Our host for the Wednesday night Main Stage event at NQC was none other than the Grammy Award winning Jason Crabb, and his co-hosts were the Sisters!  I found myself scrambling into Freedom Hall when the Browns were on stage performing a violin instrumental …which was very powerful from what I heard walking down the hall!  Anyway, I slid into my seat just in time to see Tribute Quartet.

Tribute Quartet

Tribute Quartet warmed up the crowd with He Is Leading the Way, and warm ‘em up they did!  The energy present on stage was very evident by their expressions, and it really came out on the encore.  Performed back to back, It Makes Me Wanna Go followed.  Next was Josh’s solo, Sweeter As The Days Go By.  When they began singing it, Josh would laugh in the middle of a line, and if you know Josh’s laugh, you know what I’m talking about!  (…and why it is so funny!)  Gary asked, “How many are ready for some joy in their life?”  Josh slipped down to the piano and the up-beat Bring On The Joy met our ears.  At the end of the song, Josh came back up to the stage to finish.  “Bring on the joy, what an honor for Tribute Quartet to be back at the National Quartet Convention.  Aren’t you thankful that the Lord brings good gospel music to Louisville?” Gary went on to say that he has had the privilege to listen to a lot of great songs over the years, but a song came across his desk not too long ago, that he thinks is the greatest song that’s ever been penned.  He directed everyone’s attention to where the writers of this song were sitting in the front, Melissa and Jim Brady, and said how honored he was to have Melissa here with them tonight.  When Riley began singing Homecoming Day, chills just ran up and down my spine!  What a song!  It brought the audience to their feet!  They encored it, and Melissa and Jim came up on stage and sang along with Tribute.   All the guys had tears in their eyes and so did Melissa!  That was a very special NQC moment!

Greater Vision

After Tribute, I skipped out of Freedom Hall and visited with some artists!  Yes, Tribute was among them!  Before I knew it, the time rolled around for me to be back in Main Stage.  When I walked in, Greater Vision was already singing, and Gerald mentioned that they were going to feature songs that Rodney and Chris wrote.  I Will Trust You For Tomorrow, Because You Were Faithful Yesterday were the songs they performed when I walked in.  When that song ended, Gerald walked over to the piano and said, “Stan, I’m going to ask you to do something that I’ve never asked, and that is, stand up!”  Gerald continued, “Everybody has something in their life that they would like to get a second chance on…and Satan uses our memories against us.”  He went onto say that so many times we let Satan use our past to keep us from living our fullest for Christ in the future.  But under the Blood of Christ, not only are we qualified, but we are joint heirs with Christ!  The next song that Chris sang spoke about that very thing.  The song was Like I Wish I Lived, and they sang it with the piano only.  “Did you get it,” Gerald asked.  “The melody gets stuck up in your head, but the lyrics gets stuck in your heart.”  He continued to encourage everyone not to live in the regret of the past, but to live victoriously in Christ.  “For some of you, who are just now walking through a storm, be encouraged, you are not alone,” said Gerald, and then began singing Till the Storm Passes By.  “For some, that’s a financial storm, for some, it’s a marital one, but we serve a living God!” added Gerald before the second verse.  Nothing but a standing ovation would suffice!  At the end Gerald exclaimed, “He’ll do it!  He’ll do it!”

Kings Herald

The King’s Herald stood off on the floor and entertained us with some accapella singing, Don’t Let Nobody Turn You Down while the next artist made their way to the stage.  “Yes!  Wasn’t that good!  Hey, we have a very, very, very special treat for you!”  said Jason Crabb, our host.

Greater Vision and the Sisters

“This song is over 250 years old, a Larry Goss arrangement,” Jason  announced, “Make welcome Greater Vision and the Sisters singing All Creatures of Our God and King!”  These two groups came up and did this arrangement which also incorporated O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing.  Having a trio of men and another trio of women together brought a harmony that just couldn’t be beat, they did a great job!  (Another standing ovation!)

Jason Crabb

Before the next artist came up on stage, Jason sang the classic Who Am I, while Wayne Haun accompanied him on the piano.

Gold City

“Aw c’mon now, it’s not that late!” encouraged Danny Riley as I walked back into Freedom Hall.  Gold City was already on stage singing Cast Your Bread Upon The Water while I slid into my seat, then Get Up And Get Ready was next.  Just after a few lines, the audience sitting down on the floor stood, and by the end, the whole place was on their feet.  As they held the final note, the spotlights began dancing like a rock concert!  LOL.  With the great response, they encored it.

“I just wanted to introduce some guys that not only are great singers, but look good too!” Danny said, introducing Triumphant Quartet.

Triumphant Quartet

Triumphant Quartet began their set with a song of theirs that’s nominated for Song Of The Year (Singing News Fan Awards) Love Came Calling.  From the smooth, meditative feel of that song, they went right into a fast quartet song that’s bound to wake any out of the sleeping!  That number was Saved By Grace, featuring Scott Inman, baritone singer of the quartet.  “Anybody in the house tonight been saved by grace?” asked Eric…and how did the audience respond? A STANDING OVATION!!! “Well,” Eric began…he didn’t even get to say it before the audience began shouting and screaming and waving their little white flags around.  Eric never got his intro in, Jeff hit some sour notes on the piano on purpose and the track began.  Clayton began singing White Flag and the auditorium was nothing but a mass of white waves!  Of course, Clayton was dancing the whole way through it!  It was great!  Their last song was a very fast song that got the audience on their feet from the get go called Almost Home.  With everyone clapping and standing what else could they do but encore it?  And so they did!  “You enjoyed the guys?” asked Eric, “One more time?”  Then, they encored it again!  What a lot of fun!!!!  You could tell the audience really appreciated Triumphant gauged by their response, which was the best of the evening …