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Rating: 4 Stars

The Palmetto State Quartet released their most recent project, Sweet Land of Rest, on June 13, 2006. It is the final Palmetto State project featuring tenor John Rulapaugh and bass Aaron McCune in the same group. It was Rulapaugh’s fifth project with the group and McCune’s fourth.

Black-and-white photos with sepia tinting give the cover and packaging of the album an old-fashioned look. The liner notes give the copyright information, credits, and a list of the group members.

The project starts with two uptempo songs, “I’m Gonna Pray” and “No Doubt Salvation.” The former, an uptempo Dianne Wilkinson tune, was introduced by the Dove Brothers in 2001 on Every Time I Feel the Spirit. Ironically, John Rulapaugh first recorded the song on an album released during his final year with the Dove Brothers, and brought it back on an album recorded during his final year with Palmetto State. The Blackwood Quartet (Rulapaugh’s current group) would be advised to avoid recording the song if they want to keep him around for a while!

Aaron McCune has the solo on the song’s first verse. His voice quality on this song has a quality reminiscent of Bill Lawrence and, to a lesser degree, of Tim Riley. In hindsight, his performace of this song could well have helped Aaron get the call from Gold City. Kerry Beatty takes the solo on the second verse.

The third song on the project, “Sweet Land of Rest,” is probably the highlight of the project. This Dianne Wilkinson song was introduced by the Kingsmen on their 2005 project The Past is Past. John Rulapaugh turns in one of his finest performances with the Palmetto State Quartet on this song. If Rulapaugh had not left the group a few months ago, this song could have been a very strong radio single. It is unlikely that this song would ever hit the airwaves, and that’s unfortunate because it would probably do quite well.

Though the song is new, it has an old-time feel; this might be because adding Rulapaugh’s classic tenor voice to a song with melodic similarities to the chorus of “Sweet Beulah Land” can put the listener in a nostalgic mood.
The fourth song is another up-tempo song, “Old Fashioned Altar Call.” The song, written by Daryl K. Williams of the Daryl Williams Trio, is the group’s current radio single and is presently at #30 on the Singing News October 2006 Top 40 Chart.

Several mid-tempo and slow songs follow. Aaron McCune is featured on “In the Palm of His Hand.” Kerry Beatty is featured on the following two songs, “Only By the Blood” and “The Life You’ve Always Wanted.” (”Only By the Blood” is not the same song as Brian Free & Assurance recorded on their Live in New York City album last year.)

Rick Fair is featured on a slow ballad, “Behold the Lamb of God.” The project closes with two mid-tempo songs, “What a Wonderful Lord” and “I am Sailing Away.”

On the initial listen, I would probably have given the project 3 or 3.5 stars. But the songs grow on you after you’ve played it seven or eight times, and I think that this solid performance deserves 4 stars. It is unlikely that it will receive the attention it deserves, since the Palmetto State Quartet will probably release a project with their new tenor (Wesley Smith) and bass (Burman Porter) as soon as they can. But this is a solid project, and is (along with their 2004 release It’s Settled) one of the two best that the Palmetto State Quartet has released in recent years.

Ever since the Inspirations and Signature Sound tied for Male Quartet of the Year in last Thursday’s Fan Awards, this unlikely tie has been the topic of heated discussion on various Southern Gospel message boards.

Most of this discussion has centered around how hard it would be to find two less similar groups. But looking beyond the surface dissimilarities reveals some interesting parallels.

Both groups are vocally led by a tenor and anchored by a bass; in each case, the tenor and the bass are (arguably) the most popular of the group members. While the bass part often has the best-known individual, relatively few groups are led vocally by a tenor.

But there is a key similarity, which makes the many of the same fans willing to vote for either for quartet of the year. Both devote about least half of their live concerts, and a quarter to a third of the slots on their recordings, to bringing back classic songs that were popular before that group’s founding. Many of these songs are convention songs with a walking bass part. After they establish a connection with live audiences with familiar songs, they sing the new songs that they have introduced.

Granted, there are differences between the groups as well–musical differences such as instrumentation or accents, and superficial differences such as hairstyle or tie length.

But since bloggers such as averyfineline (figuratively) tear their hear out in puzzlement over how the same voters could possibly vote for one group one year and another group another year, it’s worth stepping back for a moment to take in the fact that, after all, both groups do come from and utilize the same Southern Gospel tradition, in ways that have their similarities just as they have their differences.

In conclusion, I have no idea what the Inspirations think of Ernie Haase and Signature Sound but it’s fascinating to read what Ernie Haase thinks of Archie Watkins and the Inspirations.

Ernie Haase made a post on the Signature Sound message board today thanking the fans for nominating and voting for Signature Sound in the Fan Awards. It’s worth joining the message board to read it. (The first link only works for registered members.)

He tells the story of how, on one of his first concerts in a full-time group (with Squire Parsons), he met Archie Watkins for the first time. He says that he has stayed in touch with Archie over the years, and was personally honored to have shared the Group of the Award with the Inspirations.

There was a big surprise in the post, too. Ernie revealed which tenor he voted for this year. But I’ll let you read that one in his own words.

Of course, we know that the answer is “yes.” I Corinthinans 1:18 says:”For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness, but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.”

If we’re actually presenting the message of the Cross, and not some watered down feel-good message, then many out in the world will scratch their head and say “what are they talking about?”

There was an interesting discussion recently on the Singing News message boards on this topic. When I referred to the message of the Cross being foolishness, someone asked if I meant by that to imply that the Gospel should be presented in a foolish way.

Of course, that’s not what I meant.

What I meant was that we need to keep in mind that no matter how “attractive” we make it, unregenerate people think the message of the cross is foolishness. The job of those who sing Southern Gospel songs (or in my case, write them) is to communicate what appears to be foolishness in a way that leaves room for the Holy Spirit to touch a heart and open it to hearing the message of the Gospel through Song.

No matter how fancy the soundtrack, choreography, or video display may be, when you get down to it, the message of the Cross is foolishness to someone who has not been touched by the Holy Spirit. God can use anything to reach a sinner, but a song that touches their heart can help to prepare the way.

The National Quartet Convention, Christian Music Presenters, and Lifeway Worship Group have been working for several months to prepare a roster of top-notch Southern Gospel groups and market them as “American Gospel” artists. This attempt to re-think Southern Gospel was immediately declared dead on arrival by some observers, who said that it was all talk and no substance.
But if you ask me, I’d tell you that there’s some substance to an invitation to appear in Carnegie Hall.

For those who do not have access to the Singing News website: The article states that the National Quartet Convention, Christian Music Presenters, and MidAmerica Productions will be partnering together to launch an American Gospel Music Festival. MidAmerica Productions promotes concerts at Carnegie Hall and other venues in New York City.

This festival is scheduled to be held in November 2007, during Thanksgiving weekend.