Worth Knowing

• In case you missed this week’s headlines: The Original Couriers are retiring, David Ragan has left the Inspirations, and enLighten moves to a new spot on the Sirius/XM radio dial.
• Ernie Haase & Signature Sound will be recording a live video on August 17th.
• Health issues have forced Naomi to cancel a number of Naomi and the Segos dates over the last two years. She is now returning to the road.
• The Kingdom Heirs are promoting the release of their new mainline CD, Redeeming the Time (reviewed here), with a giveaway. Seven winners will get autographed copies of the new CDs; the grand prize winner will get a number of other titles, including Dianne Wilkinson’s autobiography. You can sign up for their email updates here.

Worth Watching

One of the strongest moments on the latest entry in Legacy Five’s, Greater Vision’s, and the Booth Brothers’ Jubilee series, Jubilee 3, was a Rebecca Peck-penned convention song, “Treasures in Heaven.” Here’s a pretty innovative take on the song; who would have thought of it as a female trio song?

Also worth watching: Matt Fouch has uploaded a video interview with Legacy Five pianist Trey Ivey.

Worth Discussing

It’s open thread Saturday—you decide!

IMC Concerts (Landon Beene) and Showcase Management (Brian Hudson) have partnered together to put on a Cathedrals Family Reunion event this fall. Here is the video announcement:

The event will be held on November 8-9, 2013 at the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary’s 3500-seat MacGorman Performing Arts Center. There will be two evening concerts featuring Mark Trammell, Gerald Wolfe, Scott Fowler, Danny Funderburk, Ernie Haase, and their groups (Mark Trammell Quartet, Greater Vision, Legacy Five, and Ernie Haase & Signature Sound). There will also be a Saturday morning session featuring Cathedral Quartet road stories. Ticket packages for the three sessions range from $59 (balcony) to $99 (artist circle) and will go on sale on June 3rd, here.

Mark Trammell, Gerald Wolfe, Scott Fowler, and Danny Funderburk have performed together before, but this is the first event of this nature to include Ernie Haase.

The Cathedral Trio started fifty years ago this year (and became a quartet the following year). This event will be a fitting way to mark the anniversary.

Is it a coincidence that Paul Harkey is wearing a short tie on Glorious Day‘s album cover?

Ernie Haase thinks visually; small details don’t escape him. It’s probably no coincidence that Harkey’s debut album cover with the group has a distinct visual connection to the era that took the group to the top of the genre some eight years ago.

While recently departed bass singer Ian Owens’ voice was a cultured and perhaps even high-church departure for the group, Harkey brings back the excitement and flair of the Tim Duncan era. In fact, a fan of the group eight years ago who hearing the group on the radio today, might not even notice that there had been a bass singer change. Given how beloved Duncan was, and that his eight years with the group included the group’s most popular era to date, this is hardly a bad thing.

Harkey has two stellar solos, “Scars in the Hands of Jesus” and “Two Coats. Both have been historically identified as songs for higher timbres of voices; “Scars in the Hands of Jesus” was a Florida Boys’ tenor feature staple for years, while “Two Coats” is a classic Ralph Stanley bluegrass tune. Harkey’s fresh interpretation of each song makes the songs fully worth this revisiting.

No factor is more determinative of an album’s quality than the strength of its songs. This is the strongest collection of new songs Signature Sound has put together since their 2006 release Get Away Jordan (reviewed here). Besides the two Harkey features already mentioned, other standout tracks include the uptempo quartet song “Water-Walking God” and the mid-tempo-with-a-touch-of-soul Ernie Haase feature “When I Was a Sinner.” There’s also a live acoustic version of “Sometimes I Wonder,” a Doug Anderson feature that was easily the standout track on Signature Sound’s previous mainline, Here We Are Again (reviewed here). 

Ernie Haase is definitely not one to think inside the box. In the decade he has been running Ernie Haase and Signature Sound, he has never gone more than a year or two without trying something dramatically unique. Sometimes his innovations bring the genre forward. Other times (e.g. “Happy Birthday, Anniversary Too” and perhaps “Everytime”), he’s so far outside the box that the Southern Gospel box will never catch up!

Ten years from now, looking back at this project, will we see a couple of things that, in retrospect, look cheesy? Perhaps. But we’re also fairly certain to see a number of things and think that the group was a decade ahead of their time. That’s the risk innovators take.

One aspect particularly stands out: Ten to fifteen years ago, digital studio technology reached a point where vocal and instrumental performances could be enhanced to a level of perfection beyond the best humanly possible performance. Digitally induced perfection quickly caught on in this genre and others. Several of the songs on Glorious Day suggest that Ernie Haase and producer Wayne Haun seem to think that this trend has peaked and run its course. Songs like “Shh, Be Still” and “When I Was a Sinner” aren’t phrased as tightly as similar songs on previous albums. (Put another way, there are slight differences between when group members singing harmony parts start or end a musical phrase.) Could it be that Southern Gospel fans have reached a point where they are ready to prefer performances that are a little less polished and more human? Haase and Haun seem to think so, and I suspect they might be right.

Glorious Day might not be the single strongest recording Ernie Haase & Signature Sound has ever recorded. (“Noah Found Grace in the Eyes of the Lord” stays close enough to previous versions that it would have been more at home on a table project.) But it is the strongest project of new songs they have recorded in six or seven years. If you loved Signature Sound in the Seaton/Anderson/Duncan era, but haven’t been following as closely since, the time has definitely come to give them another chance.

As we discussed this morning, many of Southern Gospel’s leading artists are putting on a benefit concert this evening for Tracy Stuffle. Video is streaming at www.tracystufflebenefit.com; an audio-only feed is also available at www.southerngospel.com. Let’s discuss it live!

7:08: The evening begins with a prayer, introduction of hosts Jason Crabb and Joseph Habedank, and with all participating artists singing “We Need Each Other” together.

7:16: The concert is being hosted at Christ Church Nashville; its pastor, Dan Scott, is singing several songs. He’s a surprisingly good singer.

7:21: The first headliner artist up is The Bowlings. Mike Bowling sings a classic, “I’ll Be All Right as Soon as I Touch Calvary.” It looks like group’s vocal lineup now is Mike and Kelly, their daughter Hope, and Troy Peach. Mike and Troy are both Perrys alumni.

Kelly shares some heartfelt testimony about how the same community on stage and in the audience rallied around them in 2010. (If you weren’t following the genre then, here are two posts about their bus accident.) She uses this to set up “Your Cries Have Awoken the Master.”

7:34: Gold City is up next, singing “Cast My Bread Upon the Water” and “I’m Not Giving Up.” Jerry Pelfrey is singing lead, Danny Riley is on baritone, and Tim Riley is raising the roof on bass. I’m assuming Bryan Elliott is on piano, though I haven’t seen shots with the piano in view yet. Is that former Palmetto State Quartet tenor Robert Fulton on tenor?

7:45: Karen Peck & New River starts off with “Four Days Late,” and the place comes unglued pretty much instantly. She goes down into the audience to sing “My God Will Always Be Enough”; her delivery is so heartfelt that she chokes up at several points. She nails the ending and gets a standing ovation.

7:56: An unusual configuration of The Hoppers takes the stage. Kim Hopper is on bed rest for several weeks with sinus issues so bad that she may face surgery, and her husband Dean is at her side. So Claude and Connie are holding down their usual parts; TaRanda Greene is pinch-hitting for Kim Hopper, and, none other than Joseph Habedank is filling in for Dean! Claude is featured on “If I Could Help Somebody”; Connie and (oddly, given the earlier announcement) Jason Crabb provide harmonies. Claude takes a drink in the middle of his solo; is it an intentional Marco Rubio moment? Is that why it gets the response it gets?

Connie is up next, singing “I’ve Come Too Far to Look Back.” Trust Connie to tear up the building, with testimony and singing alike! “God has never seen a hopeless case.” Tim Riley comes up for the encore.

8:15: The Booth Brothers kick off their set with an exquisite piano-and-vocals-only version of “I Will Serve Thee.” It looks like their erstwhile producer Nick Bruno is sitting in on piano. After the song, Michael Booth takes a minute to testify to God’s faithfulness in our storms. Jim Brady sings the group’s second song, “Every Cry is Heard,” another exquisite piano-and-vocals version.

8:27: Libbi Perry Stuffle is welcomed with a prolonged standing ovation. She gives a heartrendingly powerful rendition of “Through the Night.” The audience is to its feet by the bridge. This is easily the moment of the evening.

Former Perrys pianist (current Gaither Vocal Band pianist) Matthew Holt is filling in on piano. He plays a soft musical accompaniment while Libbi testifies to God’s faithfulness and gives a current update on Tracy’s health.

Then, Libbi, Joseph Habedank, and Perrys baritone Bryan Walker sing harmonies with a track of Tracy’s pre-recorded voice on “Plan of Salvation.”

8:39: Looks like this crashed the servers for the live stream again.

8:42: Looks like the traffic from Libbi’s surprise appearance was enough to crash not just the stream, but the whole site. I did get the feed back for about three seconds, to see that Leah Page (Libbi’s fill-in for the last two months) was on stage, and that the intro to the track for “If You Knew Him” was playing.

8:45: The stream is back up.

I’ll mention, in passing, that I had the chance to catch the Perrys live two days ago, last Sunday evening. Two things struck me, in particular: First, Joseph Habedank exceeded my expectations as an emcee. Though there was humor, there was maybe a little less than Tracy would bring to a live program. But, on the other hand, Joseph brought a unique songwriter’s perspective, sharing insightful insights about songs he’d written and songs he didn’t write when setting songs up. Second, the implications of the Perrys’ 2010 Song of the Year win for “If You Knew Him” had blessings for the group far beyond what they could see at the time. Since Joseph Habedank co-wrote the song and sang the feature vocal, the win for this—as well as Joseph’s other #1 hits and radio hits—gave Joseph a stature in the industry that enables him to carry the group forward in a way that someone who had just joined the group couldn’t do.

8:51: Phil Hoskins came forward to anoint Libbi and pray for Libbi and Tracy. Libbi shared that a nurse told her that, amidst all the health crises Tracy has pulled through so far, most people don’t make it as far as he has. Within a few days, the doctors will determine if Tracy will need a permanent shunt. The procedure to implement it would be very high-risk; prayer is requested that it will not be needed.

9:09: Libbi is leading the audience in “‘Tis So Sweet.”

9:15: Phil Hoskins gives an altar call.

9:23: Jason Crabb shares Perrys memories and encourages donations to help with their expenses. Online donations can be made here: http://www.tracystufflebenefit.com/donations.html

9:31: During the offering, Matthew Holt plays “Great is Thy Faithfulness” while a slideshow of classic pictures of Tracy plays on the screens. 

9:40: The Isaacs kick off their set with “Walk On.” Rebecca Isaacs Bowman introduced their second song, ”Waiting in the Water.” Song 3: “I Will Praise Him,” acapella.

9:55: The Collingsworth Family begins with “Fear Not Tomorrow.” They used to stage this as a ladies’ trio of Brooklyn, Courtney, and Kim Collingsworth; since the last time I saw the group stage this song, Olivia has joined to make it a foursome. If I’m not mistaken, Olivia is doubling Brooklyn’s part. Song 2: Phil Jr. sings the lead on “Just Another Rainy Day.” They closed their set with “The Healer is Here.” Though it’s an older part of their repertoire, it is such an obvious thematic fit that it made sense to pull it out for the occasion.

10:10: Dailey and Vincent brought out a special, surprise guest for their set: Ricky Skaggs. They started with “Noah Found Grace in the Eyes of the Lord.” Christian Davis was on bass. Song 2: “I Believe He Gave His Life for Me.” It’s a little weird to hear a bluegrass band with an electric bass guitar and a piano.

10:21: Ricky Skaggs testified about his faith, and then sang “A Work of Love.”

10:25: Dailey & Vincent close out their set with “The Fourth Man.”

10:29: Mark Lowry takes the stage.

10:30: I stand corrected. Due to a broken femur, he’s standing in front of the stage. He sits on the stage stairs and launches into a comedy routine. He has a talent for making even the jokes we’ve heard a half-dozen times funny again.

He introduced “Mary, Did You Know” in a way I’ve never heard him introduce the song before. He said that one day, his mother shared with him that one of the greatest proofs that the Gospel story is true is Mary’s silence at the cross. His mother told him that if Mark’s hometown decided to crucify him, she’d be raising a storm. If Mark was claiming to be God, his mother said, she’d be the first out there to say, “He’s a liar! He might be a lunatic, but he’s not God! Don’t kill him!” But when Mary stood at the foot of the cross, as Jesus was being crucified for being God, she didn’t say a word—even if it would save His life, spare the cross—because she knew it was true. She, of anyone on this planet, was the one in a position to know the truth of the virgin birth. And she stayed silent.

He closed out with “Mary, Did You Know,” and got a standing ovation.

10:56: Clarke Beasley (NQC Executive Vice President) and Jackie Patillo (head of the Gospel Music Association) shared heartfelt words of encouragement for Libbi.

10:58: Ernie Haase & Signature Sound started their set with “Someday.” Song 2: “Glory to God in the Highest.” They must have figured out that the program needed some energy at this late hour. Song 3: “Get Away Jordan.” Lots of energy here. Signature Sound doesn’t do a huge number of dates with other Southern Gospel groups; this could be the first time that a fair chunk of the industry has seen this lineup live. I think their set tonight will help the buzz spread that this lineup has something special going.

11:09: Les Butler came up on stage to give Libbi gifts from the Predators sports team to pass along to Tracy for his birthday tomorrow.

11:11: The Oak Ridge Boys kick off their set with “Where the Soul Never Dies.” Song 2: Farther Along.

11:26: Jason Crabb began the final set of the night with his new single, “That’s What the Blood is For.” It’s a very strong song, and got a standing ovation at least from his fellow artists. Then he sang another new song, “Love is Stronger,” another very strong song.

He closed with “Through the Fire.” He stopped halfway through the chorus to preach a little. What a closer for the night! Karen Peck & New River, Joseph Habedank, and Ernie Haase & Signature Sound joined him for the closing. Libbi Perry Stuffle also came up on stage to sing it with him.

Libbi testified about how much the song had been ministered to her recently: “This too shall pass. We’re just going through the fire. It didn’t come to stay.”

Jason closed in prayer.

Worth Knowing

• Mike Bowling of The Bowlings had a polyp on his vocal cords. His prognosis was surgery and an extensive recovery time . . . until Wednesday, when he posted this update to Facebook: “Overwhelmed with joy tonight, praising God for his healing touch. Most of you know I had a large polyp on my right vocal chord and was facing surgery. Off the road for voice rest for 4 weeks yesterday the doctor ran the scope down and the polyp is completely gone! Praise God for healing. Thanks to all of you for praying for me, you all have touched the throne of God many times for me in the last few years and for that I’m so grateful to have friends like you.”
• George Beverly Shea turned 104 yesterday.
• The Collingsworth Family posted a prayer request on Wednesday on Facebook: Songwriter Marty Milikin, who wrote their song “Jesus is All I Need,” was diagnosed with kidney cancer this week and will be facing surgery shortly.
• As MusicScribe noted several weeks ago, Landon Beene’s promotions company recently launched a new Southern Gospel magazine, Gospel Music Quarterly. [EDIT, 3/16/13: Broken link removed.] You can find the first issue available for free download here or here.
• After an extensive series of polls to narrow the field, SoGospelBackRow has a poll up to determine the all-time best Southern Gospel album cover.

Worth Watching

Signature Sound has introduced each of their bass singers with a solo showcasing the melodic upper end of their ranges. For Tim Duncan, it was “Old Rugged Cross.” For Ian Owens, it was “I Believe.” Now, for Paul Harkey, it is “Scars in the Hands of Jesus”:

Worth Discussing

It’s open thread Saturday—you decide!

3:1 Reviews offer three highlights of an album and one area that could have been improved.

1: Song and group lineup: The lineup of groups appearing at this live tribute to legendary producer Lari Goss is basically a who’s who of Gospel Music: The Booth Brothers, Ernie Haase & Signature Sound, Babbie Mason, The Hoppers, The Mark Trammell Quartet, Greater Vision, Legacy Five, TaRanda Greene, The Martins, The Nelons, Karen Peck, Charlotte Ritchie, Reggie & Ladye Love Smith, Melissa Brady, Geron Davis, and the Christ Church Choir. 

Imagine each of these groups performing their greatest songs, with a…

2: Live orchestra: Lari Goss’s orchestrations are magnificent, but that magnificence just isn’t fully appreciated when they are delivered by three or four singers on stage with a soundtrack machine. The orchestra here wasn’t just any orchestra—it was the Nashville String Machine, the studio performers who are on so many of the original versions of these songs.

It doesn’t hurt that the house band includes Kevin Williams on guitar, Wesley Pritchard on bass guitar, Mike Hopper on drums, and, on many songs, the man himself, Lari Goss, on piano!

3: Video image quality: Thanks to the filming taking place at TBN’s studios, the cinematography—image quality, lighting, and resolution—is magnificent.  

:1: Nothing: This DVD doesn’t have a single flaw.

Here’s a case in point: Narrations. For those of you who enjoy them, they’re often pleasant, subdued moments. But many of you, on the other hand, skip the narrations. When was the last time you heard a narration get a standing ovation? That’s exactly what happens with Gerald Wolfe’s narration on “Statement of Faith.”

You can give this DVD to someone new to the genre, and comment “This is what Southern Gospel is all about.” If this doesn’t get someone hooked on Southern Gospel, there’s a fairly strong chance nothing will.

Worth Knowing

• New Legacy Five bass singer Matt Fouch has recorded three Christmas tracks; they’re available for digital download here.
• Darrell Freeman’s mother, Wilma Freeman, passed away last Saturday at age 81.
• At a concert this week, Ernie Haase announced that Beyond the Ashes will release their next album with the Ernie Haase/Wayne Haun-led Stow Town label. Beyond the Ashes had previously recorded with the Wayne Haun/Kevin Ward-led Vine Records label.
• At the same concert, Haase announced that Devin McGlamery would be recording a solo album with StowTown.

Worth Watching

Worth Discussing

It’s open thread Saturday—you decide!

Yes, personnel changes happen all the time in our genre, but it’s stating the obvious to note that some arouse more interest than others. Paul Harkey’s move to Ernie Haase and Signature Sound has aroused enough interest that it is worth passing along this ten-minute video of highlights from his first night with the group (hat tip, Aaron):

Worth Knowing

• Musicscribe found several more details about NQC 2014: It will be a two-venue event, with off-site showcases, and all the seating will be on a flat floor. [EDIT, 3/16/13: Broken link removed.]
• Southern Sound has hired a new tenor, Will Shaw.
• Paul Harkey has made his public debut with Ernie Haase & Signature Sound. Here’s a video (hat tip, Josh).
• Legacy Five has a post on “Getting to Know Matt Fouch” (among other things).

Worth Watching

David Crowder recently showed up at Gaither Studios to record “Because He Lives” with Bill Gaither. Here’s a video of Crowder doing the song live; beyond how cool his beard is, it’s also pretty cool to see his young audience get excited over the song.

Worth Discussing

It’s open thread Saturday—you decide!

We recently had the opportunity to catch up with Ernie Haase, manager and tenor for Ernie Haase & Signature Sound, co-owner of StowTown Records, and, most significantly for this particular interview, the Cathedrals’ tenor for their final decade on the road. We discussed the upcoming Cathedrals album Live in Chicago, releasing November 6.

Ernie was kind enough to offer audio answers. For users with devices that do not permit installation of Adobe’s Flash Player (like iPhones and iPads), we’ve also offered a transcription.

Daniel: How large was the auditorium where this was recorded? The crowd didn’t just sound enthusiastic – they sounded large!

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Ernie: It’s a great question. It sounds like there were 10,000 people there! The crowd was still very large. Moody Memorial Church, where that was recorded, seats about 3,000 people, and that place was packed to the rafters. So it was very energetic. One thing you will hear on the CD that Signature Sound has found out, too, as we play the larger cities and as we do international dates: Whenever you have a diverse crowd, and I mean diverse by ethnicity and by different economic backgrounds—whenever you have more diversity, when you finally bring people together, there seems to be more energy, because you’re bring everybody’s life experiences into the room. Everybody worships and celebrates and expresses their feelings differently.

When you’re in a room full of people who are methodical and stoic in the way that they present their feelings, it has a ripple effect throughout the crowd, and mostly it takes on that personality. But when you have a room of Jamacians, and people in the room that are from Sweden and from Japan, that’s something that the city gives you. We have found that to be true of international crowds. So that’s what you’re sensing there, and that’s what people need to know.

Was it just a big room full of people there to have a great time? Yes and no. The rest of the story is that there was a diverse crowd of people there that night that let it all go and just got into the moment. And to me, me personally, that’s what Heaven’s going to be all about. That was a taste of Heaven.

Daniel. How often would Glen sing all four parts on Heavenly Parade?

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Ernie: Yeah, Daniel, that’s a great question. Glen would actually sing all four parts; he knew all four parts. He was a student of the Stamps-Baxter School of Music; he attended there in the late ’40s or early ’50s, and was a member of the original Stamps-Ozark Quartet. So he took great pride in knowing all of those convention songs, and the shape notes. And if we missed one accidental note here or there, he let us know! He wanted it to be just as it was written.

So, as it goes, one night in Houston, Texas, George had the idea of telling the crowd, “Hey, this is an intricate—this is a tough, tough song. Glen, show them your part individually, so people can see just how syncopated—just how the notes bend”—in music, we call them accidentals, where they move and bend—and so, Glen took off. He sang, and the crowd went crazy. And Glen just had one of those senior moments [and sang Scott's part]. It was time for Scott [Fowler] to sing; Scott was going to try to adjust and move on, but he didn’t know the other part. That’s exactly how it happened. 

That particular night, I remember in Houston, “Let’s just go with it and see what happens!” That’s usually how a particular routine takes place. One night, it just happens organically, and you go with it to see if it works. If it does work, maybe it’ll work the next night. And lo and behold, there for a long time, it worked every night. That night in Chicago, he pulled it off—every night, as if it was the first night.

I’ve been asked many times, most recently by Mr. Gaither, “Boy, I wish there was a recording of that skit that he did.” I was so surprised when I pulled that master out to hear it on that live recording. People I’ve played it for, even my family, we sit and laugh, laugh, laugh. We keep looking at each other: “Why are we laughing again, after all of these years?” But they just keep pulling us in. They keep reeling us in. That magic that George and Glen had, I’m so glad that we were able to capture it on this new CD, Live in Chicago. Enjoy!

Daniel. Had you all rehearsed “Life Will Be Sweeter” with Buddy Greene, or was it totally spontaneous?

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Ernie: Yeah, song “Life Will be Sweeter Someday” with Buddy Greene was totally off the cuff. I remember right before we were going on stage, George was very anxious, because this was a live broadcast. They did have a clock at the edge of the stage that was counting backwards. Those of you who had ever been to a Cathedrals concert know that our concerts would go for two or three hours. George would just move from one song to the next. It was a roller-coaster ride, not only of songs, but of laughter, jokes, testimonies, tears, shouts of joy.

So that night, George was very anxious about being held to a 55-minute time clock. How was he going to get all the songs in that he wanted to do? And, of course, the bantering.

And I remember that night, [they said] right before he walked on stage, “Hey, Buddy Greene’s going to be in the audience. Buddy’s going to be ministering here the next day. Is there any way you guys could do something together?”

George, being the statesman and the class act he was, I remember him saying, “You know what, I’ll try that. It sounds like a good idea.” I remember him looking at me and, not rolling his eyes, but looking at me with that thought processing. It was like, “Oh! One more thing we need to think about and try to get in the 55 minutes!” 

But George was the best. He was just the best at weaving and bobbing when it came to emcee work. He took great pride in that. What a great singer, what a great performer, but, most importantly, what a great programmer. What a great emcee!

That night, he called Buddy up. Buddy had his harmonica in his pocket. He said, “If you know “Life Will Be Sweeter,” just jump in somewhere. So that was one of those moments that was kept, off-the-cuff. 

Later, when we did our Farewell Celebration video, that was something that we just knew that had to be a part of it, bringing Buddy Greene up on stage.

Of course, the bantering that you can’t see that actually took place that night between Roger Bennett and Buddy Greene—who was going to play the solo, who was going to show off the most. I’m just glad that was on there, too.

I saw Buddy Greene last week. We worked a date together, and I said, “Buddy, you’re going to be surprised at what I found in my basement!” I told him all about it, and he just smiled from ear to ear.

“Ah, I wondered about that night! I wondered if there was a recording of that night! What a great night that was. Send me a copy.” 

I can’t wait for Buddy Greene to hear this. I can’t wait for you all to hear this, too! I’m excited—can you tell?

Daniel. I was a little surprised that the set list didn’t include “We Shall See Jesus.” Was it not done that night? What percentage of Cathedrals shows would Glen sing the song – was it 95%+ or less?

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Ernie: “We Shall See Jesus” was a staple of our program every night. You asked what percentage of the concerts we’d do where that song was sung. I’d say you’re probably right—90%-95%. But as I said before, we were on the clock.

That was the time period when we’d just found out that Roger had had a special touch from the Lord. He had been battling so bravely the first round of cancer treatments. And then the song “Don’t Be Afraid” was such a powerful song to sing after Roger’s testimony. I remember, that night, the clock was winding down, and you just knew that to go into “We Shall See Jesus” after that moment was not something that would have been anti-climactic; it would have been wonderful. But I think George sensed that the people were ready to worship.

There’s a lot that has been said about worship music, praise and worship services. I have found that you cannot stop people from worshiping when you give them a reason to praise the Lord, when you show them something that God has done in someone’s life. A testimony like Roger’s erupted in immediate praise and worship with the crowd.

So I think, right after that, we sang some songs together. Then George dropped his mike and we sang “There is a Fountain Filled With Blood.” I’m so glad they were able to capture that with the house microphone! You’ll be able to hear on the recording the house noise—people coughing, someone moving around in the seat. But nevertheless, you’ll capture the spirit of that moment.

So, to answer your question, “We Shall See Jesus” typically was an every night song, just like “Oh, What a Savior.” But at that moment in time, you could sense that George was just feeling that people were ready to worship the Lord. That heart and that spirit made its way onto that CD, and I’m hoping that people who are going through a tough time right now, whatever the case may be, maybe it is cancer, and we know there are some other challenges people are going through right now, with the economy, with families, and the stress levels of just trying to make ends meet: Don’t Be Afraid. God is still in control. These are just other reasons to trust him more and to realize, in the end, everything’s going to be okay. And if it’s not okay, it must not be the end! Don’t be afraid.

Daniel: Did the Cathedrals record any other performances with Moody?

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Ernie: I believe the Cathedrals did do one more concert for Moody, a year or two later after that performance. I’m not sure if it was recorded or not.

So that was the magic, that was the moment. It was meant to be that that was preserved, and I’m thankful that it was handed to me. And I’m thankful that I had the foresight to still hang on to it, and not put it aside. It’s been sitting there, and thankfully, it was digitally saved, so that it was not that deteriorated over time.

I want to say a big thank you to Moody Bible Institute. Although their format has stayed mostly the same throughout the years, things change. Business models change. Of course, this was something that was not on their docket to do, but they caught the vision. So I want to say a big thank you to all the people there, who entrusted me to take this vision and to run with it, and to license to us their rights, their likeness, their logo. I just want to thank them for seeing the bigger picture.

I also want to say a big thank you to the Glen Payne family and their estate, and to the George Younce family and their estate, which I am intimately involved with. They saw this as something that would be wonderful, but they also said, “Hey, Ernie, if you would take this, and treat it, promote it, edit this thing down, and do what it is that you do, we give you permission.”

So everything was handled legally and above-board, and I just want to thank Moody, the Paynes, and the Younces for entrusting me and StowTown with this record.

I want to thank our distributor, Provident/Sony, for catching the vision. Thank all the retail stores for buying it into their store. They didn’t have to twist any arms; they all grabbed it and put it in their stores. I am so thankful, more than anything else, that the legacy of two wonderful gentlemen will continue to be introduced to a whole new generation.

That’s a heartbeat as I continue to share my dreams and visions for Signature Sound—to always take George and Glen with me everywhere I go.

The CD can be pre-ordered here. [EDIT, 2/22/13: Broken link removed.]

Thank you for doing this interview!