I’m Nearer Home, 1970). During the Cathedrals’ first decade on the road, much of their material was familiar. Their hauntingly beautiful arrangement of this classic hymn, featuring George Younce, could not be delivered better than by Randy Byrd and the rest of the Blackwood Brothers.
8. “Next Time We Meet” (The Prestigious Cathedral Quartet, 1984). If the Crist Family ever does an all-acapella project, this would be a perfect closing track.
9. “Following In His Footsteps” (Travelin’ Live, 1986). Two words: Gold City. Need I say more?
10. “We Have This Moment” (Easy on the Ears, Heavy on the Heart, 1976). Thematically and musically, this song fits the Booth Brothers.

When Southern Gospel artists record table projects, hymns are a natural choice. The renditions are frequently straight out of the hymnal, just switching the soprano part down an octave for the lead singer. While there’s nothing wrong with that, a hymn arrangement and a creative arrangement don’t have to be mutually exclusive.

Here are a few Southern Gospel hymn arrangements that use the hymn as a starting place for creativity:

1. I Bowed On My Knees (Michael English). English’s iconic rendition of the hymn, recorded with every group he has been part of since the Goodmans in the early 1980s, is one of the most instantly recognizable tracks in Southern Gospel—oft copied since, but never surpassed.
2. Love Lifted Me (Kingsmen, Live . . . Naturally, 1981). The Kingsmen recorded this arrangement on several projects, first on 1973′s Big and Live. But this one is probably the best. Hamill on the verses, audience singing on the straight-ahead chorus, the band kicking into double-time, and Little Ernie Phillips going through the rafters . . . it just doesn’t get better than this. Until the encore, that is.
3. Love Lifted Me (Florida Boys, The Many Moods of the Florida Boys, 1970). Speaking of arrangements of “Love Lifted Me,” there is no question that the Florida Boys’ 1970 rendition deserves a mention on this list. Though tenor Tommy Atwood’s distinctive delivery has been compared by certain skeptical fans who shall go unnamed hearing the song for the first time to a sick cat and a police siren, one thing all can agree on: This arrangement is unique. And I, for one, love it.
4. O Holy Night (Greater Vision, A Greater Vision Christmas, 1999). Gerald Wolfe and Lari Goss’s arrangement was so good that, for all intents and purposes, Wolfe has owned the song since, for our genre at least—and several top-tier singers who have done it since (Mark Trammell, TaRanda Greene) have used this track.
5. Onward Christian Soldiers (Florida Boy, Up in the Sky, 1964). Especially at the time, but even still today, this rendition stands out as unique. The snare drum and bass solo aren’t exactly what one might expect, but they fit the lyric and melody perfectly.
6. Wonderful Grace of Jesus (Cathedral Quartet, Voices in Praise Acapella, 1983). This arrangement became iconic over the years; the Cathedrals continued staging it through their final year on the road.
7. Jesus Saves (Liberty Quartet, Timeless Treasured Hymns 2, 2007). How many hymn arrangements have you heard where the song shifts time signatures, from 3/4 to 4/4? Yet Liberty pulls it off so flawlessly here that, as I said here, “…after hearing Liberty Quartet sail effortlessly through more chord, time signature, and tempo changes than a typical mainstream group on a major label release, I found myself hoping that their projects of new songs could measure up.”
8. O Worship the King (Janet Paschal, Sounds Like Sunday, 2007). Though there is only so much one can do with a vocal arrangement for a soloist, the track’s smooth transition from major to minor and back to major—in a song so majestic that most people wouldn’t even contemplate a minor key—earns this song its place on the list.
9. Battle Hymn (Liberty Quartet, Timeless Treasured Hymns 2, 2007). Though there have been a number of decent renditions, it took a group of Yankees based in Idaho to pull off the definitive version of this song. The martial arrangement and creative harmonies earn this song its place in the top ten.
10. O Happy Day (Florida Boys, Brotherhood, date unknown but probably late ’50s or early ’60s). This song is most frequently rendered as a repetitive to the point of pushing boring spiritual. Who would have thought it could become a convention song with energetic counterpoint?

Honorable Mention:

• I Sing the Mighty Power of God / Canon in D (The Browns, Heritage Hymn Collection 1, 2009). The only reason this creative instrumental piece didn’t make the top ten is that there were too many good choices!
• I’d Rather Have Jesus (Crabb Family, Blur the Lines, 2006). Jason Crabb added another signature song to his repertoire with this rendition. The studio version doesn’t quite capture the power of the live rendition, though.
• Wonderful Grace of Jesus (The Browns, Heritage Hymn Collection Vol. 1, 2009). Practically every group that has cut this song since the Cathedrals trademarked their arrangement has more or less copied the Cathedrals’ rendition. But when the Browns cut it, they had a problem to encounter: They didn’t have a bass singer to hold down the bass part. They compensated by making the harmonies even a little more complex, and the delightful result would easily place this in a top 20 list.
• Near To the Heart of God (Ball Brothers, Simplified, 2008). The Ball Brothers’ vocal arrangements are so creative that it would be hard to narrow the list down to their most creative hymn arrangement. Though not a showstopper, this track is quite creative in a subdued, understated sort of way.
• My Savior’s Love / And Can It Be Medley (Liberty Quartet, Timeless Treasured Hymns 2, 2007). Yes, no less than three tracks from this project make a top 20 list.
• At the Cross (Gaither Vocal Band, Lovin’ God Lovin’ Each Other, 1997). This track starts out so slow that you might be inclined to write it off as the Vocal Band’s most boring song selection ever. Then Guy Penrod takes a solo on the verse and turns it into a power ballad. The slide from the third interval down to the root at the end of the verse is particularly unforgettable.

Surely I missed a few. Other honorable mentions—or songs you thought should have been in the top ten?

When I’m watching a video of a concert, sometimes in the sterile environment of viewing it on a 15-inch screen I don’t get quite as caught up as the audience. But no matter what I thought of a performance, if the audience is so moved as to offer a standing ovation, a chill still runs down my spine and a tear sometimes comes to my eye. Just seeing that the artist connected with the audience moves me deeply, even if the artist didn’t connect with me.

Is it just me?