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Gaither, originator of the Bill Gaither Trio and the Gaither Vocal Band, grew up and still lives with songwriter wife Gloria in Alexandria, Indiana -- definitely north of the Mason-Dixon line. In 1991, he thought his days were "pretty much past." For what he thought would be his last project, he gathered the legendary voices of Southern gospel in a studio in Nashville to record "Where Could I Go (But to the Lord)?" The Speer Family, George Younce and Glen Payne of the Cathedrals, James Blackwood, J.D. Sumner and the Stamps, Howard and Vestal Goodman, Larry and Rudy Gatlin of the Gatlin Brothers, and several more greats of gospel music spent the day on that one beautiful old tune by J.D. Coats. When it came time for the recording, someone also had a video camera rolling. Gaither can describe what resulted only by saying "The Spirit of God was in that place."
From that one session sprang the Homecoming video and now a new book describing the day with sidelight detours of performers who have made major contributions to gospel music.
Gaither later recorded a second video Reunion: A Gospel Homecoming Celebration on the stage of the old Ryman Auditorium. This one included interviews with several of the principal singers. The Ryman had a special place in Gaither's heart because he had gone with his parents to attend his first live all-night singing there in 1949, and he discovered this taping to be the most moving and intimate of them all.
Each page of this combination memoir/scrapbook is a treat. Whether Southern gospel is your dish or not, you'll recognize the names and love seeing the pictures, both color and black and white, of the Jordanaires, the Singing Wills Family, Larnell Harris, the great James Blackwood, the Statesmen, the Imperials, J.D. Sumner, the Speer Family, the Cathedrals, the Nelons, the Happy Goodman Family. All names we have heard, perhaps we know their music, but Gaither gives us intimate pictures of these gospel music greats of the past fifty years and how they have influenced one another.
After finishing this engrossing trip into the world of gospel music, you come away thinking what an astounding contribution it has made to our faith. The four-part harmony tells us we make the best sounds when we each sing our part. The up-tempo tells us we always offer God our best and brightest praise. The simple lyrics tell others about our Lord. Let's sing that gospel music again and again.
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