Over twenty former members of AVB vibrated Alumni Auditorium with song and dance on Lipscomb's Campus yesterday in an incredible three and one half hour concert (with no breaks!) Tim Corder did an amazing job of running sound for this multiple combination of groups as Corey Callis ran the lights, with assistance from several outstanding technical support team members. Tim thought it was hilarious that Rodney and I "opened" for AVB, as AVB originated as an "opening group" for Acappella.
Rehearsals
Half the fun was hearing all the different combinations rehearse and prepare their set.
Catching up, reminiscing and fellowshipping was a tremendous blessing!
Their voices are still in top shape.
Their energetic stage presence captivated the audience.
I enjoyed a front row seat so I could capture these great angles.
George Pendergrass always told me that in order to sing really, really well, sometimes your face will show the effort. Check out Bret's passion.
Check out this mid-air shot of the "Celebrate and Party" AVB.
Everyone at the concert felt as if we were "stepping on a cloud" as well. Wes Mckinzie did a wonderful job of organizing this reunion concert. Maybe in a couple of years we'll encourage AVB to sing for a "25th Anniversary"? Everyone was so blessed by this extremely rare treat, as the three and a half hours went by very quickly. If something like this happens again, we hope you'll make plans to join us.
Lipscomb was a gracious host for this event. We'll be adding many more pictures, so keep checking for updates at the AVB Reunion Gallery.
ACAFEST photos are starting to come in. Here are some shots taken by Randy Glover at the 8:30 A.M. class.
Check out the ACAFEST gallery here (we'll be updating it.) We also have some great shots taken of the Praise & Harmony recording by my friend, Mary Lewis.
I grabbed a few portraits of some of the wonderful people who sang on the upcoming Praise & Harmony CD. I believe that happy people make happy recordings! I believe that hearers can tell so much more about the singers by listening to the finished product and can actually "hear it in their voice."
Check out some of the other folks in my Portrait Gallery here.
These past couple of days, singers from around the nation descended upon Music City to record our next Praise & Harmony CD. There is nothing like the sound of this many voices and hearts joined together in beautiful harmony and praise! I'll post pictures soon.
In addition to the AVB reunion concert, we'll be hearing from so many other Christian artists throughout the week. Hosting the Thursday artist showcase (2:00 PM in Alumni Auditorium) will be none other than the very talented and energetic Paul Williams.
Also included in our eclectic line up will be Psalom from Russia.
Look at the right side of my blog and you'll see a count down notice, "___" days until ACAFEST. It has been counting down for the past year. It now says, "1 Day Until ACAFEST." Below that, you'll find a playlist of favorite Acappella songs, including many from the brand new album, Find Your Way.
Pray for all those who are traveling from far and wide to join us during this week, celebrating the human voice, the power of song and the One who created us. Eclectic styles will be represented in special concerts. The AVB reunion benefit concert will be the icing on the cake. If you can't be here this year, we hope you'll make plans to be in NashVegas next year for the family-friendly, Summer Celebration / ACAFEST.
We are putting the finishing touches on ACAFEST 2009. People will be traveling long distances to join us for a time of singing and celebration. The time has come.
We were blessed to visit this park with our friends, the Sachs.
Derek & Laura; Aeryn & Christian
We enjoyed the violet lantern tour, lasting about three hours.
As we approached the cave entrance on a very hot day (approaching 100 degrees), I was astounded to feel the powerful air current (around 54 degrees) emanating from the cave like a giant air conditioner.
How large is the Mammoth cave network? Although efforts have succeeded in mapping 367 miles of caves, they realize there are so many more undiscovered passages. Mammoth is indeed an appropriate name.
There are many different tours to choose from. The violet lantern tour included a visit to a hospital that had been located in the cave many years ago to treat tuberculosis patients. At that time, they hoped that a cool, damp environment would cure the disease; before later discovering the opposite - - a dry and hot area is a more effective treatment. We also saw early markings of native American tribes of centuries ago.
One of the most interesting aspects of the tour was a cavern where a Methodist church used to meet for services to enjoy the great acoustics. When traveling through central Kentucky, consider touring this wondrous park.
The Acappella Company is looking to hire a full-time Office Assistant to handle tasks including answering the phones, shipping, etc. If you know someone in the Nashville area interested in applying, please contact Brent Vaughan.
As I continue posting reports of our May Mediterranean cruise, our itinerary finds us sailing from Ephesus to Athens, Greece. Our tour guide, a native of Greece, spoke eloquent English, much better than I ("reckon' that ain't too hard?")
I really enjoyed seeing the Parthenon, especially since Nashville, Tennessee has a full-scale replica. Remember I posted some photos of Nashville's Parthenon a while back? (Nashville has long been referred to as "The Athens of the South.")
As with many of the tours on this trip, it included an obligatory visit to a souvenir / gift shop.
We didn't get to see everything during our half-day trip, but our tour did include a quick visit to this fancy hotel. I have seen several hotels, like this one, where the tour guide told of celebrities, like John F. Kennedy staying there.
The remains of the temple of Zeus showcased the grandest of the Grecian temples.
I would certainly enjoy returning to this city which holds countless, ancient secrets.
Those of you who have followed my blog will probably remember me telling you about my friend, Randy Lamp, and his blazing car, "The Atom." Jay Leno is among the owners of this hyper-fast, yet street-legal car.
Ashley Randy Dakota Scott
I was thrilled when Randy invited me to join his son, Scott, and son-in-law, Ashley Tucker, to attend a two day performance driving school in Hallett, Oklahoma. The experience was one I never imagined I'd get to enjoy.
When we arrived at the school, we found our "Spec" cars customized, donning our names on the side.
A lot of red and gray :)
Upon arriving the first day, we attended class with an instructor, complete with multi-media presentations. The training materials were very well designed. Our first driving session involved becoming familiar with the car, changing gears, stopping quickly and turning up hill (experiencing the first of many spins.)
We were strapped in like astronauts inside the cockpit of these racers. After each session, we'd receive a print-out of our times around the track, giving us a goal to eclipse. Ashley improved his time the most during our two-day session, while Scott "cleaned our clocks" with the absolute best times.
On the second day, the instructor pushed us to push our own limits, informing us that we had not begun to reach the potential of the cars -- especially on curves and turns. Following our instructor's orders, we proceeded to push the limits. That's when I spun the car on and off the track many different times (at curves and turns.) One time, I spun all the way into the tire wall (and I'm glad we didn't capture any photos of that.)
This was the first time I saw Randy's new car, complete with McDonald's logos.
I have found that whatever Randy sets his mind to do, he does it with uncompromising excellence. It was fascinating to see his brand new car (looking like a rocket) in action, zipping around the track. Thanks, Randy for this unforgettable experience!
Although I didn't set any speed records (maybe the most spins in one lap?), I developed a whole new appreciation for what it takes to be a competitive driver. The team at the Hallett Track was extremely friendly and helpful. While driving the track, you can think of nothing but the task at hand. Very exhilerating! And at those speeds, it's a rush. Again, the word I use to describe these two days is simply "amazing."
I have never been to Jerusalem or the area referred to as the "holy lands," but I was thrilled to visit the biblical city of Ephesus. I could not help but snap quite a number of photos at every turn.
The smaller amphi-theater was used for musical events.
I was fascinated by the sewer system Ephesus utilized.
We took a stroll through history.
It was a very unique experience to walk these historic streets.
There is so much of this ancient city that is still available for us to see.
It was very crowded the day we visited, so I tried to take most of the photos without tourists in the picture.
Check out this intricate flooring work.
This is one of my longest posts, as there was so much to photograph and absorb during the visit.
This was the location of the public restrooms.
You could almost hear the sounds of many centuries ago while viewing the ruins of Ephesus.
If you've made it this far in the post, perhaps you are also fascinated with this city.
My favorite place was the giant theater that brought back stories of a riot involving the Apostle Paul.
My lens was not wide enough to catch the capacity of this amazing arena. The acoustics were special in order to accommodate the largest crowds. This trip whetted my appetite to see more of the Bible lands.
One of the highlights of our recent vacation was the historic city of Istanbul, Turkey.
I was intrigued by the traffic sign indicating all types of travel.
Although a short distance, traffic congested the commute from the European side to the Asian side of this city, slowing us to a crawl.
Once a church, the Hagia Sofia is now a museum with breathtaking views.
Our tour included an obligatory visit to a carpet center, where one could not help but be impressed with the high quality of the carpets; most requiring months to weave. We were shown one carpet that boasted a retail price of $40,000.
As they made their sales pitch for these beautiful, colorful carpets, I broke my 33-month fast from coffee to sample some of their atomic, high grade java. As my Dad used to say, "That'll put hair on your chest." It looked more like 10 W-40.
One of our favorite stops was the Grand Bazaar, witnessing the crowded market place and countless vendors.
There were numerous tourists here and we felt safe; except, Sharon noticed a number of people staring at my camera -- which is much more than a simple "point and shoot" model. I was more concerned about pick-pockets in Naples, Rome and Athens.
Colorful wares of all kinds . . .
I don't remember seeing a harbor as busy as this one. There were so many vessels coming and going, I would guess these boats needed some kind of traffic lights to avoid collisions.
As I expected, this visit was both magical and fascinating. I'm so glad that Istanbul was on our itinerary.
We are excited to announce our partnership with Oklahoma Christian, which will move the singing group, Acappella, to based in Edmond, Oklahoma. Check out the press release:
Oklahoma Christian University (OC) has reached an agreement with the
Acappella Company that will move members of the popular Christian vocal
group Acappella to the OC campus this fall. The company’s headquarters
will remain in Goodlettsville, Tenn.
Dr. Mike O’Neal, president of OC, said the goal of the partnership
is to promote the beauty and spiritual merit of a cappella music. The
agreement with Acappella provides significant benefits to both
parties.
“Many of the talented young people who have been a part of Acappella
over the years have had to put their college education on hold because
of the group’s busy schedule and extensive travel,” he said. “We are
providing scholarships to the members of the group. Though Acappella
will remain independent of the university, their presence on our campus
will result in much goodwill toward Oklahoma Christian as they minister
throughout the world.”
Keith Lancaster, founder of Acappella and CEO of the Acappella
Company, said, “Never before has the need to celebrate and strengthen
the wonderful heritage of a cappella singing been greater. Along with
the international concert ministry, Acappella will be mobilizing to
lead worship for youth events as well as training and developing a
cappella worship leaders. We are energized by Dr. O’Neal’s vision and
foresight as he leads Oklahoma Christian to be an ever greater source
of strength to equip the local church. Acappella Ministries is honored
to be included in this mission.”
Lancaster — songwriter, producer and original lead singer — started
Acappella in 1982 with a mission to communicate Gospel truths through
music. Believing in the awesome versatility and flexibility of the
human voice, Acappella can fill a large concert hall with beautiful,
intricate music without instrumental accompaniment.
Acappella’s fan base steadily grew through the 1980s as the group
experienced many lineup changes and constantly experimented with fresh
new sounds. The landmark album, Sweet Fellowship (1988), ushered in one
of the most significant developments in the group’s membership and
style. Lancaster stepped out of the group as lead singer to focus on
the role of producer and manager. The group continued to change after
that, developing a unique sound that has been mimicked by countless
groups around the world.
Signed to Word Records in 1990 (and later to Epic Records),
Acappella’s popularity soared with releases such as Rescue, We Have
Seen His Glory and Set Me Free. Media exposure included many television
appearances, while the song “More Precious Than Gold” became the
centerpiece of a Sony Camcorder television commercial. Acappella’s new
album, Find Your Way, is a mix of strong harmony and sound biblical
lyrics. Featuring Acappella’s trademark strong bass and soaring tenor,
Find your Way marks a triumphant return for the quintet since their
last release of three years ago, Radiance.
Five talented young men — Allen Brantley, Robin Brannon, Zac George,
Anthony Lancaster and Zach Wilson — continue Acappella’s work today in
concerts all over the world. When Acappella relocates to Oklahoma City
in August, Brantley will hand the bass singer baton to Wes McKinzie,
who previously toured for seven years with another Acappella Company
group, AVB. McKinzie, who is OC’s associate director of marketing
services, will join Acappella while retaining his current position at
Oklahoma Christian.
This official partnership builds on a long history between Oklahoma
Christian and Acappella. Thirteen former or current OC students have
served with the Acappella Company through the years: Brantley, Rodney
Britt, Luke Coles, Will Coleson, Zac George, Michael Forehand, Steve
Maxwell, McKinzie, Robert Orr, Max Plaster, Chet Sweet, Denise Sweet
and Bret Testerman.
For additional information concerning Acappella, log on to
www.acappella.org. For more information about Oklahoma Christian, log
on to www.oc.edu.
Remember what song these lyrics came from? "Mountains come out of the sky and they stand there. . . " I think of these words when I see this photo I took last year.
To me, this photo is almost like an optical illusion. This lake, created from a nearby New Zealand glacier, looks like the sky, yet there are mountains above it!
Howard Hughes built a gigantic
airplane, the Spruce Goose, so called because to conserve metal in wartime
the craft was made chiefly of spruce wood. True or False?
I was struck by the contrasting diversity of each port and country we visited. After leaving Italy, the distinct style of this Greek Island was apparent from our first look.
All the buildings are painted white; many with colorful trim.
As the cruise ship passengers descended upon this island, I’m sure the population multiplied. Shopping opportunities abounded.
Now I understand all the talk about the beauty of the Greek Isles.
