With God’s power working in us, God can do much, much more than anything we can ask or imagine. …Ephesians 3:20 (New Century Version)
I went to hear the Patriot Quartet sing at the Faith Baptist Church in Frankfort, Kentucky last night. That’s why this post is a little later than usual. It’s been a while since I’ve been able to go with the guys to a singing (what we generally call a Gospel concert.) The Patriots did a great job as usual. I’ll try to load a video of a clip of one of their songs, but if I can’t get it to load, I’ll include a clip to a YouTube type file. I’m new at this video into a YouTube. So, it might not work.
I could not possibly come up with how many singings I may have been to with Darrell in various Gospel quartets over the years. He said that he had several people ask him last night how long he’d been in quartets. That is approaching fifty years. He started out with the Mel-o-Tones singing bass. He still sings bass as you’ll hear if you can tune into the video. I was expecting our third child when he started and one of the other wives was also expecting. We had a great time traveling around with them and taking our babies and kids along. Some of the singings were a little long back in those early days when they had afternoon singings at churchs where three or four groups had their time on stage. Those afternoon events faded away through the years as more and more churches stopped having all day homecoming meetings. Now if the guys are invited to sing at a church homecoming, it’s usually in the morning service hour.
The guys are ready to sing anytime. Last night, we were smiling about how they even sang a few times in restaurants for the waitresses when they stopped to eat after a concert. They also like to talk about the times they traveled a long way to sing when the crowd was sparse, maybe only a handful of people there, but they gave those few the concert they had come to hear.
After the Mel-o-Tones, Darrell sang with various groups, Journeymen, New Journey, Salt River Quartet, and now The Patriot Quartet for maybe twenty years. Some of those quartet names have been used by other groups as well and I might have forgotten a group he was with. The songs and years all mix together, but I’ve enjoyed being along for the ride with all of them when I could do so. Various singers came and went. Darrell even took a few years off a time or two, but he was always ready to get back into spreading the Gospel through song.
Sometimes we might have wondered how we could make it work, but we always did. The Lord opens doors and helps you find ways when you are walking the path He lays out for you. That’s why I wanted to share this particular song “I Know My God Can Do It” written in 1985 by Jeff Gibson, a singer in the Heaven Bound Gospel Group at that time. The song has a great message that we can all take to heart. The Lord has “done it” for Darrell and for me many times over the years. There’s another familiar Gospel song that says “It is no secret what God can do. What He’s done for others, He’ll do for you.”
Do you enjoy Gospel music? Ever been to an old time Gospel singing?
If you want to hear the guys singing a little of this song, click on the link.
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You’ve already received a lot of wonderful comments on this post, but I still want to add my little bit too. I LOVE GOSPEL MUSIC — and especially the harmonies of a quartet! I remember singing “It Is No Secret” when I was a teen, growing up in California. The first live Gospel concert I ever attended was The Cathedrals on their Farewell Tour in Sacramento, CA. That was not long before my husband and I moved to Kentucky in 2010. Then, we attended our first “singing”. We still enjoy the Bill Gaither Homecoming Concerts on TV. If the Patriots are ever in the Sparksville, KY area, we’d sure love to have them sing at our church!
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They would love to come your way, Roberta. If you think your church would be interested in having them come for a concert, I could private message you Darrell’s phone number to see if they could arrange something. If not, that’s okay too.
I always liked the Cathedral Quartet the best, but I’ve liked many of the singers on the Gaither Homecoming shows too. The song “It is No Secret” is an older song but beautiful words and sounds.
Always enjoy your comments no matter how many others I might get.
My Dad was a bass singer in the church choir, but I’ve never been to any old time Gospel singing.
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But I’m guessing you got to hear him singing in the choir a lot, Connie. Darrell would probably like going to a church that has a choir. Our little church doesn’t have enough people for a choir. I guess our whole congregation is the choir. 🙂
I love Gospel singing. I used to go to a lot of gospel concerts growing up. The Goodmans, Nelons, Blackwood Brothers, etc
I was raised on Gospel music and never get tired of hearing it. My parents sang in revivals all around back in the 50’s & 60’s. We, also, had music on Friday nights at our house. What wonderful memories! My husband & I still go to Gospel Concerts every chance we get to hear the precious gospel through the harmonious sounds of gospel music. I don’t know if the Patriots Quartet will ever make it all the way over to the southwest corner of Missouri but if they do, we will for sure want to go hear them. Thanks for sharing! 😊🎶❤️🙏
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They would love to be able to travel more, Connie, but a couple of them still have day jobs. So, it’s not easy to take to the road. Sounds as if it’s good you never got tired of hearing Gospel music since your parents were busy singing here and there and then you had a great time at your house each Friday.
Hope you hear some good groups this summer.
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Those are some great groups, Lucy. My favorite when I went to the National Quartet Convention with Darrell was always the Cathedrals. Always loved to hear them, but there are so many great Gospel singers now.
I love gospel quartets. Thanks for sharing. Years ago we used to go to Memorial Auditorium on Louisville to hear many of the quartets.
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I loved when the National Quartet Convention was at Freedom Hall in Louisville, Shirley. So fun to see all the different quartets and to meet the people who love Gospel music. They have the NQC in Tennessee now. We haven’t gone since they moved it. They also have many other singers and not just quartets now which makes my quartet loving husband unhappy. 🙂
Oh, how wonderful to reminisce about great gospel singing. I remember listening in church and events, when I was much younger. Thank you for sharing the link. Their harmony and strength of song, so reflects the love of our God! Thank you.
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Glad you enjoyed the guys singing, Carrie. They do all have love of the Lord in their hearts and that always shows when people are singing. So good to go back down some good memory roads about church times.
Love hearing gospel quartets sing. My Mom sang with a group and lead the singing at Soule Chapel in Campbellsville. I remember her singing the song you quoted, It Is No Secret. And we are good friends with Gary and Lula Polston of The Noblemen. Lula is from Taylor County and so is Tracy Bertram. His dad was our pastor many years ago.
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You sound like you have roots in Southern Gospel, Janice. The Patriots have been good friends with the Noblemen for years. In fact, the man who started the Patriot Quartet, Joe White, once sang with them.
That song “It is No Secret” is a great song. I’m sure you heard the echo of your mother’s voice when you read the words.
This post made me smile. I have so many memories of singings (we pronounced it “sangings”) in my childhood. Not only do I remember those all-day Homecomings with dinner on the ground, there were singings at the fairground racetrack, high school gyms, and night services in little country churches that weren’t big enough to hold the crowd. The doors and windows were opened so the people standing outside could hear. So many of the people in those memories are gone now, but I’m sure they’re singing in Heaven.
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Sangings. I like that, Tammy. I’m sure plenty around here pronounced it that way too. Gospel singings were extra numerous in the summer but there were those others you talk about too. Sometimes the Patriots have sung outside under the trees or on a wagon bed. Had to worry about the weather at those times. But, the same as you, I have memories of many who have gone on to the big singings in heaven.
Love Southern gospel. Go to church with 3 members of the Gage Boys. They recently did a gospel concert after a church fish fry to raise money for 2 families who have children with cancer. $16,000 raised. Like the Liberty Boys too. Mb u have heard these 2 quarters at a gospel singing convention. If the Patriots ever come to west KY let me kno. I also know the bass singer in Glad Heart.
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I don’t recognize those quartet names, Peggy, but my husband might. And wow that was a vry successful benefit for those families that needed help.
The Patriots would love to go to Western Kentucky. Maybe a church in that area will get in touch someday.
When I was little and we lived in Indiana my daddy was in a gospel quartet. It was called The Melody Boys . I barely remember it but I do remember one time that we were outside and the other guys had come to pick Daddy up and they were going to sing in Ohio.
After he left the group , when we moved to Kentucky ,Daddy still sang in church and was the song leader for a while . I can still hear certain songs and it reminds me so much of Daddy .
I have been to many Church Homecomings and singing, as you said, it used to be church service in the morning and singing in the afternoon after a huge meal .Back then a few farmers would bring their farm wagons and they would be loaded down with food. Everybody ate and fellowshipped then after a while we were back in the church for the singing.
I have also been to a few services that were called Singing where we just gathered at church to hear different groups sing.
Now a days one Wednesday night a month we meet at our church and have singing practice , our song leader chooses songs that we have never sang or that it’s been a while and we see what we can do with them…lol
Last week after we “tried ” to sing a song and one of our deacons said,” I’m not sure y’all are ready to sing that one in church. “He was right .
I enjoyed the clip you posted. I’ll have to look the Patriot Quartet up on YouTube.
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Thanks for sharing your Gospel music memories. I remember a group called the Melody Boys. Fun to know that your father was a Gospel singer. When Darrell started singing with that first quartet back when, that was how all the singings were – with the morning service preaching and then dinner on the grounds and then an afternoon singing with several different groups. Our church used to have the wagons up in the yard to the food too. Now with have this air-conditioned fellowship hall, but there was something about those days of shooing away the flies and trying to get the jello salads eaten before they melted that made the days memorable. I always loved when some hard working church woman would go to the trouble of making an angel food cake from scratch. Yum.
Thanks for sharing . I love Gospel Music 🎶. Uplifting and toe tapping 😊
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Toe tapping, hand clapping, sing along. All those work, Darlene. Glad you enjoyed the song.
I do enjoy Gospel music and have attended several Gospel singings. It is always a wonderful time and good for the heart and soul! I enjoyed listening to the Patriot
Quartet. Thanks so much for sharing!
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So glad you enjoyed the guys singing, Pamela. Those old time Gospel songs sund with spirit do sort of rev up your spirits.
My Mom’s brother in law is in a gospel group. They are The Happy Travelers from Bethelridge, Kentucky. When she was still living she and I went all over the place to hear them sing. She loved them and that was some of her (and mine) happiest times. I’m so thankful that I have those precious memories with Mom.
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I think I’ve heard that name, Linda. I used to take Darrell’s mother to many of their singings and it was a fun time for both of us. Glad you have those wonderful memories of times with your mother.