SouthernGospelBlog.com

BBC, the broadcasting corporation with the largest audience in the world, recently announced that they are sending a crew to the National Quartet Convention to film a documentary on Southern Gospel Music.

“A form of music that is often ignored by the mainstream media, Southern gospel has a long history as rich as other more celebrated genres,” Sebastian Barfield, producer of the documentary, said in a news release.

“This program we are producing will look at the music’s history, filming at the 50th Annual National Quartet Convention in Louisville, as well as the 104th United Sacred Harp Convention in Alabama.”

The Louisville Courier-Journal article added that the documentary is to include interviews with Southern Gospel pioneers and new artists. It will be titled “Gloryland” and is scheduled for broadcast later this year.

The Monument Quartet’s Matt Felts, a tenor from my neck of the woods, was recently featured in the Canton Repository after the Monument Quartet made a stop in Canton, Ohio to sing at the Stark County Fair. I have to confess–it’s a concert I missed simply because I forgot it. I’m moving to a new job, and got busy enough that a some things simply escaped me. The article contains some biographical information on Felts:

Matt Felts used to sit in the Palace Theatre watching gospel singers and country music acts perform.

Today, he takes the stage, opening for the likes of up-and-coming artists Dierks Bentley, Josh Turner and Mark Wills.

In just two years, Felts has gone from singing with local groups to singing on a national level.

Monument Quartet is keeping busy, recording a live DVD a couple of weeks ago. From everything I’ve heard, their taping went well. I haven’t heard when it is to be released.