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Singing News just announced that (at the fans’ request) they will be reinstating several award categories that were omitted last year: Soloist, Trio, Mixed Group, Male Quartet, and the Marvin Norcross Award. They will be retaining an overall favorite artist category, now named the Vanguard Award.

I think this is a good move. While some fans preferred having awards in fewer categories, I think most fans liked honoring a wider variety of groups and individuals.

If Singing News wants to keep the Fan Awards within a set time limit, one move that would help would be narrowing the top ten songs down to a top five. This would take nearly a half an hour out of the show, leaving time for winners of lesser awards (who can be told in advance to keep remarks brief in the event they win) to accept the award during the program.

Have you ever noticed that people who say that the original Cathedrals lineup (Bobby Clark, Glen Payne, Danny Koker, George Younce) was their best also tend to not name the Cathedrals as their favorite group?

(Of course, the original lineup was very good, and it’s far from a bad thing to name another group as a favorite. I’m just putting this observation out there for comment to see if it holds true–to see if anyone else has noticed the same thing I have.)

The Resurrection Quartet is a regional quartet based in North Carolina. The group is fairly new; they were formed in 2006 and Try Jesus is their debut recording. The group members are Billy Ayres (tenor) Jodie Dupree (lead), Gradie Hartley (baritone), and Curtis Small (bass).

The project consists of cover songs. The Cathedrals’ repertoire is well represented with four or five songs (”Crimson River,” “Goin’ in Style,” “Moving Up to Gloryland,” “At the Name of Jesus,” and a song also performed by other groups, “Because Jesus Said It.”) They also cover two Kingsmen songs, “He’s All I Need” and “I’ll Live Again,” and a Booth Brothers song, “Try Jesus.” The project contains two other songs, “I’m Living in Canaan Now,” and “The Truth Will Come Out.” The latter song is perhaps the album’s highlight and might make a good first single.

The group’s strength is in their ensemble singing; each has an above average ability individually, but their blend is somehow greater than the sum of its ingredients.

Rating: Enjoyable.

The Stevens Family is a Southern Gospel family trio based in Warren, Ohio. Group members are husband and wife Rich and Tami Stevens; their daughter Erin completes the trio. She is thirteen years old (and, incidentally, is being homeschooled). Their website notes that she has studied under vocal coach Steve Hurst, and the training shows; her voice has a polished sound and complements her parents’ harmony well. While Rich and Tami Stevens are songwriters and write many of their own songs, this project is a collection of their favorite hymns and Southern Gospel songs.

Probably the most daring track on the project is “Standing on the Promises,” which departs from the country feel of the rest of the project and has a slightly progressive arrangement. But the Stevens family pulls the track off well and makes it a highlight.

Other project highlights include their a capella rendition of “The Love of God” (the hymn, not the Vep Ellis song) and their rendition of “Softly and Tenderly,” featuring particularly well-done harmonies.

Rating: Enjoyable.