Back to music. I hope my readers who aren't into the same kind of music I'm into don't mind the gospel and Christian contemp. too much. (But look below. There's a hymn in this post.) I've just discovered a bit of a treasure trove through Eldest Daughter in the form of a whole bunch of Youtube videos from a 2008 (I'm told) reunion of the Gaither vocal band. There are quite a few that I want to post here, just so those who do enjoy these kinds of things can have their attention drawn to them. I'll just start with a couple and put them up one or two at a time.
The reunion is star-studded--Larnelle Harris, Steve Green, Russ Taff, etc. I'm not as familiar with all these as Eldest Daughter, and she keeps having to tell me who's who. Guy Penrod I had never seen before. He looks, unfortunately, like a failed try-out for the part of Gandalf, but he can sing.
So first of all, fun--"He Came Down To My Level."
I love the spirit in these videos. You feel like you're really there. It's like getting together with friends and singing for fun. And there's kind of a neat masculine atmosphere, too. The band is a men's group. The wives are there, but in the background. The men are having a good time singing together.
Now here's an unlikely one. Neither gospel nor Christian contemporary. A hymn. Moreover, a hymn they even have in my 1940 Anglican hymnal. Even a "song to die for"--that is, a song about life and death and the meaning of all of life for a Christian. Done a capella--bit of a Glad sound. Very, very classy. Listen to it even if you don't like CCM.
"Oh Love That Will Not Let Me Go."
More in other posts.
Update: Singin' in the shower. Includes "Oh Love That Will Not Let Me Go" and also--even better, in this recording, IMO--"That Great Gettin' Up Morning" and "Good News, the Chariot's Comin'."
Absolutely wonderful, Lydia. Thanks for posting these. That second one was fantastic!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Rich. I thought of you when I posted them. These guys are really great. I love the way someone yells, "Steve!" when Steve Green gets up to sing the verse in "He Came Down to My Level." It's such an informal, positive atmosphere.
ReplyDeleteThere's another Youtube of "Oh Love That Will Not Let Me Go" that shows David Phelps (who evidently did the arrangement) talking to Bill Gaither before the song, but I thought I'd get right to the song.
I've been meaning to tell you how much I like these. More tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteHeh. I've got Bill _and_ Rich liking them. That's good, guys, because there are more.
ReplyDeleteEldest Daughter found one of several these guys singing in a shower (fully clad, of course) yesterday. I put the link on Facebook and am about to add it as an update to this post. "Oh Love That Will not Let Me Go" is pretty good in there, though the sound quality isn't perfect, but the two spirituals they do afterwards are even more fun.
I watch that Gaither show on TV. It sits on the guide right next to EWTN.
ReplyDelete