Dixon Pentecostal Research Center
  • Home
  • About
    • About the DPRC
    • Staff
    • Guidelines for Use
    • Reference Services
    • Photo Publication Policies
    • Format for Citing the Research Center
    • Azusa Lecture and Spirit of Azusa Award
  • Archives Catalog
  • Library Catalog
  • Other Resources
    • Digital Collections
    • Ministry Toolbox
    • Research Toolbox
    • DPRC Staff Toolbox
  • Contact
  • Donations
    • Church of God Evangels Needed List
  • News
  • Church of God Heritage Ministries

Singing The Gospel

4/23/2008

0 Comments

 
Dr. David G. Roebuck

Some glad morning when this life is o’er, I’ll fly away; To a home on God’s celestial shore, I’ll fly away.

On Friday evening, April 3, I joined my voice with the voices of more than one hundred other singers and scholars proclaiming the familiar words of what is now one of America’s best known gospel songs. This much loved tune was the first song of an evening singing hosted by The Center for Popular Music in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The singing was part of “Farther Along” - a conference on the southern gospel convention singing tradition. Albert E. Brumley first published “I’ll Fly Away” in 1932, and I like so many others grew up singing it in church services and gospel singings.

Today the Church of God and Pentecostal movement use a wide range of musical styles. Many no longer sing Southern Gospel music, but the popularity of Bill Gaither’s “Homecoming” video series reveals that this is still a much-loved tradition. Certainly it has been an important part of our heritage. Our own Church Hymnal is one of the best known songbooks and many Church of God ministers and families have written songs and produced recordings over the years.

At the Farther Along Conference, Lee University’s Dr. Donald LeRoy presented a paper on the history of the Church Hymnal and Charles Towler spoke about the lasting legacy of the Church Hymnal. He also generously provided copies for the Friday evening singing. Jacquelyn Royal, from the staff of Lee University’s Squires Library, told about our efforts to digitize and preserve Southern Gospel recordings as well as catalog songbooks.

Whatever the future of this style of music in the Pentecostal movement, it has had extraordinary influence. We cannot fully understand where and who we are, if we do not know our heritage. At the Dixon Pentecostal Research Center we are committed to collecting and preserving songbooks, record albums, scholarly interpretations and other materials related to Southern Gospel music. We invite you to make donations of materials to add to our collections as well as financial resources to help us preserve them. We also welcome your visit to see what we are doing to preserve this and other aspects of our heritage.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    February 2023
    January 2023
    November 2022
    September 2022
    December 2021
    August 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    July 2020
    November 2019
    April 2019
    September 2018
    April 2018
    November 2017
    October 2016
    March 2016
    July 2015
    December 2014
    February 2014
    November 2013
    October 2013
    July 2013
    January 2013
    October 2012
    November 2011
    August 2011
    February 2011
    October 2010
    February 2010
    January 2010
    January 2009
    June 2008
    May 2008
    April 2008
    March 2008
    January 2008
    June 2007
    May 2007
    February 2007
    January 2007
    December 2006
    September 2006
    May 2006

    RSS Feed

Picture
​© 2023 Dixon Pentecostal Research Center
Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • About
    • About the DPRC
    • Staff
    • Guidelines for Use
    • Reference Services
    • Photo Publication Policies
    • Format for Citing the Research Center
    • Azusa Lecture and Spirit of Azusa Award
  • Archives Catalog
  • Library Catalog
  • Other Resources
    • Digital Collections
    • Ministry Toolbox
    • Research Toolbox
    • DPRC Staff Toolbox
  • Contact
  • Donations
    • Church of God Evangels Needed List
  • News
  • Church of God Heritage Ministries