Probably the high point of the concert (in more than one sense!) was their tenor singer. Toby Hitchcock is an incredible talent, on a par with Wes Hampton. He uses less head tone than pretty much any other tenor out there.

I had intended to post a set list, as usual, but the sound was so loud that I was unable to decipher the lyrics to several of the songs. Of the songs I could understand, particularly memorable were “The Pizza Song” and the group’s rendition of “I’ll Fly Away.”

The baritone and lead singers played various acoustic, electric, and bass guitars. A drummer filled out the live band. There was also a piano on stage, and though a reference was made to the fact that the lead singer could play piano, it went unutilized.

Seeing the group live can rightly be described as an unforgettable experience.

First, the set list:

• He’s So Good to Me (featuring Debra Talley)
• The Promise (featuring Lauren Talley)
• He’s a Personal Savior (acapella)
• Intros
• Jesus, What a Friend for Sinners
• Amazing Grace (featuring Debra and Lauren)
• Life Goes On (Lauren)
• Broken Ones (Lauren)
• That’s Enough (Lauren, with pre-recorded vocal by Jake Hess)
• My Hope is In the Lord (Roger)
• Mountain Mover (Lauren)
• He’s Alive (Lauren)

During the intermission, Roger played an instrumental rendition of “He Keeps Me Singing” as the offertory. In the second half:

• Searchin’ (Lauren)
• The Healer (Debra, Lauren)
• Orphans of God (Lauren)
• If It Had Not Been (Debra)
• His Life For Mine (Lauren)
• Testify (Lauren)

Without doubt, the song that got the biggest response was “He’s Alive.” The camera doesn’t quite capture the spontaneous cheer when the chorus started, but it gives a little hint:

And a special bonus: Here’s a video I produced about the Talley’s sound man, Jim Whetsel, for their TalleyTree-o.com community site:

They sang several songs in the Sunday Morning service. They started with a three-song set before several special 50th Anniversary moments.

• I’ve Come a Long Way
• When the Sun Finally Sets
• Canaanland is Just in Sight – featuring Breana Crist and Tami Crist Starkel. I’ve heard good versions of the song recorded, including the original Heavenbound version, but this is easily the best version I’ve heard live. Seven voices add a big sound that you didn’t know the chorus needed until you hear it that way.

After the 50th Anniversary moments, they sang three more songs:

• Jesus Savior Pilot Me – featuring Tami Crist Starkel
• No Other Name – featuring Tami Crist Starkel
• Lift Up the Cross – featuring Tami Crist Starkel – This was sung at the pastor’s on-the-spot request. They had originally only been going to sing two songs in this time slot. The song received an enthusiastic response.

The pastor delivered what is easily the most memorable sermon I’ve sat through when attending a Sunday concert. Instead of using the occasion of the church’s 50th anniversary to pat the church on the back and congratulate them on the occasion, the pastor (who has been there for 30 of those 50 years) challenged the church that it had become complacent and that it needed to return to the pioneer spirit of its early days. The anointing was so strong that he even broke down crying near the end. It was powerful and well delivered.

After a fellowship dinner, the Crist family did a full program:

• When I Get Carried Away – featuring Rich Crist
• I Believe He’s Coming Back Like He Said – featuring Tami Crist Starkel
• The Anchor Holds – featuring Tami Crist Starkel
• Joy’s Gonna Come in the morning – featuring Tami Crist Starkel
• Introductions. This was probably the most anticipated moment of the evening, as most of the audience was wondering how everyone was related.
• My Heart Knows – featuring Jackie Crist.
• Living with the Light On
• He Knows the Way Home – featuring Tom Joyce
• The Rock – featuring Rich Crist and Tami Crist Starkel
• Great Beyond – featuring Tami Crist Starkel

After a very brief intermission, they began the second half with two acapella numbers. The first was “I Must Tell Jesus”:

Then, they sang:

• He Looked Beyond My Fault and Saw My Need – Also acapella, but with the microphones.
• Lift Up the Cross – They were joined by the church quartet, and got another enthusiastic response.
• Oh Happy Day – featuring Tami Crist Starkel

Probably the element of the concert that surprised me the most was the assignment of solos. As I recall, neither John Starkel nor Lisa Crist had any solos, and Breana Crist and Tom Joyce only had one solo apiece. Jackie Crist, featured on “My Heart Knows,” was surprisingly good. She shares the soprano duties with Tami Crist, and while Tami is more a Kim Hopper-style soprano, Jackie sings a straight, clear tone closer to Charlotte Ritchie. (Actually, neither comparison is good, but no better come to mind.) I would have liked to hear more from Jackie, Breana, Lisa, John, and Tom … but the fact is that with seven people on stage, the family simply has more talent than they can feature in a 90-minute program.

As if there wasn’t enough reason already to make plans to see them again!

To be present in person costs $1000. But the stream is available for free online; sign up here.

The Cathedrals Remembered showcase in the afternoon was spectacular. Since I got there early enough to get a front row seat, I decided not to take notes, as that would look odd on film. I plan to discuss the concert in more detail, adding observations from seeing it in person, once the DVD comes out later this year.

A complete list of Fan Awards winners is here. Overall, there was little surprising enough to be noteworthy in most categories; in many of the categories, the person who won the award last year won it again this year. There were a few notable exceptions:

• Triumphant Quartet picked up their first Male Quartet of the Year win.
• Their bass singer, Eric Bennett, won Bass Singer of the year for the first time.
• Perrys lead singer Joseph Habedank won his first fan award, Young Artist.
• Libbi Perry Stuffle won Favorite Alto for the first time in three or four years. The Habedank and Stuffle wins show that the Perrys’ current lineup (well, particularly the Habedank/Stuffle combination) has now been together long enough to build the kind of connection with their fans that they had in the Stuffle/Loren Harris days.
• The Crist Family won Horizon Group of the Year. This was particularly thrilling for me since I had spent the week updating their website (among several others, none of whom were also up for the award).

Quite honestly, after Fan Awards ended, I took Saturday night off and (during those times I was able to be in Freedom Hall) just sat back and enjoyed the songs. Two highlights that stick out in my memory are the Kingdom Heirs’ “He Locked the Gates” (a much stronger response than earlier in the week) and the Perrys’ “If You Knew Him.” There was applause when the soundtrack kicked off, more when Joseph started singing the first verse, more at the end of the first and second verses, and a standing ovation by the bridge. This song seems on the verge of defining this iteration of the Perrys—the song people will remember this lineup by.

NQC 2009 was an incredibly long but also incredibly enjoyable and memorable experience. In addition to all the posts I did on this site and on other sites, I also did a fair number of feature interviews, which you will get the chance to read in the coming months. Thanks for tuning in!

Rodney Griffin told the story behind a sermon his father preached that inspired “He’ll Carry Me”: “Today I carry you to Your grave; soon You’ll carry me from mine.” The song also received a standing ovation. Jacob Kitson’s voice was so perfect for the song that one cannot help but hope that Greater Vision would see fit to re-cut the song with his vocal at some point.

Triumphant Quartet involved the audience in a handkerchief-waving toe-tapping rendition of “Old White Flag.” Dianne Wilkinson, the song’s author, did not speak until afterward. Initially that seemed odd, but the reason quickly became evident when she presented him with a framed version of the piece of paper upon which she originally scribbled down the song idea and lyrics.

After the Couriers’ virtuoso performance at the showcase, their set on the main stage was a must-see. And what can I say? Three songs, three standing ovations. They started off with their classic a capella arrangement of “I Sing the Mighty Power of God,” receiving a partial standing ovation. “One Nation Over God” got a virtually unanimous standing ovation. As I expected, they closed with “Statue of Liberty,” and the audience was on its feet before the end.

Greater Vision sang immediately before the Signature Sound / Gaither Vocal Band set. Probably the highlight was Gerald Wolfe’s rendition of “There Is a River,” set up by a humorous story of how a lady had quit begging him to sing the song each year and started threatening him that she wouldn’t come back if he didn’t. He said that he told her that the song was so long that he was afraid the program would run over and he would get fined. He asked if she would be willing to pay the $200 fine (for running two minutes over). She said she would. So he asked her if she’d pay it in advance, in case he couldn’t find her afterwards.

Before Signature Sound came on stage, Gordon Mote played an uptempo rendition of “Give The World a Smile.” Mote isn’t a convention-style pianist, and even when he plays something close to convention style, it still has a different feel from when a Stewart Varnado, Bryan Elliott, or even Anthony Burger takes the lead.

Signature Sound sang much the same set they did at the Together showcase. This time, though, they started with their recent hit single, “Reason Enough.” Ernie Haase did give a more detailed introduction to “Wonderful Grace of Jesus,” describing a recent Opryland performance where they sang the song.

Then, in one of the most fascinating transitions in NQC, Doug Anderson sang several lines of a verse to “Reason Enough,” before Ernie Haase started into an acoustic piano-and-voice rendition of “Oh, What a Savior.” A little further into the song, the rest of the Gaither band kicked in, and the soundtrack was punched in for the final ending. It was a fascinating, best-of-both-worlds setup, with the spontaniety of a live song and the orchestra for the big ending.

Signature Sound closed their set with “Amen Chorus,” involving the audience in the fairly simple chorus while Tim Duncan, Ernie Haase, and Doug Anderson sang the solo lines.

The Gaither Vocal Band opened with a song that was probably the single most discussed event of the night: “I Believe in a Hill Called Mount Calvary.” Wes Hampton sang David Phelps’ verse…and, with an astonishing authority, his high tag for the big ending.

Another highlight was hearing Gloria Gaither sing live for the first time. I have probably heard her give recitations at previous Gaither showcases at NQC, but after her recitation on “Something About That Name,” she sang with the Vocal Band for the rest of the song.

Bill Gaither and Michael English closed the set with “Worthy the Lamb.” It wasn’t Guy Penrod, and maybe it wasn’t quite as awesome. But to be almost as breathtaking as Penrod on that song is amazing.

Speaking of Penrod: He is here at the National Quartet Convention. He got in last night, and word is that he will be appearing at the Featured Artist Spotlight showcase in the showcase some time between 12:30 and 4 PM.

The Booth Brothers had a strong set, with a good mix of slow songs (”Look for Me,”) recent songs (”Blind Man” and “Tradin’ The Old Cross”), and a group classic  (”Still Feelin’ Fine.”)

The Diplomats only got one song (”That’s What Heaven Means to Me”), but they pulled out all the stops, pulling in Zane King to play steel guitar and the Hoppers’ bus driver (whose name escapes me) to play rhythm guitar.

The moment I wish I’d caught was when Brian Free & Assurance featuring Jeremy Lile on “Save Me a Seat at the Table.” Lile’s father had passed away earlier in the week. The funeral was that day, and he arrived at Freedom Hall less than an hour before the group’s set. I did catch the song on the live screens in the vendor’s hall. He was choking up in the first verse, but recovered to turn in a strong performance for the remainder of the song. He choked up again in the final tag, but by that point he had already turned in such a strong performance that he received a prolonged standing ovation.

One day to go!

Ernie Haase & Signature Sound started the program. Probably wisely, given the audience, they pulled heavily from the more traditional parts of their repertoire, starting with the classic “Our Debts Will Be Paid” (featuring lead singer Ryan Seaton) and the newer classic-in-the-making “Glory to God in the Highest” (featuring bass singer Tim Duncan).

Their recent #1 hit song, “Reason Enough,” went over quite well. Their acapella rendition of “Wonderful Grace of Jesus” also got a strong response.

They did sing one song from their brand-new Christmas recording (Every Light that Shines at Christmas), “Changed By a Baby Boy.”

Then they pulled out two vintage-style micropones for the remainder of their set. They sang “My Heart is a Chapel,” “Swinging on the Golden Gates,” “Walk With Me,” and “Since Jesus Passed By.”

As Signature Sound walked off stage, the lights were dimmed, and the Gaither Vocal Band walked onto the stage in hazy blue light, singing “Alpha and Omega.”

David Phelps was featured on “At the Cross”; as incredible as the song is recorded or on a Homecoming video, it is indescribably breathtaking from merely feet away.

Michael English was featured on “Temporary Home.” There was a round of applause when he stepped forward. There also was for his part and the other parts in the three-tenor rendition of “The Love of God.”

Mark Lowry and Bill Gaither were featured on “Satisfied.”

Lowry was featured again on Journey to the Sky, and received a standing ovation.

David Phelps sang “Nessun Dorma” solo. He ended the song on a powerfully high note and received a standing ovation.

Michael English and Mark Lowry were featured on “He Touched Me.”

English introduced “Lord, Feed Your Children” by saying that it had been a number of years since he stood on the National Quartet Convention stage, but it was good to be home. The song received a prolonged standing ovation. The Gaither Vocal Band closed their set with “It is Finished,” which received another standing ovation.

After Gordon Mote gave the other singers a break by singing “Old Gospel Ship,” the Gaither Vocal Band and Signature Sound did several songs together. They sang “Great Day,” highlighted by a particularly strong solo from Wes Hampton, “Love Like a River,” “Swing Down Chariot,” “Sitting at the Feet of Jesus,” and “I Then Shall Live.” On the final song, a trio comprised of Wes Hampton, Ryan Seaton, and Doug Anderson sang several lines. Their blend was phenomenal.

I had (and have) a crazy schedule, trying to get video up for a number of websites, so I was unable to spend as much time in Freedom Hall as I wanted to.

I did catch the Mark Trammell Trio set; they sang “Mansion Over the Hilltop,” “Sweetest Song I Know,” “If Only Just a Few,” and “Standing On the Solid Rock.”

The Hoppers and Collingsworth Family sang “Family of God” together. Then the Collingsworth Family started their set with an a capella rendition of “Holy, Holy, Holy,” featuring Courtney. Olivia was featured on “Little By Little.” A teenage trio of Phil Jr., Courtney, and Brooklyn sang a new Gerald Crabb song, “I Know.” (Come to think of it, though, I might not be able to use that any longer, since I recall hearing a reference to Brooklyn having heard twenty.) Courtney played a violin solo (truly solo, without even piano) on “There is a Fountain”; this led into their song “The Blood of Jesus.”

The Talley Trio sang four songs. They started with one of the strongest songs from their new project (Songs You Know By Heart), “Amazing Grace.” Debra sang the first verses, and Lauren finished with the last two. Roger was featured on “My Hope is In the Lord.” Then Lauren closed with two songs, the Talleys classic “Mountain Mover” and another song new to the Talley Trio, “He’s Alive.” It’s hard for a brand new song that many in the audience have never heard to get a standing ovation, but this one did.

Tribute Quartet started their set with two songs from their new project, “I’ve Been Blessed,” featuring lead Gary Casto, bass Dennis Dugger, and tenor Brian Alvey. I scribbled in my notes that it was remarkable how much Dugger sounds like Legacy Five bass Glen Dustin. Casto and Alvey sang solos on another new song, “That’s Why I Love Him So.” Brian Alvey closed the set with “Who Am I”; oddly, for whatever reason, even counting the “Who Am I” encore with the Perrys, Tribute Quartet walked off stage with 6 1/2 minutes left on the clock timing their set.

The Perrys featured Troy Peach and Libbi Stuffle on “Old Fashioned Altar.” For whatever reason (probably, like for so many groups for the rest of the week, microphone issues), one of Libbi’s feature lines in a final chorus was inaudible. And since the audience didn’t hear any vocals when that happened, the Perrys cannot be accused of over-stacking their songs.

One detour along those lines for a minute, if I may. Many singers use stacks–pre-recording their own voices–to help in certain situations. It allows the singers to ease off the power on big endings or save a set in a room with poor acoustics (Freedom Hall, anyone?) But, I am of the opinion that some amateur commentators mistake reverb for stacks. Most sound boards, including the ones used during the National Quartet Convention, have live processing effects. If a singer is minutely south or north of their pitch, and they were either on or slightly off in the other direction a moment before, reverb can add the choir effect that casual readers who know just enough to be dangerous can mistakenly assume to be stacked vocals.

Back to the Perrys’ set. They sang “If You Knew Him,” featuring lead singer Joseph Habedank, and received a standing ovation. They closed their set with “I Wish I Coulda Been There,” encoring it with Tribute Quartet, Morgan Easter (who had begged them to sing the song), and one or two other artists who had stayed in the artist circle to the finale.

* * *

I know, I fell behind, and this post is late. Please accept my apologies, and I’ll do my best to catch up! Maintaining six websites is a bigger job than I anticipated, but it’s a job I love. You have to love this music to survive this convention! But if you do, then the long days are a joy.

I am typing this post as I wait in line for the Gaither Vocal Band / Ernie Haase & Signature Sound showcase. To get a seat anywhere closer than the nosebleeds, you have to be there over an hour before the doors open–that is to say, two hours before the show starts.

Last night, I spent less time than I wanted in Freedom Hall; however, I did attend several showcases, and, during the time I wasn’t in Freedom Hall, got some fascinating footage for the site.

The first item on the day’s schedule was Bill Gaither’s “World’s Largest Sing-Along.” Probably about 75 artists joined him on stage, and several thousand fans joined in the singing. Different artists would sing solos on the verses of a song. This made sense, since there were no words on a teleprompter or projection screen, at least for the audience, and while audiences typically remember the first verse and chorus of a song, many will not remember second verses.

• Just a Little While – Josh Garner had an amazing solo on the second verse, and received a standing ovation.
• I’m Saved, and I know that I Am – McCray Dove sang a solo.
• Goodbye World Goodbye – Ronny Hinson and Ivan Parker both sang solos. There was a rousing round of applause when Parker stood up.
• Wait Till You See Me in my new Home – Ben Speer and Devin McGlamery both sang solos. Speer was sitting in front, and there was a round of applause where he started. McGlamery was sitting in or near the back row, and it took several seconds for the fans in several off angles from stage to figure out who it was.
• When God Dips His Pen – Jessy Dixon started the song, and was joined by Stephen Hill. John Rulapaugh did a verse with a high ending and receiving a standing ovation. He ended up doing several encores, each time getting more solid.
• He Pilots My Ship – Mike Bowling and Ronny Hinson both had solos.
• Jesus Hold My Hand – This was sung by a trio of Sheri Easter, Ben Speer, and Wesley Pritchard (I think).
• I’ll Meet You in the Morning – The Speer sisters (Mary Tom and Rosa Nell) sang the song and received a strong response from the audience. It wasn’t because it was breathtaking musically as much as the audience realized that it may be one of our last opportunities to see those legends.
• Canaanland is Just in Site – There was a round of applause when Jason Crabb stood, and he did not disappoint.
• Give the World a Smile – The entire bass section – led by Tim Riley – was featured on the song; Ben Speer sang the lead lines. Tim Riley provided a depth to the bass section that added a rich texture that enhanced the overall sound of the rest of the Homecoming Choir.
• Up Above My Head – Ronny Hinson and Ivan Parker started the song, before Gaither cut to a video of George Younce and Jake Hess. More thoughts later.
• Joy Comes in the Morning – Jeanne Johnson(?) sang the solo on this song. Not too many of the artists knew it–a number of artists who held microphones for the rest of the concert handed their microphones to the few who knew the song.
• Till The Storm Passes By – Bill Gaither introduced Mosie Lister before featuring Ben Speer on the Lister classic.
• Rock of Ages – A trio of Charlotte Ritchie, Wesley Pritchard, and someone who is presently slipping my mind (Sheri Easter?) sang the first verse. Then Gaither cut to a video of Vestal Goodman singing the last verse. As with the Younce / Hess video, it sent chills down my spine, and, based on the audience response, probably most of the last of the audience. In fact, the audience response to the video clip was so strong that it would hardly have been any more had Goodman still been alive and delivered the solo in person. Could this be the future of the Homecoming events? As more legends pass on, could we see a higher percentage of video guest apparances? For that matter, might Bill Gaither himself prepare video for such future uses?
• Sweetest Song I Know – This started with a solo by Howard Goodman. It didn’t get quite the response the first two did, probably because it immediately followed a similar video appearances. TaRanda Greene, Mark Trammell, and Jason Crabb sang later in the song.
• Sho’ Do Need Him Now – This featured the bass section, particularly Tim Riley, Ronnie Hinson, and Jeff Chapman. Lauren Talley, Kim Hopper, TaRanda Greene, and Charlotte Ritchie were featured for the soprano part.
• Eastern Gate – Ann Downing was featured.
• What a Day – Jim Hill, who wrote the song fifty years ago, delivered a rousing rendition of his classic, and received a standing ovation.
• What a Lovely Name – This featured 11-year-old Logan Smith, a cute little kid who sounds amazingly like Vestal Goodman. He received a standing ovation and had to do an encore or two, which also received standing ovations.
• Feelin’ Fine – I don’t believe there were any solos on this one.
• If That Isn’t Love – My memory is slipping on this one, but I seem to think Jeanne Johnson was again featured.
• Holy Hills – Kim Hopper turned in a solid rendition of this Dottie Rambo classic.
• What a Meeting – This featured a trio of Frank Seamans, Josh Garner, and Ben Speer. They sounded fantastic together.

One general observation. Where I was sitting was particularly close to the bass section. Dixie Echoes bass Pat Barker was a lot of fun to watch. Though from a quite traditional group himself, he was enthusiastically cheering on singers of every style. He was the first on his feet for the standing ovations, and the first to shout a word of encouragement after a particularly strong solo. Russ Taff, known for being the unofficial Gaither cheerleader, wasn’t there…but after watching Pat, I decided he wasn’t needed.

I caught part of the Inspirations’ and McKameys’ Family and Friends showcase. SouthernGospelBlog.com contributor Sony Elise attended the entire event and sent me a set list. I’ll make comments on the part I caught.

The showcase started with both groups singing “How Beautiful Heaven Must Be.” Then the McKameys sang:

• Walked on a Little Longer (featuring Peg)
• The Good News (featuring Sheryl)
• That’s How I Got Saved (featuring Reuben)
• You’re Still God (featuring Peg)
• What Would I Do Without Jesus (Eli, Roger, and Connie)
• Between 12 and 33 (featuring Peg) – this was when I came in the room; the audience seemed to be really enjoying it.
• I’ve Made Up My Mind (featuring Cheryl)
• Do You Know How It Feels?
• God on the Mountain (featuring Peg) – the song got a very strong response.

Inspirations

• When I Wake Up to Sleep No More – Mike Holcomb shocked the audience with some rather high lead notes as part of an encore.
• Dealing with Gold (featuring Dallas Rogers) – Unlike when I saw them a few weeks back, they only did one encore. But the song still got quite a strong response.
• Stepping on the Clouds
• How Great it Is (featuring Melton Campbell)
• It’s Still the Blood (featuring Dallas) – standing ovation and an encore. Very strong performance.
• I Have Not Forgotten (featuring lead singer David Ragan)
• The Son Came Down (featuring David and bass singer Mike Holcomb)
• If You Only Knew (featuring Mike)
• Thank God I’ve Made It (featuring Dallas)

The McKameys and the Inspirations closed the showcase singing “I’ve Got My Mind Made Up” together.

I made it over to Freedom Hall in time to catch the two Kims, Kim Collingsworth and Kim Hopper, do “Blessed Assurance” together. (Kim C. played piano and Kim H. sang.)

The Collingsworth Family, in their first main stage appearance ever, performed four songs. They started with “Not the Same,” featuring oldest daughter Brooklyn. Then a ladies trio of Kim and daughters Brooklyn and Courtney sang a song off their brand new project, The Answer, “Fear Not Tomorrow.” This song received a standing ovation. Then Brooklyn and Courtney did a violin duet, “No One Cared For Me Like Jesus,” before closing with “Jesus is Still the Answer.”

On the instrumental, the violins were not amplified as much as one might expect; in fact, Phil went over to the sound techs and tried to get them to increase the amplification. They did seem to increase it a little, but the sound was still a lot quieter than it was for the rest of the night.

Yet the song received a standing ovation. In fact, it was the most unanimous and prolonged ovation I heard all night (except for perhaps the final ovation at the finale).

But perhaps the right transitional word for the previous paragraph is not “yet.” Perhaps it should be “therefore.” In an event where it can seem like every group is trying to be louder than the previous group, the quiet simplicity of a violin duet stood out. It was so different that the audice paid attention, and they liked what they heard.

I have heard the duet several times live in regular concerts, and I have never seen it receive a standing ovation.

I only dwell on this poin for so long because I think its point that is worth heeding by groups in multi-artist events, particularly those that include instrumentals. Louder is not always better.

Karen Peck and New River, the Talley Trio, and the Booth Brothers sang “I’ll Fly Away” together. Then Karen Peck & New River did a set consisting of “Hold Me While I Cry,” “Hey,” “I Want to Thank You,” and (what for me was the highlight), “I’m Gonna Wear a Robe.”

The Talley Trio sang “He’s So Good to Me,” “The Promise,” “Broken Ones,” and “His Life for Mine.” The first two songs were from their current project, Songs You Know By Heart; the latter two were familiar favorites. All were well received.

Now there were quite a few sets I wanted to catch, but I had several things come up (one of which resulted in a video going up immediately after this post is up). So I wasn’t back to main stage until the finale, featuring Gold City. They started with “I’m Not Giving Up.” Then, they featured tenor Chris Cooper on “When I Get Carried Away” and bass singer Tim Riley on “Under Control.” They closed with “When He Blessed My Soul”; the ending, with Chris Cooper hitting through-the-rafters high notes and bass Tim Riley rattling the (concrete) floor, was pure, classic Gold City.

I had a late night last night, so I didn’t have the chance to write a summary of the Tuesday night mainstage performances last night or this morning. Doors opened for the Gaither Homecing sing-along showcase an hour before the program commenced, so to get a good seat, I waited in line, and I’m actually typing this from the front row of the showcase. About 75 chairs, a piano, two guitars, and a five-piece brass section (the Down Home Brass from Michigan) are awaiting the program to commence in about fifty minutes. Several thousand people are already in the room.

Last night, the program kicked off with several family groups. I was setting up a video for the Crist Family’s community site (www.cristconnect.com)–more on that later–so I missed the first several groups.

The Chuck Wagon Gang turned in a pleasant set. They started with “Gloryland Way” before singing a new song, the title track from their current project, “Keep Travelin’ On.” Stan, their lead singer, led an a capella rendition of “Oh Come Angel Band.” Alto Penny Greene took the lead on “I’m Gonna See Heaven.”

The Crist Family sang two songs, “The Rock” and “Oh Happy Day.” As David Bruce Murray commented in his post, they showed a confidence and stage presence belying their relative newness on main stage and, for that matter, as a group. I took a video before their set that is too good not to share: http://cristconnect.com/2009/09/16/crist-family-sings-on-the-mainstage/

Greater Vision, Legacy Five, and the Booth Brothers sang “He’d Still Been God” together. Greater Vision then took the stage with a Gerald Wolfe feature, “I Know He Heard My Prayer.” Jacob Kitson was then featured on the next three songs–”So Much God,” “Little is Much” (which received an enthusiastic standing ovation), and “I’m Too Near Home.” Jacob Kitson did a Vestal Goodman invitation on the latter song.

The Mark Trammell started their set with a song from their new Vintage Gospel project, “Leave Your Sorrows.” Mark sang a solo keyed for the bass range on “While Ages Roll.” He then hit a home run with “Loving the Lamb,” getting one of the most widespread standing ovations of the night. New tenor Joel Wood was particularly solid on that song, singing the challenging tenor part above Mark’s high lead vocal with aplomb.

The Hoppers managed to fit five songs into their set. The set started with alto Connie Hopper singing the lead on “Just a Rose Will Do.” They did two other songs from their new CD, “In the Sweet Forever” and “On the Authority.” Between the two, they did a song (featuring lead singer Dean Hopper) from North America Live, They closed with “Jerusalem,” mentioning the many requests that had already been made that week for the song. It was a rather interesting selection, since the Thursday-Saturday attendees will be sure to request it again, and they’ll have a harder time doing a different closing big ballad, say their current single, “Grace Will Always Be Greater than Sin” (which, I hear, is finally getting sent to radio), or a new song like “Something’s Happening.”

The Perrys’ set was the last I managed to catch Tuesday night. They started with “I Love to Tell,” featuring bass Tracy Stuffle , and followed it with another uptempo song, “I Know it Was the Blood.” Alto Libbi Perry Stuffle sang a perennial favorite, “The Potter Knows the Clay.” They closed with their current single, “If You Know Him,” featuring Joseph Habedank and co-written by Habedank and Rodney Griffin. The song got the biggest response of the night, and it was the Perrys’ set that I heard the most buzz afterwards.

As I conclude this post, the Down Home Brass are in the middle of a set opening the Homecoming Sing-along. They are really quite a solid ensemble, worthy of the setting. More on the showcase later.

The night kicked off with three or four quartets singing “Living in Canaan Now.” After an audience sing-along on several songs, Gerald Wolfe introduced Larnelle Harris, who, as I mentioned yesterday, received a standing ovation.

I had some web work that needed doing, but I returned to main stage about halfway through Brian Free and Assurance’s set. They sang, among other songs, “Prayin’ Man” and “Long as I Got King Jesus.” BF&A bass singer Jeremy Lile’s father is dying of cancer and is not expected to last more than another day or two, so the group gave him the week off to spend with his father. Jeff Chapman of the Kingdom Heirs filled in and did a spectacular job. You simply haven’t heard “Prayin’ Man” till you’ve heard Chapman’s Tim Riley-esque bass hammering the low notes. More on Tim Riley later.

The Dixie Echoes were next up, and started with two uptempo songs, “I’ll Be Ready” (featuring tenor Wesley Smith and a solid rhythm bass from Pat Barker) and “Miracles Will Happen On That Day.” Then they featured Pat Barker on the George Younce / Cathedrals classic “Plan Of Salvation” (off their brand new project I’d Rather Have Jesus). His solo sent chills down my spine–it was certainly one of the highlights of day 1. Baritone Scoot Shelnut sang “Now I Have Everything,” a song his grandfather Dale used to sing with the group. The Dixie Echoes closed the set with a rousing rendition of “I’ll Have a New Life,” and were joined by the Dixie Melody Boys on the encore.

The sound engineers seem to mess up at least one Dixie Echoes set each year, without fail, and this year is no exception; they did not turn the Dixie Echoes’ microphones on until halfway through the first verse of the opening track. F0rtunately, that was the only major sound issue of the day (at least while I was in Freedom Hall).

The Dixie Melody Boys opened their set with “Far Beyond the Starry Sky.” Baritone Steve Cooper delivered a very solid rendition of “Ten Thousand Years.” Past member Donald Moore recently returned (after Joe Kitson left for the Toney Brothers); he sang “It Will Be Worth it All When We Get Home.” Tenor Jonathan Price (who has been with the group for at least a year, since this is his second convention) sang “What a Wonderful Day.” He has nice control over when he changes vocal registers, and the song made good use of this smile. After an acapella rendition of “Give the World a Smile,” the group closed with “Gonna Ride That Glory Cloud.”

After an absence of years, it was a thrill to see the Blackwood Brothers once more step on the stage of the event they started. Granted, it was an earlier lineup that started the convention, with James Blackwood and J.D. Sumner, but James’s son Jimmy carries on the legacy–and the sound. They started their all-too-brief set with “How About Your Heart” and “Old Country Church.” They closed with “It is Well With My Soul”; the song, particularly one part where the piano drops off and they sing part of a verse acapella, was enthusiastically applauded.

Triumphant Quartet had a strong set, as always; interestingly, I don’t think they did anything off of their current project. I’m forgetting the opening song presently (EDIT: …and that opening song, “Amazed at the Change,” was from the new CD, as several kind readers reminded me last night!), but the rest of the set list was: “Forgave Me Saved Me Raised Me,” “When Morning Sweeps the Eastern Sky,” “Goodbye World Goodbye,” and “I Know I’m Going There Home.” The latter song got a strong response (as always), and they did one or two encores. But, oddly enough, I noticed they walked off stage with 1 minute 42 seconds remaining on their clock.

Gold City walked on stage and electrified the audience before they sang their first note. Even if temporarily, Tim Riley is back, and before they were far into their first song (”Cast My Bread”), I was hearing comments all around me to the effect of “He’s still got it!” Wisely, they featured Tim on the next song, “After Awhile.” New tenor Chris Cooper sang “In Time On Time Every Time”; his voice, though a little more straight-ahead (less flashy) then one or two earlier tenors’, seems comfortable in that range. They did close with one song from their current CD, “What Children Believe.”

The Dove Brothers played in particular to the part of the audience that knew and loved country music. Except for their final song (”Didn’t it Rain”), their other three tracks were from their current CD: “Little David,” “He’s Gonna Smile on Me,” and “A Little Good News.” At one point, one of the singers (I’m thinking it was Eric Dove, but I couldn’t quite see) said: “Ain’t that just like George Jones?”

The Kingsmen lineup has been together long enough now for their vocal blend to tighten. They started with two uptempo songs, “Travelin’ Home” and “When It’s All Said and Done.” Tenor Harold Reed was featured on a new Rodney Griffin song, “God Saw a Cross.” Expect to see that song as one of next year’s Songs of the Year. Pianist Cody McVey received a standing ovation for his rendition of “Old Time Religion / William Tell Overture.” They closed with “Stand Up,” and were joined by the Kingdom Heirs on the encore. Kingdom Heirs tenor–the best Kingsmen tenor that’s never sung with them–sang some lines of “Stand Up,” and it sounded just like the old days. Well, honestly, better.

The Kingdom Heirs kicked off their own set with “Gloryland Way,” and then featured Arthur Rice on “The Rock’s Between the Hard Place and You,” “Since I Met Him,” and their new barn-burner (also penned by Rodney Griffin,) “He Locked the Gates.” They were joined by the Kingsmen for the encore there and knocked it out of the park.

The Inspirations turned in a set so good that Musicscribe’s David Bruce Murray–no fan of the group in the past–said in his coverage that he can finally “absolutely enjoy the group from top to bottom now.” They started with “Jesus is Mine,” following that with two songs from their new CD (The Son Came Down), “How Great It Is” and “The Son Came Down.” The group did several acapella encores of the latter song. They closed with Mike Holcomb singing “If You Only Knew.” Tenor Dallas Rogers has clearly started the process of (and made some progress toward) winning over Inspirations / Archie Watkins loyalists.

I caught snippets of Tribute Quartet and Legacy Five’s sets, and both were strong.

There’s no question–and I note my fellow bloggers are unanimous–that the set that generated the most buzz was Gold City’s. Whether intentional or not, I think they left the entire audiece wishing that they would do whatever it takes to bring Tim Riley back permanently. Yes, even if it means cutting back dates. He still has that undefinable quality that makes a legend.