If you ever get a chance to listen to The Statler Brothers recording of “Amazing Grace” (now I’m really showing my age), listen thru to the end. There is an instumental ending that will give you chill bumps, as beautiful as anything you will hear on this earth.

I remember my first exposure to Acappella in about ‘86 or ‘87 at a Lipscomb event (middle or high school.) I bought their tape “More Than Conquerors”. That tape was my only exposure to Christian music except songbooks/hymnals/school choral music until 1990 — Stryper. Not for me; sorry, rockers.

In 1991 I went to college; the first week there I sang with the UCSC’s singers, mostly Acappella songs. Rob Cox did the rhythm bass, and while I initially didn’t see the point of that, I got over it. (Little did I know I would marry Rob before I turned 20 — and get to work with Keith Lancaster down the road.) Summer of ‘92 my college roommate listened to Amy Grant all the time (the horrors!!) and it began to grow on me. “The Collection” was the CD she played all the time — the song that got me said “all I ever have to be is what you made me.”

It was all downhill from there!

Little country church on the edge of town,
Do do do do do do do (original, ain’t it?).
People coming everyday from miles around
For meetings and for Sunday school.
And it’s very plain to see
It’s not the way it used to be.

Preacher ain’t talkin’ ’bout religion no more
He just wants to praise the Lord.
People ain’t as stuffy as they were before
They just want to praise the Lord.
And it’s very plain to see
It’s not the way it used to be.

They’re talkin’ ’bout revival and the need for love,
That little church has come alive.
Workin’ with each other for the common good,
Puttin’ all the past aside.
Long hair, short hair, some coats and ties,
People finally coming around.
Looking past the hair straight into the eyes,
People finally coming around.

And it’s very plain to see
It’s not the way it used to be.

Of course, the song is “Little Country Church” by LoveSong, one of the original groups of the Jesus Movement. Chuck Girard wrote it in 1971, if you can believe it. The reality expressed in these lyrics is still needed today! Maybe more than ever! I just want to praise the Lord, too! My tribe still has issues with that!

“Seventy-two years in any business is a long time, particularly in a musical group of any genre. Today, the Chuck Wagon Gang holds the distinction of being the oldest recording mixed gospel group still performing with ties to the original founding. By trade, the Carters were farmers, who migrated from place to place to pick cotton. The singing group came from humble beginnings in 1935, as the Carters found themselves in Lubbock, Texas, without enough money to buy medicine for a sick child, Effie. Dave Carter and two of his children, Lola and Ernest of his Carter Quartet (no relation to the Carter Family of Bristol, VA) arrived at radio station KFYO in Lubbock seeking live singing employment on radio in order to buy medicine for Effie. They landed the job, Effie soon re-joined them, and the Carter Quartet remained at the station for about a year.”

I love the music of both groups and am impressed that you “touched history” as a student of a true music pioneer. Blessings, Steve

Let me clarify. The question of this Blog was “who burst the acapella bubble? I was answering why I think that so many have identified with CCM after only listening to Acapella for years. My family was one of Acapella and Keith Lancaster’s big supporters for decades. I can sing most of the Acapella songs from the 80s and 90s from memory; “Now were singing for the Lord and feeling mighty good, making music with our voices like we know all Christian should”. Wow it has been a long time since I heard that one. While our world was falling apart from the highest rates of abortion and divorce this is what Acapella was singing about.
This is what I said. Very few songs they sang were related to Christianity in the world in which we lived and live in now. Most of them were remakes of old hymns or other songs that sang the same old thing the same old way. I don’t believe that CCM has captured so many hearts that use to be Acapella only because they bang a drum and strum a guitar. I truly believe that much of CCM gives people greater meaning because it relates serious Christianity very specifically to culture in which we live. In the Songs of Faith and praise by Alton Howard most the new songs arranged in four part harmony were written and published by CCM artists first. I know many of the new songs from Zoe that are now arranged four part harmony; they are mostly originated with CCM artist also.
Please do not take offense. I was trying answer Mike’s question. I don’t know of anything truly acapella or Acapella written and produced in the last 50 years that has had a great impact on me, or our greater culture. Yes CCM has some fakes.

I know as father to one of the band members, you wondered why nobody cited Homer Hiccolm and the Rocketboys for their all-instrumental “This is My Father’s World!”

As uncle to the same band member, I wonder the same thing!

Kieth Mitchell

This past Sunday, a fifteen year old young man, Christian just one year, came to the assembly to offer a hymn of praise to the Lord as his spiritual birthday gift to the Lord. He is an Hispanic boy and prepared a rap song of “Thank you, Jesus!” which brought tears to our eyes and all of us to our feet praising the Lord. One of the shepherds had prepared a powerful instrumental sound track of the beat he needed to share his song.

At the same service, a former drug addict (also an electrician out of work) along with his girlfriend dropped by the assembly of saints out of curiostity because he noticed a church was meeting in his neighborhood at a private school for mentally challenged adults. He just happened to be the lead base player and percussionist for a very famous Latin band. He was so moved by the worship (praise, prayers and message) that he made a bold profession of faith and is preparing for his baptism this week. He asked if he could bring his bongo drums and base guitar next Sunday to offer his special gifts and help lead the congregation in worship to the Lord.

Whether a’cappella or insturmental, there is so much more creativity we can and must employ in praising the Lord and edifying the believers!

Reflecting on the novice teen with his rap song of praise and the way his praise touched a professional musician to give his life to the Lord reminds me of what the Christian gathering on the Lord’s Day should really be like as pictured for us in the First Corinthian Letter. We were part of all this dynamic worship last Lord’s Day which was so very touching and sent us all out into our mission field knowing that the Lord is real, alive and very present with his people when their hearts burst out of rigid forms and touch the living Lord.

If even lifeless instruments, such as the flute or the harp, do not give distinct notes, how will anyone know what is played… What then, brethrn? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, etc… Let all be done for edification… If an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, the secretrs of his heart are disclosed; and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you!” (1 Corinthians 14:7, 24-26, RSV)

Kieth Mitchell, one of the shepherds
JESUS Community Miami

The Gaithers — same nana & papa gave me the Gaithers sing with kids album (maybe 1973?)…

Jesus Christ Superstar, Joseph & The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Godspell…

But it wasn’t until college that I discovered the world of CCM because my roommate played Amy Grant (Age to Age - song that spoke to me most was ‘Raining On The Inside’ & Michael W. Smith (Friends - title song). I also discovered David Meece at that time (We Are The Reason), and First Call - especially “The Reason We Sing”

He has brought us together
Each of us a different gift we bring
We’ll serve Him forever
Even if the cost is everything

For He has called us to be faithful
So with one heart we give this offering

CHORUS
The reason we sing
The reason we lift our voice
Is more than just making harmony
The reason we sing
Is to praise the One who gave His Son to be
The reason we sing

More than just an emotion
His Spirit gives us joy that we can’t hide
We will not be silent
We’ve got to let the world hear what’s inside

And as we praise Him with our music
Jesus is the One we glorify

The words and harmonies really touched me.

Currently I’ve discovered Dave Barnes, and like the more folky-alternative contemporary (contemplative) sound, but have Hallal and Zoe Group on my ipod as I’m ellipticalling…!!

And to be able to support oneself and family by sharing one’s gift/talent with others… I cannot think that God is not pleased by following a dream that He created in us. We all cry out for encouragement, and to know that we aren’t the only ones who feel [fill in the blank with the emotion of your choice], and that music [so many different kinds of music for so many different hearts] touches us in ways we don’t even understand completely… Just as Christian writers make a living writing, and ministers have a full-time job preaching, why do musicians (artists) get relegated to hobbyists? We all have gifts to share, what a blessing to be able to make your gift your livelihood.