SouthernGospelBlog.com

Singing News forums member RogerBennett_Fan made this statement a few days ago:

I just think that SGM is running short on solid quartet songs. . .Making it harder for the groups to remain 100% traditional.

Is Southern Gospel running short on solid quartet songs?

I think the answer is “no.” We might not have as many as in the days when songbook companies would publish several new songbooks every year, chock-full of quartet songs.

Let’s just take a few current groups’ recent projects. I’ll mention newly written convention-style quartet songs; the idea is to highlight songs that the Statesmen, Blackwood Brothers, Happy Goodmans, or Kingsmen could have done in the 50s, 60s and 70s.

Perrys

• “When We Hear Him Say Well Done” (Wayne Haun, Joel Lindsey) - Changed Forever (2001)
• “Come on and Join Us” (Beverly Lowry) - Changed Forever (2001)
• “Damascus Road” (Kyla Rowland) - This is the Day (2003)
• “We Will Be Changed” (Wayne Haun, Joel Lindsey) - Live of Love (2004)
• “Until the Last One is Home” (Wayne Haun, Joel Lindsey) - Come Thirsty (2006)
• “A Day That Never Ends” (Gerald Crabb) - Come Thirsty (2006)
• “Every Question Will Be Answered” (Rodney Griffin) - Look No Further (2007)

Kingdom Heirs

• “Mighty Deep Well” - Going On with the Song (2003)
• “Good News From the Graveyard” - Going On with the Song (2003)
• “I Know I’m Going There” - Forever Changed (2004)
• “Sing, Shout, Dance” - Give Me the Mountain (2005)
• “I Don’t Wanna Go Back” - Give Me the Mountain (2005)
• “Poorest Main in Heaven” - Give Me the Mountain (2005)
• “I Want You to Know” - True to the Call (2007)
• “What We Needed” - True to the Call (2007)

Triumphant Quartet

• “Forgave Me, Saved Me, Raised Me” (Jerry Kelso, Sue C. Smith) - Triumphant Quartet (2005)
• “Don’t Let the Sandals Fool Ya” (Rodney Griffin) - Triumphant Quartet (2005)
• “He Rescued Me” (Chris Binion) - You Gotta Love It (2007)
• “I Know I’m Going Home” (Jeff Stice) - You Gotta Love It (2007)

Inspirations

• “Overwhelming Joy” - Highway to Heaven (2002)
• “In the Twinkle of an Eye” (Sandy Knight) - What a Day (2004)
• “I Have Not Forgotten” - I Know (2006)

Brian Free & Assurance

• “My Answer is Yes” - Greater Still (2004)
• “Crown of Thorns” - Greater Still (2004)
• “We’ll Say Goodbye” - Live in New York City (2005)
• “Knock No More” - Live in New York City (2005)

Ernie Haase & Signature Sound

• “Old Time Christian Way” - Stand By Me (2003)
• “Goodbye Egypt” - Ernie Haase & Signature Sound (2005)
• “John in the Jordan” - Get Away Jordan (2006)

Gold City

• “Then We Shall Sing” - Walk the Talk (2003)
• “God Handled It All” - Walk the Talk (2003)
• “My Child Enter In” - First Class (2004) (not sure if it was new)
• “This Poor Man Cried” - First Class (2004)

Greater Vision

• “He Is to Me” (Rodney Griffin) -Quartets (2004)
• “I Didn’t Know” (Rodney Griffin) - Quartets (2004)
• “When He Washed My Sins Away” (Dianne Wilkinson) - Quartets (2004)

Do we have as many good quartet songs written each year as we used to? Maybe not.

But are there still good quartet songs to be found?

It’s your call.