GospelFest Ministries

Nashville Tracking Session

2010-08-27T22:43:00.003-05:00

Just had a whirlwind day in the studio today...13 songs in 9 hours! I flew in yesterday morning, then met with Ben Speer and his song, Stephen, to discuss next year's "Stamps-Baxter School of Music." Visited with good friend Judy Nelon and then got to sleep early.

Picked up some Krispy Kreme donuts on my way to the studio this morning. (Thanks for the idea, Allison Lynn--they really appreciated it!) We got started about 10:00 and went to 1:00, then broke for lunch. After lunch, we got started a little after 2:00... when we got to dinner time, we decided to skip it and just press on, so we finished about 8:00pm this evening.

It is incredible to work with these musicians, hand them a chart full of numbers that looks like a scientific equation, and make beautiful music. Below you'll find a sample chart written in the Nashville Number system. This method uses numbers to indicate the chord changes for the songs.

Playing piano was the wonderful Tracey Phillips, Kelly Back on guitar, Jimmy Carter (not the ex-president--he was busy in North Korea!) on bass and Greg Ritchie on drums. (Greg's wife, Charlotte, used to sing with Jeff & Sheri Easter and with the Homecoming Friends). Tommy Cooper was our engineer and we had a wonderful time. The songs we recorded are "forgotten treasures" out of the Stamps Quartet Music Company catalog. Most of them were written in the 1940's and '50s and have a great vintage sound to them.

Flying home tomorrow and then back to the real world!

Reggie & Ladye Love Smith concert

2010-07-25T16:44:00.002-05:00

This Sunday, August 1st, Gaither Homecoming artists Reggie & Ladye Love Smith will be at Grace Evangelical Church in Morton, IL for an unforgettable evening of worship and praise. Tickets are only $10 ($8 for groups of 20 or more) and are available at our ministry website (www.gospelfestradio.com), at Hoerr's Berean Bookstores throughout central Illinois and at the church office (1325 E. Jefferson St., Morton, IL 61550).

It's going to be a wonderful evening, so plan on getting your tickets now!

Day 13 - P.S.

2010-07-24T22:36:00.002-05:00

The suitcases were packed, the linens returned to the dorm laundry bins and the goodbyes were said... That plus 2 quick flights and I should have been home by 2:00pm... WRONG!

It's been a long day of sitting and waiting! Got up at 5:30am to leave at 6:15 for the airport. The school's shuttle van had two flat tires (after the first airport run at 4:15am), so we scrambled and found somebody that had a 15 passenger van and hadn't left yet. (Thanks, Monica!) My flight was supposed to leave at 9:30, but received a call from the airlines that it had been cancelled and moved to 2:00pm (keep in mind, that was when I was supposed to be getting HOME!) Couldn't move me to another flight, so I sat in the airport from about 7:30am til the flight left at 2:00pm... not a big deal. I had some books and my iPod, so i was in good shape.

Arrived at Chicago without incident and discovered my flight to Peoria was delayed an hour. No sooner had I sat down that I got another call from that wonderful 1-800 number that the flight was cancelled and I'd been rebooked for a flight...get this...TOMORROW MORNING! (about the time I need to be rehearsing the choir!). I was in a line at the service desk that felt like it was a mile long and lady came down with some vouchers saying that Monday was the earliest they could get people out because of backed up and cancelled flights. I quickly found my way down to bus and shuttle center and found out that Peoria Charter had one more coach leaving at 7:00pm (It was now 3:00pm). They didn't take reservations...first come, first served...so I sat very near the door where the bus would be arriving. Four hours later, I was the third person in line and FINALLY got started home. It was a two hour bus-ride (comfortable, but still a bus) to Pontiac, IL, where my parents picked me up about 9:00pm and drove me home... FINALLY HOME with my girls... Good night!

Day 12, 2010 - Final Day

2010-07-23T22:21:00.003-05:00

Well, it's been a very quick two weeks! This morning during devotions, those selected from last night's auditions to perform at the closing program were announced. There were about 14 groups and soloists selected from 32. Hard decisions.

We didn't do any real classroom work this morning.. Instead, we discussed some southern gospel history, including the founding of the Vaughan and Stamps-Baxter music publishing companies and the history of the Speer Family. Our final group singing session was spent going over a few last minute instructions and singing through a few songs for tonight.

No classes this afternoon! Everybody's so busy getting ready for the closing program, packing for early flights and doing soundchecks for the closing program, most of the students' minds are already gone, so we took the afternoon off.

We had a great closing program tonight, featuring many of the songs on the 2010 school CD that arrived from the duplicator this afternoon. The program started with Allison Durham Speer singing Dottie Rambo's "The Holy Hills of Heaven Call Me," the title cut from her soon-to-be-released album of the same name. The student body then sang 4 or 5 songs and we dismissed to hear from the many soloists and groups. We had some excellent piano solos from Raluca Bojor (from Romania) and first year student Mark Beggs. Both outstanding players. Several of my students, both past and present, sang either solos or were involved in different groups that were put together. Also had some mandolin and guitar pickers from this year's class playing on a bluegrass number featuring one of my students from a 2 or 3 years ago.

Two scholarships are presented each year at the program to deserving students for next year's session. Raluca Bojor from Romania won the Anthony Burger piano award for the second year in a row. So talented and it's great to have her here in the states. A first-year student, Mark Beggs, won the Brock Speer award. This is given to someone who displays not only great musicianship, but also a servant's heart and a desire to use their musical gifts for the glory of the kingdom. Mark is an excellent pianist, and it was not uncommon for him to be seen straightening up chairs and picking up water bottles long after everybody else had left the auditorium for the evening. Congratulations to both of you!

Tracey Phillips, our outstanding accompanist, had to leave about midway through the concert to drive up to Anderson, IN. She's playing for Ernie Haase & Signature Sound's Cathedrals' Tribute video taping tomorrow night. When the students all came back out to finish out the concert, Rosa Nell Speer Powell accompanied our last two numbers: "The Lovely Land" a song written by Dad Speer back in 1924 (and published in a book from his father-in-law's publishing company, Athens Music) and "My Home, Sweet Home," published by the Vaughan company about the time the Speer Family started working for Vaughan. The Speer Family sang it and recorded it many years ago.

Hugs and tears always seem to linger on for at least an hour after the program and tonight was no exception. As I've said previously, these people are like family to me and I will miss them, especially those that might not be able to come back next year for a variety of reasons. Theory teacher and writer Eugene McCammon wrote a song many years ago, "Never Say Goodbye" that was inspired from these feelings of sadness experienced at the end of singing schools. As believers, we don't have to say goodbye, even as some may pass on during the next year, we will see them again at the throne!

After my flight tomorrow morning, it'll be back in the full swing of the things: hymnal typesetting, a concert in one week with Reggie & Ladye Love Smith and continued plans for our Christmas events...

I love the Stamps-Baxter School of Music!

Day 11, 2010

2010-07-22T23:50:00.003-05:00

LOOOONG day! More fun four-parting writing in theory class followed by a great group singing session. After lunch we finished up some four-part writing and then spent our sight-singing and ear-training time listening to some early southern gospel recordings from the Speer Family, Rebels Quartet, Rangers Quartet, Statesmen, Happy Goodmans, LeFevres and the Rambos...all great musicians and pioneers in what we do.

Allison held her final performance training this afternoon and worked with some exceptional soloists and groups. She has such a heart for teaching young people how to be effective ministers of the gospel!

Following dinner at the Mexican restaurant (tired of cafeteria food!) was one of our last group singing sessions...these are my favorite parts of the school and I always miss them when I'm home. I think we sang about 5 choruses of some of the songs because we just didn't want to stop.

Auditions for the closing program were held after group singing. This year (it usually changes from year to year) to qualify for closing program auditions, you had to have performed during the 'performance opportunities' time at least once during the past two weeks. A secret judge had been appointed to pick out those that should be allowed to audition. For the third of fourth year in a row I was asked (roped into) being one of the five judges. I hate judging! You have so much talent and so little time in the closing program, it's hard to make those decisions. We had 32 groups/soloists perform and the evening lasted about 2.5 hours...it seems all the slow songs were at the end... it got pretty long. The five judges met for about half an hour to tally up our scores and discuss which groups and soloists should be featured on tomorrow night's program. Actually, looking at the clock, it's tonight's program!

My first year as a student at Stamps-Baxter in 1998, I was chosen to perform a piano solo which opened the closing program. It was a neat arrangement of "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing," arranged by James D. Walbert (grandson of James D. Vaughan). That's a wonderful memory I'll always remember and it's amazing to think how God has opened doors for me in southern gospel music since then... amazing...

Day 10, 2010

2010-07-21T23:45:00.002-05:00

Time's beginning to race... Good day today.

Got into some basic part-writing with my class today after a thorough review of seventh chords and inversions and did some melodic dictation. During group singing we did some more sight-reading and getting ready for the closing program Friday night.

After supper, Allison Speer and I worked with the Heavner Family from Maryland. They're a great family group and we worked on some things to improve their presentation (some basic staging ideas, etc.) Neat group of people.

After the evening group singing, we were treated to a concert from Ernie Haase and Signature Sound Quartet! They brought their full lighting and sound and gave a great concert. In a few days, they'll be heading to Anderson University to film a Cathedrals' Tribute video that Gaither will release later this fall. Our beloved accompanist Tracey Phillips will be playing for them and did some playing tonight.

The evening ended at Steak and Shake with great friends. Over the past 12 years, many of these people have become family, and even though we see each other only 2 weeks a year, we always pick up right where we left off, and now with Facebook, it's even easier to stay in touch. Time to make the last two days count!

Day 9, 2010

2010-07-20T21:33:00.002-05:00

A wonderful, emotional and jam-packed day! This morning, the whole student body recorded many of the songs we've been working on for a CD that will be available. We began soundchecking and rehearsing about 8:30, began actually recording at 9:30, and finished our 18th song by 12:07pm!

Enjoyed lunch in the cafeteria with Allison Speer. She's a great friend and mentor and has a lot of wonderful ideas That's why she and her husband, Brian, are both on the GospelFest Ministries advisory board.

Back in the mid 1930's, a group of brothers teamed up to form one of the longest-lasting groups and one of the most recognizable names in southern gospel music: the Blackwood Brothers. After lunch today, we were treated to a wonderful concert from the Blackwood Brothers Quartet, featuring James Blackwood's sons, Jimmy and Billy. They have the classic Blackwood sound and sang with two mics and piano. They were the best group we've heard and seen so far at this year's school.

When Dad Speer's health began to decline in the mid 1960's, a young band teacher from West Virginia was hired to sing with the Speer Family. He later went on to become their arranger and is an excellent songwriter, writing classics like "I'm Standing on the Solid Rock," "Touring That City," and "The Next Time He Comes." The great Harold Lane is now in a nursing home east of Nashville, suffering from Parkinson's Disease. Following the afternoon class, a group of about 18 of us faculty and staff traveled to the nursing home to sing some songs for Harold and the other residents. We sang many songs written by Harold and it was such a joy to be able to sing them to him. For the past several years, he hasn't known too many people when they would visit and can't speak. Today, his foot was tapping, he raised his arms a little as if directing us and tried to made some noise as if singing. We were all in tears as Ben walked over to him and took his hands and sang these words to him. Words that were written by 'H,' as he was affectionately known, almost 30 years ago seem so fitting for him today.

You've been so good to me through years gone by;

For this I thank You, Lord, on You I can rely;

Now, dear Lord, I ask You,

Lord, please hear my heart's cry

And bless me, Lord,

bless me, Lord,

don't pass me by.

Day 8, 2010

2010-07-19T22:49:00.002-05:00

Back to the grind... most of the students (and faculty) didn't get the rest they needed over the weekend and were dragging this morning...

A good review of last week's material started off our class time, then it was in to chords, inversions and seventh chords. Ended the class period today with secondary dominants... lots of fun!

After dinner, Stephen Hill performed a concert and is always wonderful...a great communicator. Performance opportunities are getting fuller and fuller each night... if the students want to audition for the closing program, they have to have sung in performance opportunities at least once. Now, most have waited till the last minute and are scrambling to get something together.

The second week always flies by...it's like the first week is the ascent up the beginning of a roller coaster. The weekend is like that brief moment on top when time seems to stop, then the Monday of the second week begins the descent--hold on!!!

Day 7, 2010

2010-07-18T21:53:00.002-05:00

We sang this morning at Grace Nazarene Church in Nashville this morning for their service. The music director, Nathan Rogers, is a former student of the Stamps-Baxter School and the church is very supportive of the singing school. They also fed us a great lunch with a dessert table that seemed to stretch the length of a football field.

The rest of the afternoon was a good time for some rest and relaxation. Ended up going to eat and catching a movie this evening.

Back to the grind tomorrow... only five days left and they'll go very quickly. Tuesday morning we'll record the songs for the CD that will be available at the closing program on Friday.

Day 6, 2010

2010-07-17T20:27:00.003-05:00

Well, today wasn't as restful as I hoped, but definitely got more sleep last night. Woke up late for Allison Durham Speer's mini-Elijah Conference, but arrived before they'd gotten into too much depth. What a talent she is and a heart for serving the body of Christ in helping young gospel musicians to be all that God has ordained them to be by giving them the tools needed to hone their craft.

She covered so much material, it's hard to review everything, but among them were checking our hearts and attitude of why we're doing what we're doing, being effective communicators on the platform, freeing ourselves of pre-conceived notions of what's "expected" of us and so much more. If you're serious about a career in the music ministry, and even if you've been on the road for 20 years, she has much to offer. Check out www.elijahconference.com for more information.

That workshop was followed by dinner at the Cracker Barrell and soon will be off to bed. Tomorrow morning we sing at Grace Nazarene Church in Nashville, right across Briley Parkway from Opryland.

I just posted a video to my Facebook profile of me accompanying Ben, Mary Tom and Rosa Nell singing "What a Meeting in the Air." Check it out!

Day 5, 2010

2010-07-16T22:32:00.003-05:00

The weekend has arrived! Sleep is in sight! The midway point of singing school is always bittersweet. The free time is very much looked forward to and needed, but it also means that the second week is just around the corner. The second week of singing school goes by so quickly, you sometimes want to apply the brakes and just be able to savor the moment.

Class work today included more chord identification and this afternoon we began identifying four-part chord inversions... probably not a wise choice for a Friday afternoon, but we got through it. Monday will be a BIG review day.

Got caught in the rain during dinner at the cafeteria. (Did I mention it's about a five-minute walk from the dining hall to the music building???) Thankful my GREAT friend and fellow teacher Freddie Edwards had an umbrella we tried to share. Once we got back and dried off, group singing began. I was able to sit next to Rosa Nell tonight and I hope I can get my hearing back in my left year! She'll be 88 in September and can still sing louder than the whole alto section of probably 30 or 35 voices. Listening to her belt out some of those great southern gospel convention alto lines is like a little piece of heaven.

The LeFevre Quartet performed after group singing and did a wonderful job. This was the first time their new tenor was with them and he sounded great. Next week, they're filming a live concert video in Memphis and were "trying out" some of the material for that shoot. It's going to be a combination of new stuff and old favorites.

This will be the earliest I've gotten to bed since last Friday evening... looking forward to a good night's sleep and a busy day helping Allison Speer with a mini-Elijah Conference workshop all day.

Day 4, 2010

2010-07-16T00:45:00.002-05:00

The exhaustion is beginning to show on the students' (and teachers'!) faces... Of course, if we'd get to bed any earlier than we have been (it's almost 1:00am now), that might help. But, we only have two weeks, so we try to cram as much "family time" in as we can.

This morning, my students were immersed in the world of chords: identifying and writing major, minor, augmented, diminished, and they seem to be catching on very quickly. Soon we'll be doing some analyzing of 4-part music.

Group singing is so much fun. Our favorite song this week has been the old Speer Family song (included in my "Heaven's Jubilee" songbook I published) "My Home, Sweet Home." It was published originally by the James D. Vaughan company in 1934, around the time the Speer Family moved to Lawrenceburg, TN, to work for Vaughan. Ben would have been 4 years old when his family sang it in their concerts. Rosa Nell said she remembered "little Ben" singing the alto part as a young boy. It's incredible to think of the history of that song, and then to enjoy singing it with not only young people, but also people from all over the world. This year's school has representations from India (via Scotland), Romania, Sweden, Australia and Canada. (There may be more, but remember, it's very late!) This is music that speaks to the Christian heart and it doesn't matter how old you are or where you are from.

Tonight we were treated to a concert by HisSong...a great up-and-coming trio. Wonderful blend. After the concert, several of us went to Steak and Shake, which is why we're up so late... Tomorrow morning (or 'this' morning) is going to come very quickly. The weekend will be time to catch up on sleep!

Day 3, 2010

2010-07-14T23:36:00.002-05:00

Well, we're officially half-way through the first week. My theory class has been immersed (they might say 'drowned') in interval identification and today we started chord identification (major, minor, diminished, augmented) and how those chords are structured. We also do a lot of sight-singing, melodic dictation (I play a melody and they write it down) and other things like that.

Tonight we were treated to a concert from the legendary Chuck Wagon Gang. Next year they'll be celebrating their 75th anniversary. The Chucks got their start singing on the radio for the Bewley Mills Flour Company and were strictly a radio quartet for many years--very few public appearances until much later. Over the past 75 years, they've sold close to 40 million albums...amazing!

Day 2 2010

2010-07-13T23:26:00.004-05:00

Well, it feels like we've been here a week already--hard to believe it's just the second day of classes. I think everybody's beginning to settle into the routine of classes, lessons and short nights. This morning I added 2 more students to my class and after lunch a third came in (a former student from a couple years ago), bringing my total to 16. They're a great group and it's exciting to see them "get it" when something starts to make sense (like why an augmented fourth and a diminished fifth are both made up of 6 half steps!)

After group singing this evening, we were treated to a concert from Chonda Pierce. She's a very talented comedienne as well as pianist and singer, but she's a wonderful communicator. I love listening to and watching a performer get an audience all worked up, laughing and having a great time, then all of a sudden, they turn the corner and knock you over with some serious and deep spiritual truths... Beautiful...

Most of the students gathered in the food court for performance opportunities after the concert. Several of my students sang and it was neat to hear them. (Wish they'd sing out like that in the classroom!) The evening ended with Ben, Mary Tom and Rosa Nell singing "Didn't It Rain" (an annual favorite) and then...drum roll... I got to accompany them singing "What a Meeting in the Air." One of my favorite gospel songs and three of my gospel music heroes...Can't get much better than that!

Day 1 2010

2010-07-12T20:22:00.002-05:00

Busy first day! After a very long breakfast line (picture about 600 guys here for football camp ahead of about 150 gospel singing people age 8-86!) which culminated in a Hardee's run, the school officially kicked off with devotions and class assignments.

My class this year has 13 students, age range about 15 - 23. Most of them have some basic music theory, so we spent the first morning session reviewing intervals, major scales and shape notes.

Following the 2 hour theory session in the morning, we had our first group singing. What a glorious sound! Just about as close to heaven as you can get! Tom Powell (Dad Speer's eldest grandson) is the conductor and can get amazing sounds out of the 150 voice choir. A lot of the songs we'll be singing this year are Harold Lane classics. Harold sang and arranged for the Speer Family for about 25 years and published the Ben Speer Music songbook for about 15 years. Songs like "The Next Time He Comes," "What Sins Are You Talking About?" and many more.

After lunch (with a much shorter line!) it was back to theory class for some more interval identification, melodic dictation and sight singing (the students are learning what a music theory nerd I am!)

Allison Durham Speer teaches performance training at the school and does a fantastic job getting singers to really communicate the message they're sharing. She's such an encouragement and the perfect fit for that seminar.

More group singing ended the evening after dinner. I was able to sit by Mary Tom Speer Reid and hear her still crank out some great harmonies. About 6 chairs down was Rosa Nell Speer Powell, outsinging the whole alto section. Amazing! Group Singing is one of my favorite parts of singing school.

Performance opportunities will begin in a few minutes. This gives students the opportunity to perform for others and also will allow them to be considered for auditions for the closing program.

We miss many of our friends who cannot be with us this year: Allison Lynn (former staff member) has returned to Canada, Brandon Andrews, Becca Matlock, Jordan James and so many others. Perhaps we miss Tinker Hinson the most of all. He was the most humble, servant-hearted individual here at the school and kept us in tears from laughing so hard. He unexpectedly passed away earlier this year on his farm. He's got a front row seat for group singing this year!

Stamps-Baxter School of Music 2010

2010-07-11T10:41:00.005-05:00

Up at 3:30 am to catch a 6:00 flight out of Peoria on Saturday morning. Barely made the connecting flight in Chicago and arrived in Nashville around 8:30am. Spent the rest of the day getting ready, meeting some new people and renewing my Stamps-Baxter family friendships.

Registration begins at 11:00am this morning, and there's an excitement in the air! From the Facebook updates I've been reading, a lot of gospel talent is going to be converging on Murfreesboro very soon!

My first year attending Stamps-Baxter was in 1998 and I attended for 3 years. We were at Belmont then, and it was there I met many of my gospel heroes and made some friendships that still exist today. I just visited the school for a few days from 2001-2003, but made plans for 2004 to be my final year. Anne and I were expecting our first daughter later that fall, so I figured this would be my last hurrah. God had different plans...

Three days into the 2004 school, I became a theory teacher and have been teaching ever since. It has been a joy teaching "up and coming" gospel musicians these past 7 years. Seeing how God has transformed these kids into fine young Christians and musicians is exciting and I am humbled to be a small part of their gospel music education.

Won't know until tomorrow morning who is in my class and how many there'll be. Each student will take a theory placement test upon their arrival and they'll be divided into about 10 different class levels. In the past, I've usually had high school/early college age who have had some music theory.

Each year is a new adventure! Can't wait for it to begin...

Summertime GospelFest poster

2010-06-16T16:06:00.004-05:00

Summertime GospelFest tickets

2010-05-12T14:19:00.002-05:00

Tickets will be available for the 12th annual Summertime GospelFest beginning Monday, May 17th! They'll be on sale at Hoerr's Berean Bookstores in central Illinois, the Grace Evangelical Church office in Morton, and through our website, www.gospelfestministries.com.

This annual event will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the southern gospel quartet, featuring some songs out of the 1910 James D. Vaughan songbook, "Voices for Jesus." This was the book the first quartet sang out of when they were put on the road to promote and sell the Vaughan books, thus establishing the southern gospel male quartet!

Plan on joining us! More information is available at www.gospelfestministries.com!

Summertime GospelFest rehearsals

2010-04-20T21:39:00.002-05:00

Rehearsals will be beginning for our 12th annual Summertime GospelFest on Wednesday, April 28th at 7:30pm. Join your voice with ours as we sing some great southern gospel favorites with folks from all over central Illinois! We'll rehearse Wednesday evenings in the choir room at Grace Church in Morton, IL. Concert will be Friday, June 25th at the church. E-mail me for more information--shawn@gospelfestministries.com. Hope to see you on April 28th!

WBNH Share 2010

2010-03-25T14:14:00.000-05:00

This Saturday, March 27th, from 10:00am til 11:00am, I'll be on WBNH's Share 2010! This is the radio station on which we started airing the GospelFest Hour back in April of 2006. In central Illinois, you can listen on 88.5FM in Peoria and 100.1FM in Bloomington. Outside the listening area, you can tune in (and watch!) at www.wbnh.org. It's so important to support our local Christian radio stations!

An Evening with Fanny Crosby

2010-02-15T11:53:00.003-06:00

We had a great time this past Saturday presenting "An Evening With Fanny Crosby" for winter banquet at Morton United Methodist Church! There was a sweet spirit in the audience of about 150 or 200 people as we recounted this marvelous woman's journey of faith through her hymn writing.

If you'd like to share this program with your congregation or other group, please contact us. We'd love to come share the "Blessed Assurance" that Fanny Crosby had through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

Help for Haiti

2010-01-15T12:31:00.002-06:00

We've all seen the tragedy continuing to unfold after the recent earthquake in Haiti. In response, 50% of all gifts given to GospelFest ministries via our website between January 15 and February 15 will go directly to Samaritan's Purse's relief efforts in Haiti. These folks are on the front lines "being Christ" to our suffering brothers and sisters. Would you consider making a donation? All gifts are tax deductible and can be made at www.gospelfestministries.com. Just click on the "Support" link. Thank you so much. Even if not through GospelFest Ministries, please consider giving to other worthy organizations that are assisting!

Merry Christmas

2009-12-15T22:12:00.003-06:00

Christmastime GospelFest was last week and it was a huge success! So thankful for a wonderful evening. It was also our first night offering our new "GospelFest Goodies" Christmas cookbook. Full of favorite Christmas treats from the GospelFest Singers, it also includes recipes from some of southern gospel's top personalities, including Wes Hampton from the Gaither Vocal Band, Doug Anderson from Signature Sound, members of the Speer Family, Rodney Griffin from Greater Vision and Judy Nelon. This cookbook is available for $5 (plus $2 shipping) through our PayPal account (shawn@gospelfestministries.com). It will soon be available on the webstore as well.

I hope you all have a very merry Christmas!

Letter from Listener

2009-10-29T09:29:00.002-05:00

I received a letter in the mail from a 34 year old gentleman that listens to "The GospelFest Hour" in Indiana. He'd been raised in a Christian home and thought he had everybody "fooled," until he landed in prison in 2003. He has 2 more years to go until he's released, but since his incarceration, he's totally given his life over to the Lord. He wanted to let me know what an encouragement "The GospelFest Hour" has been to him. He has to stand on his bed and hold up his headphones near the window to get good reception. He said it's a bit awkward, but worth it. After his release in 2 years, he knows it'll be a rough road, but is excited that God is now in control of his life and looks forward to what He'll do in his life.

What an encouragement that letter was to me! To know that the program is ministering to at least one person is such a blessing to me. That is why we do what we do: to encourage folks and to exalt the name of the Lord!

Christmastime Tickets

2009-10-10T22:09:00.005-05:00

Christmastime GospelFest 2009 is quickly approaching! This year's concert will be Friday, December 11th at the Caterpillar Performing Arts Center at Five Points Washington in Washington, IL. Concert begins at 7:00pm.

Tickets for this year's Christmastime GospelFest will soon be available! Group sales begin Monday, October 19 and regular ticket sales begin Monday, November 2. Group rates are as follows: 15-24 tickets are $12 each; 25 or more are $10 each. Regular tickets are $15 advance and $18 at the door. Children age 5 to 12 are $7; and 4 and under are free!

Consider bringing a group (Sunday school class, office staff, etc.) for this unforgettable Branson-style evening of Christmas music. Tickets will be available by calling the ministry office at 309.472.0027, at the Five Points Washington front desk. You can send in a check made out to "GospelFest Ministries" to 1336 Honeysuckle Ln., Metamora, IL 61548. Please include a self-addressed stamped envelope.

Hope to see you there!

Christmastime GospelFest 09

2009-08-27T09:24:00.003-05:00

Preparations are officially underway for our 5th annual "Christmastime GospelFest." This holiday favorite will be held December 11th at the Five Points Washington community center in Washington, IL. Tickets will go on sale Monday, November 2, so put the date on your calendar. We've lots of exciting things planned for this year's event, so stay tuned for more information in the coming weeks!

Stamps-Baxter Wrap-Up

2009-07-29T21:23:00.003-05:00

Well, as always, the two weeks just flew by. Had a great time with friends both old and new in Murfreesboro this year. A highlight was having Tom Powell back to direct the group singing sessions. Tom is Rosa Nell Speer Powell's son and the oldest grandson of G. T. "Dad" Speer. Singing many of those Speer Family classics with Tom directing is like a little taste of heaven.

Several groups came to give concerts to the student body, including the Perrys, Mike & Kelly Bowling, Priority Quartet (formerly the Mike LeFevre Quartet), Chuck Wagon Gang, Stephen Hill and Greater Vision. I had never heard the Perrys or Greater Vision live before, so that was an extra special treat.

My class consisted of mostly 16 and 17 year olds that had a basic knowledge of music theory. We took that and built upon it, reviewing scales, intervals and key signatures and by the end of the two weeks, we were working on 4-part writing. They were a great group of kids and were eager to learn all they could.

Performance Training with Allison Durham Speer was always a treat--she is an excellent communicator and knows how to get the most out of a singer. Looking forward again to working on her "Elijah Conference" this fall.

Perhaps the best times are the "off-hours" times after we've finished for the day. It wasn't uncommon to find a group of us at Steak-n-Shake or Sonic around 11:00pm after the concerts were over. Hearing Ben Speer tell stories and jokes from his experiences on the road is priceless!

Allison Speer asked me to help her plan out the closing program and we had a lot of fun doing that. We recognized Harold Lane, former member of the Speer Family, who is being inducted into the SGMA Hall of Fame this fall, by playing a recording of his song "I'm Standing on the Solid Rock." Tom Powell had decided to close the concert with Dad Speer's incomparable "He is Mine and I Am His," which always moves me to tears. Prior to that song, we decided to incorporate some audio of Dad Speer giving his testimony at the National Quartet Convention in 1958--the year he received a special certificate honoring 50 years in gospel music. It worked beautifully with the hymn and there wasn't a dry eye in the house. As a special ending, Ben, Faye, Mary Tom and Rosa Nell concluded the program with "Didn't It Rain," always a crowd pleaser.

All 3 of my girls were excited for me to be home and I was very glad to see them--a short two weeks for me wasn't quite as short for Anne, who is a single mom for these two weeks. I so appreciate her willingness to let me go and do this every year!

Stamps-Baxter Update 1

2009-07-16T07:51:00.002-05:00

It's been a great 3 days so far. The school's schedule is always full and tiring, but so worth it! Tuesday night we were treated to a concert from the Perrys...fantastic! They are doing everything right and it was great to hear them live. I've heard them at NQC, but never at a full concert. Last night was Mike & Kelly Bowling--another great concert!

My class is going very well. I've got 11 students, mostly sophomores & juniors in high school and they seem eager to learn. They can all read music and know their scales & chords, but we're focusing on getting them to a place where they don't need to think about what a ii7 chord in the key of Ab is...any takers? One of my students actually ENJOYS the ear-training exercises...writing out a melody after hearing it, identifying chords by listening to them. I hated that part of my collegiate experience.

Group singing has been phenomenal. With Tom Powell back, Tracey is playing better than ever and we're not only doing some new songs, but we're also working on some old favorites, including many Dad Speer songs like "He is Mine and I Am His" and "When I Kneel to Pray." A glorious experience each time...I struggle with wanting to sing and wanting to sit out and just listen...but I choose to sing. This music is definitely participatory in nature and I think you can enjoy it more fully when you're totally engaged in it.

Two more days, then we can sleep in! Looking forward to that!

Stamps-Baxter School of Music

2009-07-13T20:30:00.003-05:00

After a great vacation in northern Wisconsin last week, I arrived in Murfreesboro Saturday to get ready for Ben Speer's Stamps-Baxter School of Music. Registration began Sunday and it was great seeing old friends--many of whom are like family after so many years.

This morning I received my class roster--11 students--and we had a great first day focusing on intervals and scales...and of course shape notes!

Tom Powell has returned this year to head up the academics as well as lead group singing. It was wonderful having him back at the podium. If you've never sat in or heard a large group singing these wonderful convention songs, you're missing out! Many students and staff will be posting updates, so be sure to keep your eye out.

Tomorrow is another busy day that will culminate with a concert by the Perrys in the evening!

Come and Gone

2009-06-30T19:30:00.002-05:00

The 11th Annual Summertime GospelFest was this past weekend...what fun! Although it was a smaller than usual crowd (probably around 500 people), we had a wonderful evening celebrating God's goodness and looking forward to heaven! The choir sounded great as did the GospelFest Singers. We also got several inquiries to come and sing at other churches in the area which is very exciting.

Now looking forward to a week's vacation in Wisconsin before heading south for my 6th year teaching at the Stamps-Baxter School of Music! I teach music theory, sight-singing and ear-training and am one of 1o different levels. A great time to connect with other folks who eat, sleep and breathe southern gospel music like I do. (www.stampsbaxterschool.com)

GospelFest Hour now International!

2009-06-09T10:16:00.002-05:00

We've been so blessed by the stations deciding to air the "GospelFest Hour" and have some great news...in addition to stations in 25 states airing the program, there are now 3 in Canada and 1 in Zambia, Africa! It's just amazing to think that God's word is being shared in this program not only in the United States, but on the "other side of the pond" as well. God is so good!

For a complete station listing, visit www.gospelfestministries.com/ministries/radio.

Eva Mae LeFevre

2009-06-02T20:54:00.003-05:00

We lost one of the true pioneers of southern gospel music recently...Eva Mae LeFevre went home to be with the Lord on May 18, 2009, at the age of 91. She had been in failing health this past year and had been in and out of the hospital and nursing home.

I met Eva Mae in September 1997 during my first visit to the National Quartet Convention. She was one of the first "celebrities" I'd met and I spoke with her for a few minutes. What a funny lady! One thing I most remember was her signature laugh. A few days after returning from the NQC, I was working on a paper in college on southern gospel music and thought I'd try calling my new friend and seeing about doing an interview. I left a message on the phone number I found, and didn't expect to hear back. How surprised I was to return home the next day and hear that "some woman named Eva Mae had called!" I called back and we talked for probably a half-hour about her involvement in southern gospel music. She was so generous and encouraging...that conversation is something I'll always treasure.

Eva Mae began playing piano and singing at a very young age (as most pastor's daughters of that day did!). She was only 8 when she met her future husband, Urias LeFevre, and his brother, Alphus. Urias & Eva Mae were married when Eva Mae was 16, and thus began the LeFevre Trio. She was known for her great alto voice and her fantastic piano playing. Just listening to a few measures, you'd know it was her playing the piano.

Rex Nelon was an important part of the LeFevres as their bass singer. After Urias & Alphus retired in the mid 1970's, the group became the Rex Nelon Singers. After her retirement, Eva Mae continued singing by herself, even up to shortly before her death.

The very first Homecoming video featured Eva Mae on the piano, with many gospel singers calling out song after song. She was a very important part of southern gospel music's history and we are forever grateful.

Thank you, Eva Mae!

Mosie Lister

2009-05-25T21:28:00.003-05:00

This week's "GospelFest Hour" showcases the songs of the great Mosie Lister! On any given recording, at any given concert, chances are a Mosie Lister song will be heard. Mosie was born in Cochran, GA and became a student of Dad Speer's while studying at the 1939 James D. Vaughan School of Music in Lawrenceburg, TN. He was an original member of the Sunny South Quartet prior to WWII. After returning from the war, he formed the Melody Masters Quartet with Jim "Big Chief" Wetherington, Alvin Tootle, Lee Kitches and Wally Varner. Despite similar last names, he is no relation to the founder of the Statesmen, Hovie Lister. He and Hovie were friends, and Mosie was hired as the original baritone for the Statesmen. Mosie later left the group as a singer, but continued with them as an arranger.

All the while, Mosie focused on his songwriting. Despite a wide range of styles, all of his songs are Bible-inspired and evangelical in nature. He formed the Mosie Lister Publishing Company in 1953. That company merged with Lillenas publishing in 1969. Today, Mosie continues to write and arrange for Lillenas.

With the recent passing of Eva Mae LeFevre, I'm reminded of a story of one of Mosie's classics. The song "I'm Feelin' Fine" was written as a slow ballad and was offered to the LeFevres to record. They had a different idea for the song and recorded it as an upbeat convention song. At first, Mosie wasn't too sure about this new tempo, but history has proven it to be one of his most popular songs.

It's hard to choose the "best of" from a catalog as vast as Mosie Lister's, but there are songs that always rise to the top. In this week's "GospelFest Hour," we'll hear some of the best, including "How Long Has It Been?," "Goodby, World, Goodby," "Then I Met the Master," "His Hand in Mine," "I'm Feelin' Fine," and "Where No One Stands Alone."

Please let me know what other writers, singers or groups you'd like to be featured on the "GospelFest Hour." I'd love to hear your ideas! Check out the new website at www.gospelfestministries.com.

Until next time...

new website

2009-05-21T11:35:00.002-05:00

The new GospelFest Ministries website will be launching shortly after Memorial Day! Be sure to check it out: www.gospelfestministries.com, and be sure to sign up for our monthly e-newsletter!

An Evening with Fanny Crosby

2009-04-30T13:15:00.005-05:00

Tomorrow night, the GospelFest Singers will be presenting "An Evening with Fanny Crosby" at the United Methodist Church in Douglass, IL. We've been doing this program now for several years and it's always popular.

Fanny Crosby is one of America's most prolific hymnwriters, having written over 8,000 hymns during her 95 years on earth. Blind from six weeks of age, she discovered her writing gift during her early teen years. She studied at the New York Institute for the Blind and later became a teacher at the school, along with her husband who was also blind.

Fanny only wrote the texts of her hymns. The melodies were written by many different hymn writers of the day, including William H. Doane, Phoebe Knapp, Robert Lowry and William J. Kirkpatrick. She used many different pseudonyms for her hymns. One reason for this was because at one time, she was the only writer on staff at the Bigelow & Main Publishing Company and her bosses didn't want their competition to know they could only afford one writer!

Our program is a biography of this great hymn writer and talks about her life while weaving in many of her most popular hymns. This was a woman who allowed herself to be used by God, despite her physical handicap, to share His love with others. What an inspiration!

Some of Fanny's more popular hymns include "To God Be The Glory," "He Hideth My Soul," "Redeemed," and of course "Blessed Assurance." If you'd like to have "An Evening with Fanny Crosby" at your church or event, please contact us by visiting our website at www.gospelfestradio.com.

Summertime GospelFest 2009

2009-04-21T12:28:00.004-05:00

The 11th annual Summertime GospelFest will be here before you know it! This year, central Illinois' premier southern gospel event will be held Friday, June 26th at 7:00pm at Grace Evangelical Church in Morton, IL. Ticket information will be available soon.

The GospelFest Choir is a volunteer, community-wide choir made up of folks from all over central Illinois. If you'd like to join us in the choir, we'd love to have you! Rehearsals begin Wednesday, April 29th at 7:30pm at Grace Evangelical Church in Morton, IL. Rehearsal CD's and music will be provided...come on out and sing with us! We have a lot of fun!

Happy Easter

2009-04-13T23:20:00.004-05:00

Hope you all had a wonderful Resurrection Day yesterday! Our church had 2 services and by noon we were already tired! The girls had great fun hunting eggs (at 6:00am, before Daddy had to leave for church!)

We're now up to 8 stations airing "Shawn Degenhart's GospelFest Hour," and the first program aired this past weekend. Looking forward to getting feedback from those stations.

Rehearsals for the 11th annual "Summertime GospelFest" will begin Wednesday evening, April 29th, at 7:30 at Grace Church in Morton, IL. All are welcome to join us...please pass the word along if you know someone who'd like to sing in GospelFest this year! Concert is Friday evening, June 26th, at 7:00pm.

Finishing up taxes and now have all the paperwork filed to incorporate "GospelFest Ministries" as its own non-profit entity! Pretty excited about that. Stay tuned for more info...

Stations Added

2009-03-19T08:06:00.002-05:00

It's been an exciting week around here. After the "first-wave" of promotions for "Shawn Degenhart's GospelFest Hour," there have been 6 stations that have decided to air the show! We're so thankful. Those six stations are in Michigan, Louisiana, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi and North Carolina. For more complete information about the stations, check out the "News" section on our website, www.gospelfestradio.com. While you're there, you can also sign up for our monthly newsletter.

Dates for this year's 11th annual "Summertime GospelFest" have been announced: June 26th at Grace Evangelical Church in Morton, IL. Choir rehearsals will begin shortly after Easter. E-mail me for more information...we'd love to have you!

Have a great weekend!

Progress!

2009-02-20T08:42:00.002-06:00

We've gotten a green-light on the revised demo we sent to Westar Media Group! One minor adjustment and we'll be sending the demo to them in the next couple of days. The demo (along with an 8-minute "telescoped" demo) will be sent out to over 1,000 stations across the country! Continue to pray for "Shawn Degenhart's GospelFest Hour."

If you haven't yet signed up for our monthly newsletter, I'd encourage you to do that. Just visit the website and sign up in the little white box. Every month you'll get a newsletter keeping you up-to-date on the radio program, upcoming concerts and other news. The website is www.gospelfestradio.com.

In other news, I'm finishing up a songbook project for Daywind Artists "Brian Free & Assurance." This book will have close to 40 songs, from old favorites to songs that are featured on their brand new album, due out in March.

GospelFest Radio

2009-01-17T13:42:00.002-06:00

Lots happening with Hands of Love! Very soon we will be syndicating "Shawn Degenhart's GospelFest Hour" across the country! Westar Media Group will be shipping demos out to over 1000 radio stations across the country! To support the program, we've developed www.gospelfestradio.com as a source of information for not only the radio program, but also the many concerts, recordings, etc.

You can also check out the GospelFest group on Facebook as well as hear audio clips at www.myspace.com/shawndegenhart.

Christmastime GospelFest with Allison Durham Speer was fantastic and we were very excited to have her join us. There are some pictures up on my Facebook page.

Exciting things happening!

Christmastime GospelFest

2008-11-06T10:56:00.003-06:00

Allison Durham Speer will be joining me and the GospelFest Singers for our 4th Annual Christmastime GospelFest! The event will be Thursday, December 11th, at the Five Points Washington Caterpillar Performing Arts Center in Washington, IL. Tickets are available by calling 309.472.0027. They're $15 advance and $18 at the door, $7 students and group discounts are available.

Allison has a brand new Christmas CD, from which she'll be singing at the concert, along with songs from the GospelFest Singers' new Christmas CD, "An Old-Fashioned Christmas." This album is an EP, featuring 3 original songs from Scott Kramer and myself, as well as the southern gospel classic, "Beautiful Star of Bethlehem."

Elijah Conference

2008-10-19T11:27:00.002-05:00

We just completed the first annual Elijah Conference, hosted by Allison Durham Speer Ministries. This fantastic event served to challenge artists to better serve the kingdom of God by becoming effective communicators of the gospel. From artist/pastor relations, sharing deep spiritual truths in a concert and simply loving on people, all those in attendance--students and faculty--were challenged and sharpened through lecture, discussion and practical "lab" experiences.

Many of the students were also former students from the Stamps-Baxter School of Music, but there were several new faces. Brian & Allison Speer led a staff including Mike Allen, Wess & Susan Adams and myself along with many industry professionals who spoke on a variety of topics including pastors' perspectives on booking artists (Johnny Minick), booking dates (Kathi Mathis), Nashville Number System (Jack Clark), Marketing (Les Butler), creating a non-profit ministry (Rebecca Irwin), and producing an independent record (Aaron Minick).

What Allison teaches at the Stamps-Baxter school we were able to delve into even further with more detail and purpose--creating meaningful and impactful segues/transitions, using humor to create a comfortable concert setting, the power of scripture in your programs, how to successfully market an artist. Just a fantastic weekend!

This conference should be required for all soloists and groups wishing their ministry will have a profound effect on the kingdom of God and I can't recommend it highly enough. I am blessed to have been a small part of this fantastic event.

www.elijahconference.com.

New Dad Speer Songbook available

2008-04-17T13:15:00.005-05:00

After 3 years, my new songbook, "Heaven's Jubilee: the songs of G.T. "Dad" Speer and the Speer Family" is now available! It was released this past January and has been selling very well. Ben Speer said it was one of the fastest moving product he remembered since they recorded "Peace in the Valley." Gaither Music has also picked up this book and is carrying it in their catalogs. You can order through me by e-mailing me at degenmusic@gmail.com. They are $10 each ($12 for spiral binding).

The photos below were taken by Aaron Crisler for the Judy Nelon Group. This is Bill Gaither & Ben Speer holding and talking about the songbook at a Homecoming concert in Nashville earlier this year. Thanks for the photos Aaron!

This year's GospelFest will be June 14th at Grace Presbyterian Church in Peoria. We're excited to be joined by Reggie & Ladye Love Smith and Stephen Hill, all regulars on the Gaither Homecoming videos. This is our 10th annual GospelFest and we're very excited about it!

I returned from Nashville a couple weeks ago after attending and presenting at the "Farther Along Conference" hosted by MTSU's Center for Popular Music in Murfreesboro, TN. What a great time of discussion and learning about the varying facets of the singing convention world.

long time

2007-10-24T09:57:00.000-05:00

Long time, no blog. Quick updates:

Eliza Rose was born September 16th, 5:50pm. She was 7lb 5oz and 19in long. Clara loves being a big sister!

Summertime GospelFest was a big success...program was set up like an old-fashioned radio show.

Gospel Music of Elvis Presley...premiered on the September RiverLife cruise. We've had an encore presentation and are getting more bookings.

Christmastime GospelFest tickets are now available. We'll be at the Gateway Building in Peoria Friday, December 14th for a dinner concert and at Grace Church in Morton on Saturday, December 15th for a concert only with their choir.

Tracking in Nashville

2007-03-07T10:19:00.000-06:00

Hello! Scott Kramer and I just returned from Nashville from a 2-day session recording rhythm tracks for this year's Summertime GospelFest. We had an awesome time and made a lot of great music. All of our musicians play or have played on the Gaither homecoming videos and were wonderful to work with:

Tommy Cooper, engineer
Tracey Phillips, piano
Kevin Williams, guitar
Jimmy Carter, drums
Jerry Kroon, bass

We recorded 15 songs in 2 days. Each day had a morning and afternoon session. We also got some new Christmas songs recorded that we'll be using for Christmastime GospelFest. We'll definitely be going back to do more. It's amazing the talent God has given all of them.

Ben Speer also stopped by the studio to look over a rough copy of the Dad Speer songbook I'm publishing. He really liked the pictures that had been included and while we were down there, I received the foreword that Bill Gaither wrote for this book--very exciting! I hope to have it to the printer by the end of March, so it should be available by early May.

I'll be posting some pictures from the session, hopefully later today.

Shawn

Christmastime GospelFest

2006-11-13T17:23:00.000-06:00

Well, it's been a while!

We had a BLAST with Ben & Allison Durham Speer at the Summertime GospelFest. I got to sing a couple songs with them and they really enjoyed themselves as well. Allison also did a great job on the RiverLife cruise the next evening.

Last month, we had the first annual HarvestTime GospelFest at the Zion Oaks Tabernacle. The week prior had been nice and warm, but the day of the concert was nice and nippy--about 45 or 50 degrees outside. It was still a great concert and we had about 150 people there--all bundled up in coats and blankets. Lots of fun.

Christmastime GospelFest is in less than a month and we've sold quite a few tickets so far. We'll be doing some great southern gospel and traditional Christmas music as well. We'll even throw in a couple of "original" songs--one written by me and the other co-written with Scott Kramer.

I've almost sold out of my third printing of the "Convention Hallelujahs!" songbook and am considering printing a new book next year--either a 2nd book of convention favorites or a bok featuring the songs of Dad Speer--a work that's been in progress for a couple years now. Not sure yet which we'll do.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

GospelFest is coming

2006-08-08T12:42:00.000-05:00

Well, I had a great time in Nashville teaching at Ben Speer's Stamps-Baxter School of Music. We heard from guest artists such as Gordon Mote, the Florida Boys, Lori Apple, Stephen Hill, Reggie & Ladye Love Smith and Bill & Gloria Gaither.

I had 8 students in my theory class and we studied advanced partwriting, as well as ear training, dication, and sight-singing.

We're now just a few weeks away from GospelFest and it's going to be great. I was able to sit down with Allison a couple times at Stamps-Baxter and work through the concert order. I'm very excited about this concert.

The radio show continues to do very well...I hope you get a chance to listen: M-F 7:00pm on WBNH 88.5FM or at www.handsoflove.org. Just click on the "GospelFest Productions" link.

Have a great day!

Stamps-Baxter School of Music

2006-07-15T22:42:00.000-05:00

Well, we finally got moved and our house sold...now two and a half months later, we'll still trying to find things in boxes!

We just got back yesterday from a week-long vacation in Hayward, WI, with my family. We had a great time. Clara loved her boat-ride and even the pool.

Today, I flew to Nashville for the beginning of the Stamps-Baxter School of Music, which starts tomorrow. Eric Walker picked me up, and the airlines only lost one of my bags...wait, that's 50% of my luggage!!! Hopefully it will get here tonight or tomorrow.

Eric and I and a friend from school went to Cracker Barrel for dinner after picking me up at the airport. While we were eating, in walks all of the Gaither Vocal Band and their spouses and some of Guy Penrod's kids. Then, some of the Isaacs stopped in as well. It was the place to be.

I'll keep updating about what's going on at the school.

Only five more weeks til GospelFest!

Summertime GospelFest

2006-05-27T09:39:00.000-05:00

Happy Memorial Day! We've been very busy for the past six weeks packing up the house. We placed an offer on a home the day before Easter and it was accepted that next week. We then put our house on the market and sold it ten days later! Praise the Lord! We've been up to our ears in home inspections, contracts, repair amendments, packing, etc. We close on both of our homes on June 1st (my grandpa's 80th birthday!), and immediately take possession of our new home. Our buyer will take possession of our current home on June 3rd, so we have about a day and a half to get moved. Can't wait.

We start rehearsals for the 8th Annual Summertime GospelFest this Wednesday. It's going to be very exciting having Ben, Faye and Allison Durham Speer with us. Still getting the music together and figuring out what we'll be doing. The concert is August 25th at Grace Presbyterian Church.

The GospelFest Singers will be singing for the RiverLife Father's Day Cruise on June 18th aboard the Spirit of Peoria. The next day, Anne and I, along with Scott & Rachel, will be going on an overnight excursion on the Spirit of Peoria up to Starved Rock State Park. Should be a great couple of days.

"An Evening with Fanny Crosby" will be at Dayton Avenue Baptist in Peoria on June 11th at 6:00pm. Come on out for a great evening! We'll also be in Rock Island, IL, on June 25th at 6:00pm.

Happy Memorial Day weekend!

Shawn

Happy Easter

2006-04-13T17:58:00.000-05:00

Happy Easter! What a wonderful time of year--made even more appreciable by the beautiful weather, blooming forscythia, lilacs, daffodils, green grass, warm temps...

The Radio Time GospelFest Hour has been in full swing now for two weeks and is being received very graciously. Be sure to listen every weeknight at 7:00 on WBNH 88.5FM or on the web at www.wbnh.org. This week's programs have been all about the Cross, the Blood, and Calvary.

Hands of Love is working on a new look to their website and it's really starting to take shape. You can check out the GospelFest Productions section and find out about all of our GospelFest concerts, pictures of the singers, listening samples from our soon-to-be-released CD, songbook orders, etc. Check it out!

Clara's finally walking--she' so cute watching her toddle, fall over, get back up while laughing, etc. How exciting!

Happy Easter!
Shawn

Ministry Updates

2006-03-23T20:10:00.000-06:00

Hello all. Wanted to let you know about the start date for Radio Time GospelFest Hour. The past couple weeks have truly been a learning experience as we've been putting shows together. I certainly hope it gets quicker as I get more used to it. I've completed almost two weeks' worth of shows and hope to be three weeks ahead by the time the show starts airing on April 3rd... Yes, the Radio Time GospelFest Hour begins April 3rd and 7:00pm and will run Monday through Fridays on WBNH 88.5 FM or on the web at www.wbnh.org. We're very excited about this ministry opportunity. We're also putting together a program for our ministry events as well as a poster/flier for the GospelFest concerts.

A couple weeks ago, we presented "An Evening with Fanny Crosby" at Highview Church of God in Washington, IL, and at Grace Evangelical Church in Morton, IL. This is a great presentation on Fanny Crosby's life and many of her hymns she wrote.

With Degenhart Music, I've also been very busy with a variety of things. I'm doing the typesetting for a book that will be published by Harold Timmons later this spring. It's a compilation (the first of several volumes) honoring the Chuck Wagon Gang. Harold played for the Chucks and is now putting together songbooks featuring many of the songs they're known for. I've also been doing some typesetting for a songwriter from Chicago, IL, and am working on a songbook project for the Ruppes, a women's family trio from North Carolina.

Busy, busy, busy...

Radio-Time GospelFest Hour

2006-02-13T20:15:00.000-06:00

Hello and Happy Valentine's Day!

Hands of Love was approached by WBNH 88.5 FM (Peoria's Moody affiliate) to take over production of their hour-long southern gospel radio program "Southern Gospel Moments" which airs five times a week. We have always had a great relationship with WBNH and are thrilled with this new ministry partnership.

I will be hosting the program and it will now be called "Radio-Time GospelFest Hour." In addition to the great current southern gospel hits, we'll also be featuring many of the older pioneer groups, such as the Goodmans, Speers, Blackwoods and Statesmen, in many of their classic recordings. We also hope to do interviews with artists and other special features.

We're currently working on the pilot episode, which hopefully will air sometime in March. We're very excited about this new venture for Hands of Love and WBNH!

Happy New Year

2006-01-03T22:56:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year everybody! Exciting things are happening for Hands of Love Ministry this year. For our 8th Annual Summertime GospelFest, I'm pleased to announce that the concert will be a special tribute celebrating the Speer Family's 85th anniversary. For the occasion, we'll be featuring special guests Allison Durham-Speer, Ben Speer and Faye Speer. We're very excited about having these living legends with us to celebrate Mom & Dad Speer's legacy of the past 85 years. Ben is the music director for the Gaither Homecoming videos and has sung with the Speer Family since age 3. He also has a studio in Nashville and serves as a producer for many recording artists. Allison Durham-Speer is married to Brian Speer, son of Faye and the late Brock Speer. Her solo career has taken her all over the world and is a featured singer on the Gaither Homecoming videos. Faye Speer joined the group when she married Brock in 1948. Her sweet spirit and smooth alto voice became an integral part of the Speer Family for the better part of the past 58 years.

The date for the concert will be August 25th at Grace Presbyterian Church. Along with our special guests will be the GospelFest Singers, Choir and Band, as well as pianist Tracey Phillips from Nashville and bass singer Eric Walker from Missouri. Stay tuned for information regarding tickets.

Merry Christmas

2005-12-24T13:57:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas to all. This afternoon we'll stop by my grandparent's house to say hello, then off to Anne's parents' for the evening. We'll be joined by Anne's sister's family as well as their aunt & uncle and cousins. After returning home, we'll open our presents and look to the sky for Rudolph's nose. Tomorrow morning, after Clara opens presents from Santa Claus, we'll head to my aunt's house for Christmas with the Degenhart side of the family. Tomorrow evening we'll go to my parent's house to celebrate with my siblings and parents.

If you care to track Santa's journey, you can check out www.noradsanta.org. The North American Air Defense command in Colorado tracks Santa and posts updates on his location.

Merry Christmas!

Happy Anniversary

2005-12-22T08:51:00.000-06:00

Today is our 4 year anniversary! We had a beautiful wedding four years ago on this date. I proposed a year earlier while decorating the Christmas tree at my apartment. The ring was inside a special gold ball ornament. Our first "unofficial" date was Anne helping me decorate the tree in my apartment the year before that, so this time of year is extra special for us.

Our wedding was at Highview Church of God, my home church, in Washington, IL and we had three pastors officiating: Ed Beasley (my pastor growing up), Ben Johnston (our pastor from Grace), and Father Reese (Anne's pastor from St. Mark's). We had the River City String Quartet playing for the ceremony and I arranged the processionals and recessional. Our bridesmaids walked in to the theme from "Legends of the Fall," Anne's processional was the bridal march from "The Sound of Music" and the recessional was an arrangement of "Joy to the World" that began with the "Throne Room" fanfare from "Star Wars" and ended with a quote of "White Christmas." Her attendants were her sister Gina, her friend Holly and our friend Jenny. My attendants were Nathan, and my brothers Jason and Chad. The flower girls were Emilee, Hannah, Liesl and Tessa. Amber and Jeremy did the guest book and Isaac helped pass out bells.
Pastor Beasley performed the majority of the ceremony with Ben leading the unity candle portion and Father Reese providing a special blessing at the end of the ceremony.

The reception was at Wildlife Prairie Park and was beautiful. We decorated it how we wanted right after Thanksgiving and they used our decorations for the whole season. Anne had just finished student teaching at Richwoods HS, so their madrigal singers came and sang for us, as well as presented the bridal party. We had a small jazz combo playing dinner music (piano, bass, drums, and sax) and the whole evening was enchanting.

The day after Christmas we left for our honeymoon in Asheville, NC. A beautiful place to stay!

Happy Anniversary, honey! I love you!

Season Wrap-up

2005-12-19T08:13:00.000-06:00

Well, our busy Christmastime ended yesterday afternoon and now we can REST! After Anne's Christmas concert this past Wednesday, I had a rehearsal and two performances of the musical/oratorio "Saviour" at the First United Methodist Church in Normal, IL. My friend, Janna Peterson, is the choir director there and called me to play when her pianist was unable to continue. We performed the piece (with orchestra and choir) Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning during their worship services.

Friday evening we attended Tremont High School's madrigal dinner. My best friend, Nathan Edwards, is the choir director there and he and the students did a fantastic job! Highlight of the evening for me was the skit "Noah and Joan of Ark," which I performed in when I was in high school 14 years ago--I still remembered most of the lines!

After "Saviour" yesterday morning, Anne and I took Clara to see Santa and one of his reindeer at the Festival of Lights Marketplace. Clara didn't cry and we had our picture taken. Last night Anne and I celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary with family at my parent's house. Anne's done teaching tomorrow morning, so we're looking forward to some much-needed rest and relaxation!

School Christmas Concert

2005-12-15T08:41:00.000-06:00

My wife, Anne, teaches K-8 music at St. Philomena School in Peoria. It's part-time (3 mornings a week) and she sees each class only once during that week.

Last night was her Christmas program and it was fantastic. The gym was filled and overflowing with parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts and uncles, cousins, friends, etc., and everybody loved it! Some of the little kids had costumes (elf hats and reindeer hats) and some had props (little drums and flutes) and all were adorable. In addition to the singing, the 8th grade played choir chimes and she had a group of carolers singing between some of the songs for transition. The beginning band also played transition music and did a great job. The pastor at St. Phil's, Father Greg, said this was the best Christmas concert he'd attended in his 12 years of pastoring! (now would be a good time to ask for a raise!!!)

Because it was in the gym this year, rather than the church, Anne did a lot of decorating to help liven the place up: four Christmas trees, lighted garland hung on the wall to frame the risers, and even a fake fireplace and rocking chair on stage for a Christmas scene during the intermission.

All the kids did a great job with all of their songs!!!

Hands of Love Ministry information

2005-12-12T11:37:00.000-06:00

Hands of Love Ministry was created five years ago by Scott & Rachel Kramer as the umbrella ministry for their RiverLife gospel music dinner cruises aboard the Spirit of Peoria riverboat. Out of those concert cruises developed Hands of Love Ministry. This ministry provides a variety of music and audio production services throughout central Illinois.

RIVERLIFE: we host monthly gospel music cruises aboard the Spirit of Peoria riverboat. These cruises feature an all-you-can-eat prime rib and chick buffet (food is fantastic!) and a concert featuring a variety of musical styles, including southern gospel, black gospel, inspirational and others. Regular performers include the Ed Brothers Quartet from the Chattanooga area, the ministry's own GospelFest Singers, the Gates Family from Bloomington, IL, and next year we'll also be hosting Gaither Homecoming singer Allison Durham Speer.
GOSPELFEST concert series: a good old-fashioned night of southern gospel singing featuring the GospelFest choir (singers from churches throughout central Illinois), GospelFest Singers (our core group of soloists), and the GospelFest band (headlined by Gaither homecoming pianist Tracey Phillips from Nashville, TN). The evening features great southern gospel convention music including quartets, trios and soloists. In the past we've had guests like Buddy Greene (writer of "Mary Did You Know?") This next year, our 8th year, we'll be having Allison Durham Speer with us for the evening. We also have a presentation entitled "An Evening with Fanny Crosby" that we take to churches throughout the area. This evening shares the life the story of Fanny Crosby through many of her best-known hymns, including "To God be the Glory" and "Blessed Assurance."
WEST & KRAMER: Scott & his wife, Rachel, minister throughout the midwest sharing music and testimony through a variety of styles. Rachel recently sang in Minnesota for a Minneapolis suburb's annual prayer breakfast.
AUDIO PRODUCTION: Through Scott Kramer's Electric Station Studios, Hands of Love is able to provide audio services to a variety of churches and ministries in the area. Mixing and Mastering for local radio and TV broadcasts, producing music beds for videos and special projects, and original track production are some of the services offered through this branch of the ministry.

Check out our website for a calendar of events: www.handsoflove.org

Hands of Love Ministry is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization. Our ministry is funded by the support and prayers of believers like you. If you would like more information on Hands of Love or would like to become a financial partner with us in this ministry, please contact us through the Hands of Love website.

Degenhart Music services

2005-12-12T11:21:00.000-06:00

Degenhart Music offers a variety of musical services. Hopefully we can be of service to you!

TYPESETTING--giving your music that professional look. Any style or genre, including full score, piano-vocal, instrument parts, lead sheets, choral scores, hymns. I've been working with the Finale music notation program for 12 years.
ORCHESTRATION--writing out parts for any combination of instruments for your song from full orchestra to small jazz band. Experience includes arranging and orchestrating for a nationall televised church Christmas production, "A Grace Family Christmas" as well as work for the Cross Music Group publishing company from the Chattanooga area.
ARRANGING--adding those special touches to your song, writing out choral or instrument parts, adding introductions, bridges, endings
CONDUCTING--special events and festivals
ACCOMPANYING--accomplished pianist and accompanist (there is a difference!)
MUSICAL THEATRE--involvement with over 40 musicals over the past 10 years as either musical director, conductor, rehearsal accompanist and arranger, including several national and world premiers
CONCERT PRODUCTION/CONSULTATION--I can help you put together your church's Christmas or other concerts from helping with music selection, multi-media usage and administrative/logistics planning.
SPECIAL EVENTS--weddings, receptions, banquets, funerals

Call or e-mail for rates and to see what we can do for you!

Merry Christmas

2005-12-11T20:06:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas!

My name is Shawn Degenhart and I'm part of the Hands of Love Ministry in central Illinois. I've been married to my wife Anne for almost four years and we have a beautiful 14 month old girl, Claralyn Kay. In addition to Hands of Love, I'm also the owner of Degenhart Music, a business that offers a variety of musical services including arranging, orchestrating, typesetting, accompanying, playing for weddings/receptions, etc. I also teach music theory and sight-singing at Ben Speer's Stamps-Baxter School of Music every summer at Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville, TN.

Hands of Love Ministry hosts the RiverLife gospel music dinner cruises aboard the Spirit of Peoria riverboat as well as hosting the GospelFest concerts. We held our 7th Annual Summertime GospelFest on August 13th at Grace Presbyterian Church and most recently, the first annual Christmastime GospelFest at the Gateway Building in downtown Peoria.

My title at the ministry is Director of Programming & Development. I not only plan and direct concerts, but also handle some of the administrative duties of the ministry.This blog will help keep you updated as to what's going on with the Degenharts, Hands of Love, and Degenhart Music!

Busy Christmas time

2005-12-11T18:14:00.000-06:00

Well, it's been a whirlwind month. Last week we wrapped up Grace Presbyterian Church's "A Grace Family Christmas." I served as a producer of sorts, helping to plan out the concert and coordinating details, and also was the rehearsal accompanist. This concert is attended by over 4,000 people each year, including local politicians and our U.S. Representative.

This past weekend we held our ministry's first annual "Christmastime GospelFest." An off-shoot of the Summertime GospelFest series, this dinner-concert was held at the Gateway Building on Peoria's beautiful riverfront. The GospelFest singers provided the music for the concert portion, featuring a lot of great southern gospel Christmas music. A good time was had by all.

This next week I'll be accompanying the Christmas concert where my wife teaches K-8 music and this weekend will be playing piano/synth for the oratorio "Saviour" for a church in Normal, IL.

Once all this is done, we plan on enjoying the rest of the season: visiting local Christmas sights and events and just RELAXING!

Already starting to plan events for next year!