I love good quartet singing.  I was privileged to sing in two.  I know of one of my former students who has been in a group that is very popular in Texas.  My first experience was singing ‘smooth’ barbershop with “ToneFederates” while attending Sam Houston State University (then ‘Teachers College”).  I’ve shared some on that group in a prior Blog.  (We would not have been PC were we singing today. I suggested the name and our uniform was a Confederate grey suit with a Confederate necktie.  I thought is just a uniform.)  The second group as The Four Hearsemen, formerly National Award Winners representing Blackburn Brothers’ Funeral Home in Amarillo, Texas.  Much later after their winning, the bass singer left and I was taking voice lessons from Brent Flinagen.  My accompanist was the wife of the lead singer in the Hearsemen.  He asked it I would fill in with the group as they competed for the Texas State contest.  I did so, but was a bit too “mellow” for the pure barbershop sound (we didn’t even place).  There was a mutual agreement to sever our ties.  The theme of Barbershop was “The Old Songs”.  I still remember the sound of hundreds of male voices belting out those chords.  Early in my childhood, I was enthralled by Frank Stamps and the  Stamps Quartet.  Their theme song has long been a favorite:

“Give the world a smile each day. Help someone along the way.  From the paths of sin, bring the wand’rer in to the Master’s Home to stay.  Help to heal the lone and sad; help to make some sinner glad.  Let your life so be that all the world my see the joy of serving  JESUS with a smile.”

Bill Gaither is keeping Quartet singing alive.  I am a big fan and would love to attend one of his Gospel Concerts, but Cracker Barrel is giving me a pretty good substitute by satellite, donchaknow.  Just lIke the Stamps boys said, “Give the world a smile today”!  Amen?  AMEN