CD Review: “A Blackwood Homecoming” (Blackwood Singers)
Yesterday, in my review of the Blackwood Quartet’s The Way it Used to Be, I explained the history of the various Blackwood Groups. Today’s review is of A Blackwood Homecoming. The project was produced by R.W. Blackwood Jr. and Ron Blackwood of the Blackwood Singers, and Terry Blackwood. It features 17 tracks and is an expanded version of the original release. (The original release is available from Terry Blackwood’s site here and only has ten tracks.)
The project contains both new tracks and older recordings. It has vocals from the Blackwood Singers members, the Blackwood Quartet, Terry Blackwood, James Blackwood, Jimmy Blackwood, Andrea Blackwood Carter, and Kay Blackwood DeWitt. Yet despite the mix of tracks and vocalists, the recording’s sound quality is surprisingly consistent.
This sonic consistency is achieved in large part by overdubbing vocals of from various Blackwoods onto the older tracks. Most of the tracks feature a mixed group of voices, something that come as a surprise to both male quartet and mixed group fans.
However, male quartet fans need not write off the project. Four tracks on the project feature the voices from the current Blackwood Quartet–John Rulapaugh (tenor), R.W. Blackwood (lead), Ron Blackwood (baritone), and Rick Fair (bass). These songs–”Someone to Care,” “Feelin’ Mighty Fine,” “Rolling Riding Rocking,” and “How Big is God”–are some of the strongest tracks on the project, and should particularly delight all fans of John Rulapaugh during his Dove Brothers and Palmetto State Quartet days.
Rick Fair toured with Rulapaugh in the Palmetto State Quartet, singing baritone at the time. He has now moved to the bass position with this quartet. He is featured on “How Big is God” (as well as singing a few lines on “Someone to Care.”) Though his range is not as low as many other Southern Gospel bass singer, he has developed an enjoyable tone and fits well in the bass position.
Overall, I decided to give the project a rating of “Enjoyable.” But the tracks from the current Blackwood Quartet suggest that a full recording of this caliber would delight fans of classic quartet singing, and stand a strong chance of capturing a “Recommended” (or perhaps even “Highly Recommended”) rating here.
Available from: Good question. It’s available from The Blackwoods, but isn’t on their website.
Rating: Enjoyable (with several tracks Highly Recommended).
This project is the most recent complete recording from the 
Last Saturday, I had the chance to see the Collingsworth Family in Bucyrus, Ohio. The attendance was remarkably strong for a Southern Gospel concert in this area. The host church included it as part of an annual celebration weekend; while that helped attendance, it was still heartening to see perhaps 600 or more turn out for a Southern Gospel concert. Shortly before the concert, ushers started putting out extra chairs in front of the first row, behind the back row, and (raising a retractable wall) even out into the lobby. Even so, people were standing behind the last rows throughout the concert.
It is Well With My Soul. This was Kim’s first piano solo of the night, and got a standing ovation.
My Favorite Things. This song featured Olivia, the youngest Collingsworth, on a solo. The first verse stayed true to the original, from The Sound of Music; the second and third verses were parodies of the original, listing things old people enjoy. (Judging by the looks on the faces of various older audience members, the message of the song was hitting home.
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