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.

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We mentioned last Saturday that former Cathedrals baritone George Amon Webster is battling throat cancer. It recently took a turn for the worse, spreading to other parts of his body. Kasey Kemp, who recently sang with Webster in the Toney Brothers, posted another update to Facebook last night:

George had a Dr appointment today. He received word that the cancer on his neck is inoperable. The Dr is going to continue research for other options. In the meantime George will continue chemo treatments. George has asked that you all please continue to pray and spread the word to your churches and prayer chains. He needs a miracle. Thank you all. George wants you to know he loves each one of you.

Keep praying!

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Worth Knowing

• Cathedrals alumnus George Amon Webster is battling throat cancer. His condition has taken a turn for the worse; the cancer is spreading. Kasey Kemp, who recently sang with Webster in the Toney Brothers, has created a Facebook event to offer prayer updates, here.
• Journeymen Quartet lead singer and owner Big John Bledsoe has passed away.
• Dallas Rogers’ trio Restored has a new lead singer, Robbie Moore, and a new baritone, Chris Walton. Chris sang lead with Gerald Williams’ Melody Boys Quartet until the group’s retirement earlier this week.

Worth Watching

Recently posted: Archival 1996 footage of The Couriers singing “A Mighty Fortress is Our God”:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5U1N4h1wQ3k?rel=0]

Worth Knowing

It’s open thread Saturday—you decide!

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

After over fifteen years in the storage, this recording of a 1996 Cathedrals concert releases to the public on November 6th. Check our our interview about this project with former Cathedrals tenor Ernie Haase here. 

1: Song Selection and Pacing: Of the twelve songs on this project, ten are individually five-star performances. The other two are necessary for pacing—if every single song were a barn-burner or a huge anthem, the audience would be worn out.

The jokes, stories, and routines aren’t overdone—by and large, they are distinct enough from what you’ll hear on other Cathedrals live recordings that you’d be tempted to think George Younce was planning for this to be a live album and purposely came up with fresh material!

Roger Bennett’s testimony, coming on the tail end of his first battle with cancer, is a priceless treasure. It’s well worth getting the album for that alone.

2: “Heavenly Parade”: For years, Cathedrals fans have been talking about a favorite on-stage routine where Glen Payne would sing all four parts to the chorus. It’s finally captured in a recorded version, and it’s a delight. 

Also notable: Roger Bennett’s piano conclusion—the final few measures of the Hallelujah Chorus—is a delightful conclusion to the routine.

3: “I Thirst”: George Younce’s live version of “I Thirst” is exquisite. (Honestly, one could say the same of a half-dozen other tracks, but this format requires selecting the three brightest highlights.)

:1: Pretty much nothing: From song selection to pacing to performance quality, Live in Chicago is flawless. It is everything Cathedrals fans hoped it would be.

Live in Chicago was recorded within about a year of Alive! Deep in the Heart of Texas. So there is some overlap, but it’s hardly excessive. Only four songs appear on both (“Your Blesser Ain’t Never Been Blessed,” “Oh, What a Savior,” “Because He Lives,” and “Don’t Be Afraid.”)

Put simply: Every Southern Gospel fan should get this album.

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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!

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In 1996, the Cathedral Quartet recorded a concert live at Moody Church in downtown Chicago, Illinois. It was broadcast on Moody’s Friday Night Sing program, but has lain forgotten in the archives for the last sixteen years. The recording was recently re-discovered, and Stow Town Records will be releasing it on November 6th. It will include these songs:

• Oh Come Along
• Step Into The Water
• Your Blesser Ain’t Never Been Blessed
• Heavenly Parade
• This Ole House
• Life Will Be Sweeter (featuring Buddy Greene)
• What A Savior
• Jesus Saves
• I Thirst
• Because He Lives (including Roger Bennett’s testimony) 
• Don’t Be Afraid
• There Is A Fountain

Stow Town describes the find:

The Cathedrals were the premier quartet of the last century, and you never thought you would have another chance, until Heaven, to enjoy a fresh concert experience with the never-to-be-forgotten George Younce and Glen Payne, along with Ernie Haase, Scott Fowler, and the incomparable Roger Bennett.

But one amazing Cathedrals concert has been waiting in a vault for just the right time to be released, and that time is now.

November can’t come soon enough!

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This post is part of the Encore Series, posts highlighting Southern Gospel songs of the past that should be brought back.

Danny Funderburk joined the Cathedrals in 1983. His first Cathedrals recording was Distinctively, a table project highlighted by his stunningly rendition of the Bill & Gloria Gaither song “Even So, Lord Jesus, Come.”

Funderburk’s second recording with the Cathedrals—and first mainline recording—was The Prestigious Cathedral Quartet. It was a landmark recording for the Cathedrals. They had risen to the top of the genre with previous tenor Kirk Talley and the albums Something Special and Live in Atlanta. This album established that they were on the top to stay—that Glen Payne and George Younce would be able to maintain everything that made the Cathedrals something special through lineup changes.

The Prestigious Cathedral Quartet was full of career-defining songs: “Somebody Touched Me,” “Build an Ark,” “It’s Almost Over,” “When the World Looks at Me,” and, on the lighter side, “Old Convention Song.” Amidst this admittedly prestigious company, it would be all too easy to miss the lush closing track, “Next Time We Meet.”

The song, written by Bill and Gloria Gaither, is one of a small handful of songs intended as concert-closing benedictional songs. Here is the song on YouTube (regrettably audio-only):

Lari Goss’s magnificent multi-dimensional arrangement brings out both the melody’s sweetness and, at appropriate points, the lyric’s power. Later arrangements—the two Gaither Homecoming renditions, Bonnie Keen’s on Passin’ the Faith Along (2004) and Charlotte Ritchie’s on Jerusalem Homecoming (2005)—bring out the sweetness. But neither captures the lyric’s power with the clarity of the Cathedrals’ rendition.

It’s time for this song to make a comeback. One artist who could do a particularly worthy rendition would be The Talleys. Debra Talley’s exquisite alto is perfectly suited for the lushness of the solo lines, while Brian and Lauren (Talley) Alvey’s harmonies can bring all the vocal power the song needs.

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I recently had the opportunity to interview Haskell Cooley, who played piano for the Cathedrals from 1974-1979. Listen in to this fascinating conversation!

Daniel: When did you first become interested in Gospel Music?

Haskell: All right. I was raised up in church, hearing the old hymns of the church, and hearing how beautiful the melodies were and still are. My mother was a piano player for the church. I became the piano player when I was twelve years old; she turned it over to me. I just grew up, and that’s all I ever knew. There was a lot of quartet signing going on at the church where I attended. I tried to lead songs when I was six, seven, or eight years old. I was leading the songs! You know, they’d have a singing in the church, and people would come up and lead a song. Of course, I couldn’t use my hands like a director would, but I’d get up. It was the way I was raised.

Daniel: You started playing piano for church at age twelve. What age did you start playing piano?

Haskell: Well, we got a piano at home when I was nine years old. I started beating on a piano – I wouldn’t say playing – and learning at nine.

For the full interview, click the “read more” button!

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Worth Knowing

• 

  The Old Paths with Chris White (left to right: Wayne Rackley, Jeremy Peace, Chris White, Daniel Ashmore, Doug Roark)

  
  Crossroads has signed The Old Paths to a long-term recording agreement (video).
• The Booth Brothers recently taped a video at Gaither Studios. They “sat down with Bill to discuss music, life, family and their faith. After their interview, they all gathered around the piano with Bill to enjoy a little impromptu harmonizing.” They have posted a photo gallery here. (Hat Tip, TGF)
• Jeff and Sheri Easter are hosting a contest on their Twitter account, with a prize package gained once they add 1,000 new followers.
• The Mark Trammell Quartet had a bus fire last week; since it was confined to a bay, thankfully, they only have to replace a wiring harness, several air conditioners, and some wiring. They’re expecting that the bus will be back on the road within a few days.

Worth Reading

• In a first for Southern Gospel, Ernie Haase & Signature Sound debuted an online Magazine on Issuu.
• Worship Leader Magazine interviews Bill Gaither. [EDIT, 6/18/12: Broken link removed.]
• Off-topic but also worthwhile: Bruce Ware on Psalm 2 (video). It’s the best response to Rob Bell and The Shack that I’ve seen to date—largely because the focus is on the glory and majesty of the truth, not on the magnitude of the error.

Worth Watching

Home video footage of the Cathedrals is rare enough to make any discovery a particular delight. Here’s a November 1991 rendition of “Wedding Music”:

Worth Discussing

It’s open thread Saturday—you decide!

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The Essential 25 series was inspired by our Southern Gospel 101 post, where we collectively compiled the 101 videos we would use to introduce a newcomer to Southern Gospel. The Essential 25 is a group-specific list of the YouTube performances we would use to introduce a newcomer to the group.

We have taken nominations of the best single-song Cathedrals performances on YouTube, and voted to determine the top 25. The results are in; after 566 votes (though each voter could cast five votes if desired), the results are in! There was a six-way tie for the final three slots, so I cast a tie-breaking vote by picking one song with the final lineup, and one each with the Tremble and Clark lineups (both crucial  since it was their only representation on the playlist).

1. Boundless Love (denoting era by tenor—Funderburk) 10.25% (58 votes)
2. I’ve Just Started Living (Funderburk) 10.07% (57 votes)
3. Oh, What a Savior (Haase) 8.83% (50 votes)
4. Somebody Touched Me (Funderburk) 8.83% (50 votes)
5. I Know a Man Who Can (Talley) 7.07% (40 votes)
6. Step Into the Water (Talley) 7.07% (40 votes)
7. We Shall See Jesus (Funderburk) 6.71% (38 votes)
8. Wedding Music (Haase) 6.54% (37 votes)
9. We Shall See Jesus (Haase) 6.01% (34 votes)
10. This Old House (professional recording) (Funderburk) 2.83% (16 votes)
11. Trying to Get a Glimpse (Haase) 2.47% (14 votes)
12. Then Came the Morning (Funderburk) 2.3% (13 votes)
13. Land of Living (Funderburk) 2.12% (12 votes)
14. Canaanland is Just in Sight (Haase) 1.94% (11 votes)
15. Heavenly Parade (Funderburk) 1.94% (11 votes)
16. I Can See the Hand (Funderburk) 1.94% (11 votes)
17. Suppertime (Haase) 1.94% (11 votes)
18. Blood Washed Band (Funderburk) 1.41% (8 votes)
19. My Lord Will Send a Moses (Talley) 1.41% (8 votes)
20. I Want to See Jesus (Haase) 1.41% (8 votes)
21. Jesus Saves (at Billy Graham crusade) (Haase) 0.88% (5 votes)
22. Oh, Come Along (Haase) 0.88% (5 votes)
23. Death Has Died (Haase) 0.71% (4 votes)
24. Even Winds Whisper His Name (Tremble)  0.71%  (4 votes)
25. This Old House (Clark, with Koker) 0.71% (4 votes)

So, if you’re somewhat new to the Cathedrals, set aside an evening—1 hour 38 minutes 56 seconds, to be precise—and prepare to discover why many Southern Gospel fans consider them the finest group to ever grace a stage. You can watch all 25 here:

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