Upcoming Concert Review: Ernie Haase & Signature Sound

Ernie Haase & Signature Sound - Coming to Stockton Baptist Tabernacle, Saturday 29th October 2011

Stockton Baptist Tabernacle will be infused with an infectious dose of high energy, harmony and good fellowship come Saturday night. Ernie Haase & Signature Sound are back on British soil on the latest part of their European Tour. When I heard they were coming close to my native Northern Ireland, I could not resist the opportunity to hear one of my favourite groups in the best context, live! So I’ve managed to convince my girlfriend and two other friends to get up at a very unearthly hour of Saturday morning to catch a plane to England!

I’ve experienced a concert from the “Cathedrals – Influenced” Tour and it’s absolutely first class. The variety and different directions that the show takes keeps you thoroughly entertained, encouraged and ultimately you leave feeling blessed. When I last saw the group back in February 2011, Ian Owens had only been with the group for a few weeks. Whilst Ian blended in vocally, naturally it takes a little time to bed in with the dynamics of the group. So, this time, I’m looking forward to seeing a group that will have had the time to blend together on stage and off.

The venue is the  Stockton Baptist Tabernacle and tickets are still available online and are available for purchase here.

I’m looking forward to hearing and seeing EHSS again. I’m also hoping to hear some of the new material from their new project, “Here We Are Again”. Ernie posted on Facebook that they have finished all the vocals for this project and its slated for release on February 7th 2012.

Hopefully see some of you at the concert!

Concert Review – The Hoppers (Belfast, Northern Ireland)

This was my first time to experience the music and ministry of The Hoppers in a live concert setting. I’ve always enjoyed their unique style, but I had been unable to catch them in earlier concerts in dear old Ulster. Thankfully I was able to attend their latest appearance in Northern Ireland. I’ve decided to profile each singer and musician as opposed to the usual set list break down and run through! If you like this approach let me know in the comments! Conversely if you don’t like it….let me know!

• Claude Hopper - A true veteran of the industry and his experience shows through in bucketfuls. His masterful emcee work fused with his blending abilities behind the microphone and a great stage presence made for quite a powerful combination. Contrary to numerous SG emcee jokes, Claude’s were actually funny! My favourite moment was when Claude recalled how they had been asked to sing at the inaugural ball for Ronald Reagan’s installation as the 40th President of the United States. Claude recalled that at that same Inaugural Ball in 1971, Johnny Cash and Bob Hope were in attendance.  Claude remarked, “Now we’ve no Hope and No Cash!”. One of the most enjoyable songs of the night was Claude’s interpretation of  ”Try a Little Kindness/Less of Me”. It’s a song that has been recorded many, many times over the years, but it has a core message which defies time. Claude’s sincere interpretation of the song, communicated in a classy way allowed the song to have a greater impact than many covers of this song have failed to achieve. Claude Hopper is also a charming character. As my girlfriend and I walked towards Claude to get my book signed, Claude looked straight at me (with a face filled with disbelief) and then at my better half,  Esther, and remarked, “Is this your girlfriend?”, I replied “she sure is!” Claude then provoked a big smile from Esther with, “well she’s beautiful!”.  Esther and I then proceeded to have a good conversation about our future career plans and what we hoped to achieve in life, Lord Willing!

• Connie Hopper – Connie is another living legend in the field of Southern Gospel music. Throughout the concert I was impressed with her stage presence, something which certain people possess naturally, yet has been cultivated and polished through years of performing and being on stage. Connie touched many people with stories of how God has always been with them through many circumstances and trials in life. The Hoppers live what they sing. Vocally Connie has some beautiful parts tucked away in the mix but she’s also capable of taking the lead, her take on the big ballad, “That’s Him” was particularly impressive as communication of the lyrics is often a bigger priority in Southern Gospel. “I’ve Come Too Far” and “I’d Rather have Jesus” are two of my favourite songs that Connie is featured on and I’m extremely glad I got to hear a live performance of both!

• Dean Hopper – In my humble and somewhat unqualified opinion, every group needs to have an authoritative lead singer to succeed, even in a purely musical context. The Cathedral Quartet had  Glen Payne, the Gaither Vocal Band had the Micheal English/Guy Penrod and now back to Michael English era, when undoubtably they made the lead position their own. With Dean Hopper the Hoppers have that pivotal position very capably filled. Obviously the very nature of 4/5 part family harmony will chop and change this around, but for the most part Dean was on lead and did a great job. His interaction with Kim and his brother Mike was particularly enjoyable. A quality which quite a few vocalists tend not to have is the ability to step out and deliver a strong lead and then be able to step back and blend together with the rest of the group. Dean was able to do both with no problem. A very under rated singer and a gifted communicator. Dean is also one of the nicest folks I’ve had the opportunity to meet after a SG concert, he was a real encouragement!

• Kim Hopper – Arguably one of the best female vocalists in southern gospel music at present. She’s easily my favourite female singer in any genre and I listen to a wide range of music. “Jerusalem”, “Yahweh”, “Grace Will Always Be Greater Than Sin” and several other Hopper standards were given the usual Kim Hopper afterburner treatment and were very well received. One of the most special moments for me was when Claude called for an a cappella reprise of “I’ve Come Too Far”….Kim absolutely filled the venue with her voice and only had the microphone at waist level….you can imagine the sound when she pulled the mic up close her mouth. “Grace Will Always Be Greater Than Sin”, probably my favourite Hoppers song and what a delight to hear that incredible song with lyrics to apply to anyone sitting in that venue. Kim delivered a great rendition and it was probably the most applauded song of the night, aside from the sugar-stick, “Shoutin’ Time. (Which was encored several times!!) A very touching moment occurred when Kim sang a song in tribute to her brother Tony Greene, there was not many dry eyes at that particular moment.

• Mike Hopper – An absolute genius. I’ve never seen someone drum and work a laptop at the same time and to do with such a high standard! Mike Hopper is also a very solid bass singer and his part adds a real depth to the family harmonies, sometimes doubling Claude. What I appreciated most about his bass singing was his accuracy. If we are honest, the super low, seat shaking and sub-woofer explosive style low notes are not strictly necessary, it’s awesome and fun to watch and listen too, but in a tight, harmony blend, Mike Hopper’s bass vocals are spot on. The blend on the a cappella reprise of  ”I’ve Come Too Far” was simply incredible. A very multi talented individual, not many people can hop on a drum set and off again, sing a bass part, then deliver a lead part and then move back to the drum set.

• Josh Simpson – Like many folks out there, I had first encountered Josh Simpson from his Gold City tenure. I always enjoyed his style and was grateful for his ability not to over play the piano part. A proper piano accompaniment can turn a good song to great very easily indeed. “Over playing” is one of my pet peeves, piano players stepping all over the piece is rather annoying. This was not the case with Josh Simpson. He was a delight to listen too and his piano solo was very enjoyable, even though I think it may have been cut short due to an issue with his ear piece.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed my first Hoppers experience. It was a different night than most SG concerts I’ve been too, it was an energetic and lively performance from the group and the good news for Northern Irish fans is that they are coming back…..!

You can keep up with the Hoppers at their website, http://thehoppers.com/

Upcoming Concert Review: The Hoppers

The Hoppers

 

Thursday 22nd September, 7.30pm will see the return of The Hoppers to Northern Ireland for another great evening of ministry. The Hoppers have been an integral part of the Southern Gospel Music scene for over fifty years and more recently have been frequently featured on the Gaither Homecoming Series and the Gaither Homecoming Tour.  The return of the group to these shores signals the appetite that Northern Ireland has for close harmony southern gospel singing.

The concert will be held at the beautiful Glenmachan Church of God, Belfast. This magnificent venue provides a greatlocation along with some of the best acoustics I’ve experienced. (I’ve been to a fair few southern gospel concerts!) The Church has also hosted the Ball Brothers and Guy Penrod to name but a few.

 

Dean Hopper commented to Phil On Southern Gospel about The Hoppers return to Northern Ireland. Dean said,

We are really looking forward to our return to Northern Ireland, I learned how wonderful your people are during our last visit! The excitement and attention shown at The Hopper’s last performance in Belfast was completely overwhelming, we had no idea how many of you all knew of us?  Not to mention the wonderful Irish hospitality our gracious hosts delivered both during our stay, and the months preceding it. We are so honored and thrilled to have been invited back, and we can’t wait to share with you guys our new songs and great moments of fellowship.

God Bless,

Dean Hopper

This promises to be a great night for southern gospel fans in Northern Ireland! For more information, ticket details and directions to get to Glenmachan, Church of God you can click here.

CD Review – Doug Anderson – Dreamin’ Wide Awake

Doug Anderson - Dreamin' Wide Awake

Doug Anderson is no stranger to the Southern Gospel music scene. Most weekends Doug fills out the energetic harmonies of Ernie Haase & Signature Sound with the baritone part. I have seen Doug sing live at least five times with EHSS and I honestly can’t recall him missing a note. To step out from the baritone part of the quartet sound with a solo album is a big step, but there are few with the talent, like Doug, to make it work.

When the first track from the album was posted on StowTown Records website a few months back, I was very keen to hear the project in its full context. I was not disappointed. Whenever I started this blog, I had always planned to review CD’s as close to their public release date. However more recently, I have tended to listen to the projects I want to review for extended periods of time. This gives me the opportunity to fully appreciate what the artist is trying to convey through song selection, lyrics and even in style.

The soft piano and guitar introduction to the first track, “Jesus Is Holding My Hand”, allows Doug’s voice to be front and centre on this lyrically rich feature. The warm vocals combined with a beautiful, gentle melody give a great start to the album. This has to be one of my favourite songs to come along in a long time. “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” kept coming to mind as I listened to this track.

A bouncy, upbeat organ driven track is a contrast to the first track stylistically, but is not all that uncommon in its lyrical intentions. “Smile It Through” has a great concept for reminding us to keep smiling, no matter what circumstances may come into our lives. I rather enjoyed the bass slide at the end of the song . Initially I thought that it was Ian Owens but it turns out it was by Matt Fouch of Soul’d Out Quartet. Vocally Doug is a little more creative and is not afraid to inject a little soul into the equation which I always enjoy!

“Some Say” reminds me of an early song of a solo project of Michael English during the early 1990′s, but with an updated feel. The lyric has a compare and contrast feeling to them, showing both sides of opinion but then tied up with the singers own thoughts. It’s a neat way to write a song and draws attention to the Cross and the Blood, which is at the absolute epicentre of the Christian faith.

“Closer” has a slow, jazz feel to it, which helps the lyric along nicely. The song achieves its aim in reminding us of the closeness of Jesus. It also highlights just how much closer Jesus wants to be with us, everyday in life. Vocally, in line with the style of the song, Doug demonstrates his ability to merge the jazz element into his vocals. Is there anything Doug can’t sing?!

“Only Here for a Little While” is my personal favourite on this project. It is no coincidence that this favourite track has guest vocals from….none other than EHSS! It’s a great little tune about focusing our priorities on what really matters when God gives us this small window of time on earth. It’s easy to get caught up in the rush of the world and pushing hard to make an extra dollar. There is absolutely nothing wrong with making money, it’s just when that becomes the priority, ahead of a wife and kids. The backing vocals reminded me why I love quartet music so much. It’s the “big” sound; the harmonies stacked above and below Doug’s main vocal really runs a highlighter through his part.

“That’s How Much I Need the Saviour” is a duet with the very talented Charlotte Ritchie. I love her voice! Her performances with the Easters were always a highlight and it was a great mix to have Doug and Charlotte take on a piece. I think it’s good to have a little variety on a solo project and the addition of guest vocalists on three songs adds a little twist towards the end of the project and keeps the project varied.

“A Savior Saves” gives  the Collingsworth Family a feature. They bring their unique harmony to the background vocals. This gives the listener a new sound to appreciate and if you are like me, analyse, break down and play at ridiculously loud volumes to appreciate fully! This song has some great lyrics, which are very catchy indeed. For example, “Sin is sin and a Savior saves” Very true and applicable to life everyday!

“I Love That about Him” is a very honest song which details the things that God loves about us. The fact he loves us at all is a miracle, but just the little things that we can do to please him. Again the lyrics contain some great gems. “Because of His forgiveness, I live and move and breathe” is just one example of the stellar lyrics contained within. Vocally, Doug is assertive and sings with a sense of inspiring confidence in you about the lyrics he’s singing about. As Ernie said in their first self titled DVD with Gaither, “Singers are dime a dozen, but communicators are priceless”. Doug Anderson is a true communicator.

“I’ll Take What’s Left” is a very sincere and straight to the heart song. It takes the listener to the moment when you realise you have to completely surrender your life to God, no matter what choices you have made in your past. No matter what you have done choices that may have left you in tears or with guilt and regret. Then in a beautiful moment of grace at Calvary, you realize that Jesus will pick up the broken pieces and make you a new creature and give you hope and a future with him right by your side.  Doug gets deep into the feeling of this song and delivers this song in an incredibly heartfelt way. Another firm favourite from this project.

“Dreamin’ Wide Awake” sounds very like a Rascal Flatts song at the outset with the heavy driving country-pop feel with snappy backing vocals and a dynamic lead vocal. It’s a tailor-made suit of a song for Doug, with the lyrics reflecting his family and how he lives in a small town way of life. It’s a strong way to end a project of this calibre. The lyrics are soaked with inflections of how blessed Doug feels in everyday life and why they celebrate the “little things like Tuesdays and Thursdays”.

A very solid and versatile effort from Doug Anderson in his first foray into solo music. Ultimately i think he sounds the best in a quartet context, but he demonstrates his versatility with a wide range of musical styles and showcases Doug’s ability to sing in several formats.  A very enjoyable and strong debut project indeed.

 

Available from dougandersonmusic.com

What A Day That Will Be – Michael English & the Gaither Vocal Band

This clip is taken from the Gaither Vocal Band’s recent tour to South America when they visited Brazil. The clip features an anointed performance from Michael English on the beautiful hymn, “What A Day That Will Be”.  The up-loader has some other great clips from the same concert. The energy and spiritual enthusiasm was captured in a unique way that particular night.

It’s hard to think of any other singer, in any genre, that is able to inject such conviction and passion into a song as Michael English. I’d love to see the GVB record this in the future with a full production set-up.

Michael also makes an appearance on the new album from the Martins, “New Day”. Be sure to check out his appearance on “Love’s Gonna Drive This Train”. 

Sit back and unleash your inner pentecostal on this version of “What A Day That Will Be.

Upcoming Concert Review -The Ball Brothers

First Irish Tour Kicks Off Tomorrow Night!

The wonderfully talented Ball Brothers kick off their very first irish tour tomorrow evening. They are singing in Glenmachan, Church of God, starting at 7:30pm. Tickets are a snip at just £12 and will be available on the door. It promises to be a brilliant night, filled fun and fellowship. It is your chance to appreciate and enjoy one of southern gospel’s hottest prospects, live!

I am planning to attend several of the concerts that the Ball Brothers will be performing at. You can look forward to a detailed review sometime in the near future.

More information on the Ball Brothers available here.

A complete breakdown of dates, venues and other details for the Ball Brothers Irish Tour 2011.

Concert Venues

Thursday 26th May 2011 at Glenmachan, Belfast at 7.30pm

Also taking part – Mr. Paul Irwin

Friday 27th May – The House of Vic-Ryn, Lisburn

(also includes – 2 Course Evening Meal & ticket to Armagh concert)

Saturday 28th May 2011 at Ballymoney Elim at 7.30pm

Tuesday 31st May 2011 at Armagh City Hotel at 7.30pm

Also taking part – The Monteith Family

Tickets, Price £12 are now on sale at the following: Faith Mission Bookshops Belfast, Armagh, Portadown and Ballymena also Ards Evangelical Bookshop and online at http://www.glenmachan.org/ and http://www.cormontmusic.com/ or any menber of Solid Ground.

Tickets for Ballymoney will be available from Ballymena Faith Mission Bookshop, Mizpah – Wesley Owen, Coleraine, Ballymoney Elim Church or any member of Solid Ground.

Tickets for The Intimate Night with The Ball Brothers at The House of Vic-Ryn are are available from ‘Cafe Vic-Ryn’ Tel 02892622649 Price £35

The House of Vic-Ryn To Host an intimate evening with The Ball Brothers

On Friday 27th May, The House of Vic-Ryn will be the host venue for an intimate evening with the Ball Brothers. For just £35pp you will enjoy a two course evening meal, a donation to “Friends of the Cancer Centre” and a ticket to see the Ball Brothers perform in a full concert the following Tuesday 31st May at the Armagh City Hotel.

This is a wonderful opportunity to enjoy great food and to be entertained by some of the most talented vocalists in Southern Gospel. Tickets are available from The House of Vic-Ryn, Moira Road Lisburn from Wednesday 4th May.

The Ball Brothers have a youthful presence coupled with an incredible grasp of harmony that has established them firmly amongst Gospel Music’s top names and has propelled them to new heights. This included an opportunity to open for the Grammy-nominated, Dove Award-winning quartet Ernie Haase & Signature Sound on on their 2006 summer tour across America.

In addition to the “Intimate Evening at The House of Vic-Ryn”, the Ball Brothers are also staging three other concerts across Northern Ireland.

• Thursday 26th May at Glenmachan Church of God, Belfast
• Saturday 28th May at Ballymoney Elim
•  Tuesday 31st May at the Armagh City Hotel.

All concerts start at 7.30pm and tickets are priced at just £12. For more information on this event and the other Ball Brothers dates and the opportunity to buy tickets, click on the “Ball Brothers Irish Tour” tab at the  top of the blog.

Learning About Grace

I’m learning about grace at the moment. It’s a word that if you’ve been brought up in a christian environment, you’ve probably heard it, sung about it and maybe even accepted into your life. I attended a GVB solo show back in March and I was privileged to hear them sing, “Let Freedom Ring”. There is a line that says, “The Son has made us free and free indeed”. I happened to look at Mark Lowry as he sang it and could see the conviction and sincerity etched on his face as he belted that line out.

A week or so later I happened to be on Mark Lowry’s website and noticed he had a section on books that he had found helpful or interesting. I came across one by Charles R. Swindoll entitled, “The Grace Awakening“. I decided to purchase that book, purely because Mark had endorsed it with the following words, “This book had a profound impact on me. It should be read by anyone who was raised in an atmosphere of legalism and has had a distorted image of God – thanks to people who take a preference, find a Scripture to wrap around it and, then, call it a conviction that we all must live by. Originally, this book was to be called ‘The Grace Killers’. This book exposes those who load their flocks down like pack-animals with legalism, watch them stagger under the load and, when they’re about to crumble beneath the weight, they add more rules.“

At this point I wish to clarify that I do not believe I’ve been raised in a church which has been overtly legalistic or tried to impose rules and regulations. I love my church and daily try to remember to thank God that I have had the privilege of growing up, spiritually, in such a loving and caring environment. I love to expand my knowledge on doctrines and where different people stand on issues. It’s not that I’m a spiritual butterfly, fluttering from doctrine to doctrine, or having a “dolly mixture doctrine”, picking the pieces I like of some and chucking the rest. I know what I believe! I don’t believe there is anything wrong with being well read in lots of areas.

So reading through the first few chapters of Charles R. Swindoll’s book, “The Grace Awakening” all I could think of was the song, “Grace Will Always be Greater Than Sin” as performed by the Hoppers. (The Hoppers are rumored to be returning to Northern Ireland soon, stay tuned!) Take a few minutes and enjoy this rendition of a great song, with a moving introduction by Barbara Huffman, one of the co-authors o the song, “Grace Will Always Be Greater Than Sin”

Galatians 5 v 1 – “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.”

Let Grace unlock your life today!

Southern Gospel Workout Playlist?

For some unearthly reason I have decided to enter the punishing, yet allegedly rewarding, world of keeping fit. I used to play hockey and football (soccer, for you american readers) at high school, but had to quit due to my knees giving me serious pain after matches. However, after deciding to invest in a pair of Nike Shox with some delightful little device that integrates my iPhone with my running shoes, and gives me CSI depth information about distances covered, calories burned, I need to come up with a suitably encouraging playlist for my voyages of pain.

So far on my hastily arranged playlist I have songs like, “Get Away Jordan” and “Go Tell The World”. I even have “Let Freedom Ring” as I find running along to David Phelps belting out a high note like that can almost make this shy Independent Methodist fella turn into a Pentecostal. Preferably the songs need to be pumped, but even the slower more inspirational tracks like “Let Freedom Ring” have a motivational ability.

So I thought to myself as I jogged today, I’ll turn this one over to the creative mindsets of my readers. The song choice does not automatically have to be up tempo, it can be a big ballad or something in between, as long as its “southern gospel”, I’m happy.  I define “southern gospel” loosely, I’ll take anything from David Phelps style solo material all the way over to vintage Blackwood Brothers and the Statesmen!

Share your playlist thoughts in the comments!

Ball Brothers Irish Tour Add Extra Concert

Another date for the Ball Brothers first ever Irish Tour has been added. The Ball Brothers are set to appear at Ballymoney Elim on Saturday the 28th May.

The extra date set is partly down to the amount of positive attention the other two shows are receiving. The concerts come at a time when all my University exams will have been totally finished. What better way to celebrate than to go to several southern gospel concerts, with one of the best up and coming groups?

Tickets (£12) available from Faith Mission Bookshops and Ballymoney Elim themselves. You can also purchase tickets, online at www.glenmachan.org and www.cormontmusic.com