SouthernGospelBlog.com

Here’s theme number 3.

After reading yesterday’s comments, it appears as though option #2–which I was leaning towards–is incompatible with some versions of Internet Explorer, so we have to scratch that one from the list. Right now it’s between this one and Monday’s theme.

I’d like to open this process up to the readers a little more. The themes for this sort of blog can be found here, and I’m willing to accept suggestions for the themes I put up Thursday and Friday. A few criteria:

• It has to be compatible with Firefox and Internet Explorer, something I don’t really know until I actually try it out
• The text has to be at least 10pt
• No photos as part of the design (load times here)
• No garish colors or designs; I’m looking for a fairly plain, utilitarian design here. (The neon green got to be too much for me.)

If you stop by and find a theme within those categories, I’d be happy to test it for compatibility, and put my two or three favorites from the nominations up for a day or two.

This one has a similar look to the first one. It has a certain simplicity about it which I like enough to make it one of the finalists here. What do you think?

UPDATE (10:46 AM): I’m starting to like the feel of this format, so I’m going to start implementing some features that work in this format. Be watching the sidebar through the afternoon before rendering a final verdict.

EDIT (12:31 PM): I’ve put in all the features I can think of. Now what do you think?

Last night, I drafted a post to make this morning. I got about 2/3 of the way through and realized that no matter how I spun the topic I had in mind, it was inherently pretty critical. Now I realize there is a place for constructive criticism, and I do it myself occasionally–very occasionally. But that post wasn’t going to be constructive.

I decided to post this instead, more as a reminder to myself than to anyone else that I need to hold to a high standard of constructive contributions to our genre, otherwise I’ll help give Southern Gospel bloggers a bad name.

Part of the reason I switched to the news website format earlier this year was that I didn’t like the neon green look. I moved back to the blog format at the request of a majority of my readers, but I’m still not happy with the green look.

So this week, I’m going to try out several different looks, probably one a day. Here is number 1; how do you like it?

QuartetFan at Southern Gospel Perspective brings up an interesting topic: Years down the road, who will be the all-star quartet made of people on the road today?

He names Eric Phillips, Bill Shivers (with a nod to Josh Garner), Doug Anderson, and Aaron McCune. That would be a great quartet, no question about it; I’m sold on the abilities of all the singers he names, with the caveat that I haven’t heard yet what makes Bill Shivers shine, though I have no doubt that the numerous people who name him know what they’re talking about.

Here’s my list:

Bass: Christian Davis. I’d put Gene McDonald into that slot if he came back to the road, though.

Baritone: Doug Anderson. I agree with QuartetFan here.

Lead: How young can I go? I’m tempted to go with Arthur Rice, who will be a legend if he sticks around for a few more years. But I think he might be a little too old to satisfy the intent of QuartetFan’s original post, so I’ll go with Ryan Seaton instead.

Tenor:  Eric Phillips. I also agree with QuartetFan here, with one provision.

Especially in the tenor position, but to an extent in any position, the all-star will be more the person who sticks around for 40 years than the person who has the ability. There were a lot of great tenors in the 60s and 70s, but the reason Archie Watkins is making the all-star lists today, more than anything else, is that he’s the one who stuck around. Thus it is completely feasible that tomorrow’s all-star tenor could be one perceived as run-of-the-mill today–but with the persistence to make a lifetime out of Gospel music.

With my speaking schedule picking up over the next few months–not a bad thing–my Saturdays are getting steadily busier. To help ease my load, I’m thinking of introducing the “open thread” as a new weekly feature.

Here’s the idea: I start an open thread each Saturday and throw out an introductory question to get the discussion started each weekend. But you take it from there; switch topics and discuss any Southern Gospel topic you like as soon as you feel like it (provided it’s not libel or a nasty personal attack). This won’t always be in place of a Saturday post. Whenever I have a good idea for a Saturday post, I’ll post that, too. But having this here each weekend will let me take the weekends off when I need to.

Giving credit where credit is due, Averyfineline’s success with the idea sparked the thought that I might give this a try.

So, with all of that in mind, here’s a question to get us started:

Should I implement this idea?

Part of the reason I tried switching formats a while back is because I honestly don’t care for the look of this particular theme.

Do any of my wordpress-savvy readers have theme suggestions? A fairly extensive list of themes can be found here, and I’m open to suggestions.

I’m aiming for a fairly simple look, preferably with three columns so I can get all the information I want within reasonable proximity to the top.

I do have some ideas about things I could add in the near future, once I settle on a look I’m happy with. These include restoring the photo gallery link, restoring “recent comments” if I can get it working again, adding information on my current book (or other project), adding a list of current favorite albums (old and new), and adding a picture and brief bio so I can’t hide behind a computer screen.

I’ve seen a lot of things in my monitoring of Southern Gospel coverage, but this Spartanburg Herald-Journal sure stands out as unique.

Haaseluiah!

Concertgoers can catch the spirit in stirring fashion tonight at Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium as Southern gospel group Ernie Haase and Signature Sound fuels the faithful and those who love music with uplifting and energetic songs of praise and spiritual devotion….

A forming four-piece gospel vocal ensemble with a substantial instrumental back-up group and a sound filled with rocking country soul, the group’s members come from former quartets and various places.

Check out the rest of the article on this “whirlwind touring and recording act” here.

John Scheideman recently posted a response to a discussion I started in this post. It’s a good read that I mostly agree with. He closed by expressing the wish that I list my favorite iterations of the Cathedral Quartet, in order. Ask and ye shall receive:

1.  Haase, Payne, Fowler, Younce, Bennett
2. Tremble, Payne, Webster, Younce, Cooley
3. Talley, Payne, Trammell, Younce, Bennett
4. Clark, Payne, Koker, Younce
5. (tie with #6) Taunton, Payne, Webster, Younce
6. (tie with #5) Funderburk, Payne, Trammell, Younce, Wolfe
7. Funderburk, Payne, Trammell, Younce, Bennett

One thing you will notice is that I generally list them by tenor, because the tenors defined their sound far more than most of their baritones did. This does eliminate a few short-lived combinations (such as the Horne and Young eras).

DISCLAIMER: The above is strictly opinion. It is opinion based on having heard nearly everything that every named version recorded, but it remains opinion.

There has been more buzz (especially on the Singing News Forums) over Greater Vision’s next radio single than over any other GV single in recent memory. The song is “It Means What it Says,” and is found on their next project, Everyday People (coming out NQC week).

They’ve posted a clip of the song here, for anyone who is curious what the buzz is all about.