Entertainment

April 17, 2009

Gaither and friends bring marvelous marathon to arena

By BRAD PATTON | For The Times Leader

For nearly four hours on Thursday night, Bill Gaither and his Homecoming Friends, including a five-piece all-star version of his Gaither Vocal Band, held court at the Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza.

And as the performers sang one great gospel song after another, the audience was swept away by the joyous sound.

“You are a rowdy bunch,” Gaither said following the evening’s second selection. “We’re sure going to have a good time tonight.”

The first half of the “Lovin’ Life” show, named after the recent Grammy-winning album by the Gaither Vocal Band, was a non-stop parade of some of gospel music’s finest voices. The second half resembled one of Gaither’s ultra-popular videos as the singers all shared the stage, taking turns singing and delighting the crowd.

After witnessing Thursday’s marvelous performance and watching the expressions on the singers’ faces as they traded verses with one another, it is clear that there could be no better name for this current tour.

Gaither, the 73-year-old singer-songwriter and musical entrepreneur, opened the show backed by some wonderful musicians including guitarist/bassist Kevin Williams and pianist Gordon Mote, who was named the Keyboard/Piano Player of the Year by the Academy of Country Music at the beginning of April.

Russ Taff, the one-time lead vocalist of the Imperials, took center stage next as he sang an uplifting number that caused numerous audience members to hold up light sticks and cell phones in unison.

Taff was followed by Ben Speer, the 78-year-old former lead singer of the Speer Family and member of both the Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame and the Southern Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame, who sang “Sheltered in the Arms of God.”

Then came a three-song set by the Hoppers -- Claude and Connie and their singing children Dean and Kim, along with drumming son Mike.

“This is the message we want you to take home with you tonight,” Kim said before the second number. “God’s grace will always be greater than all of your sins.”

Janet Paschal, once a part of the renowned gospel group the LeFevres, was next. After her upbeat opening number, she told the crowd about being diagnosed with breast cancer “about four years, three months and a couple days” ago, and of her sister, who was diagnosed with the same disease about a year later.

“As far as the doctors know, we are both 100 percent cancer free now!” she exclaimed before singing a song she said helped her through her time of need.

“The sun is going to shine in God’s own good time,”

she sang. “And He will see you through.”

A visibly emotional Gaither, who lost a brother to cancer, then joined Paschal in leading the crowd though a reprise of the song’s chorus.

Lynda Randle, a singer with a powerful voice reminiscent of the great Mahalia Jackson, then sang two songs before turning the stage over to Ernie Haase & Signature Sound, who delighted the crowd with six helpings of fantastic four-part harmony.

Nearly an hour and a half into the show, the newly reformed all-star lineup of the Gaither Vocal Band appeared to a thunderous ovation. Gaither and his “illustrious alumni” as he called them -- Michael English, Mark Lowry, David Phelps and Wes Hampton -- took turns dazzling the crowd as each of the men took at least one spin in the spotlight. The GVB’s 10-song set included Phelps’ tour-de-force rendition of “Nessun Dorma,” songwriter Gaither’s signature piece “He Touched Me,” and the first-half closing “Let Freedom Ring.”

As good as the first half was, the second part may have been even better as all of the performers shared the stage for 17 glorious selections. Some of the numerous highlights after the intermission included Lowry’s knockout performance of “Mary, Did You Know?” (he wrote the lyrics to this new Christmas-themed favorite in 1984), a jubilant rendition of “Swing Down Sweet Chariot,” and pianist Mote’s instrumental version of “Jesus Loves Me.”

The three giant video screens were used to good effect during the concert’s second half as legendary gospel performers who are no longer with us such as Vestal and Howard “Happy” Goodman, Jake Hess and J.D. Sumner were able to sing along with their on-stage counterparts through the wonders of technology.

“If you don’t leave with anything else tonight,” Gaither said as the evening drew to a close, “I hope you leave with a heart full of hope.”

After an entire evening’s worth of inspirational songs that concluded with the Bill and Gloria Gaither classic “Because He Lives,” it would be nearly impossible for that not to have occurred.

　

　

　

　

　

　

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