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I was sitting in the audience of an Ernie Haase and Signature Sound concert a few nights ago. I haven't been able to just sit back and enjoy a concert for quite a while. Usually, I'm working at any concert that I am attending, so it was very refreshing to just sit back and listen. I may try it more often. As I was sitting there it was as though a bright light shown around me. I felt as though I was lifted high above the audience and viewing from a celestial seat. OK, that really didn't happen, but I did find myself in deep thought.

The deep thought was not all that glorious. I found myself noticing that as I'm getting older and the more involved I get in Gospel Music, the less I am impressed with all the new things happening. I sat there and regretted where I had evolved to for a few moments. After a while I realized that it isn't just Gospel Music that I feel that way about, I don't get all gooey over brand new cars anymore either. I don't see the glitter, and the bells and whistles of parties any more. Part of that may have been caused by the all black 50th birthday parties that sent me into instant depression for months. It's probably just a part of life, but still it got me thinking.

I was sitting there enjoying the evening at the Ernie Haase and Signature Sound concert. For just a brief moment, I experienced that same thrill I felt 30 years ago. Thirty years ago, I was sitting in either an Imperials or Oak Ridge Boys concert thinking, "WOW, this is where it's at." The Imperials were singing different than any other Gospel group going in the 70s. They really were setting the standard in vocal styling. At the other end of the spectrum, the Oak Ridge Boys were were setting the standard for showmanship on the stage. As a young man, developing where I wanted to go and what I wanted to do in this genre I sat in awe as I watched these groups perform. Don't think that everyone was as enamored as I was with the progression of these two groups. I heard more than one Pastor talk about how "worldly" they were. I was thrilled when the Imperials put all of their old recordings on CD so I can listen to them again. Now, if only someone would convince the Oaks to do the same thing I might think I was half way to Heaven.

Let me come back to reality and the here and now. For just that instant I again felt that feeling of enamorment. Then it clicked in my finite mind. The young guys of today who are just starting out and developing where they are headed with what they want to do with this genre are looking at Ernie Haase and Signature Sound, and probably the Gaither Vocal Band with awe and excitement. I hear the same criticisms and condemnation of these two groups as I did the Imperials and the Oaks, but stand back and watch.
The standard is being set today. The old fogies may not like who the youngsters are looking at any more than the old fogies liked who we were looking at 30 years ago, but
the evidence is in the pudding. The groups drawing thousands on their own are setting the standards.

Even though it may have only lasted momentarily, I enjoyed that feeling of once again of being excited about Gospel Music. You can bet that I am going to try to find it again.

Reader Comments

I dunno, Deon. I'm 53 now and enjoy EH&SSQ;as much as the so called "traditional" quartets. I can recall I liked the Imperials back in the 80's, but didn't care for the Oaks then which was just before they "went country". Personal tastes, I guess.

You mentioned about hearing more than one pastor talk about how "worldly" the Oaks and Imps were back then...I hear similar comments from other Southern Gospel fans regarding SSQ. I also recall reading about about another famous quartet which was widely criticized in the 1950's by other groups and pastors and had their records broken on air by dj's because this group used rehearsed choreography and the pianist commonly would stand on the piano bench and shake down his hair during up tempo spirituals.

Full circle, again.

Danny Gilbert

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