Comments on: NQC 08: Friday Songwriters Showcase

By: Harry Peters

Harry Peters — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 13:41:21 +0000

Incidentally, Harry Peters has met Mike Speck on several occasions going back to the days of the trio. Mr. Speck is one of the most humble, kind men that you will ever have the priviledge to know. There has never been anything he has done when I’ve seen, heard and talked to him that wasn’t a fine Christian example.
Although God has blessed him with more success than almost anyone who does what he does, Brother Mike has never once given the impression that he wants the spotlight.

Old Harry Peters bets you will have a hard time finding many to agree with you that Brother Mike Speck is the least bit egotistical.

By: Harry Peters

Harry Peters — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 13:34:02 +0000

While old Harry Peters likes Phil Cross well enough, if Avery’s observations were accurate, I wouldn’t like what happened at that showcase much either. Phil seems to be going more in the direction of choirs and orchestras and he wrote the Christmas Contata that we are doing this year, “Hope Has Hands.” I would say it is well above average for a Christmas contata, but bear in mind, Old Harry Peters hates contatats. No body has really done anything unique or artistic with one since they made their way into poplular church music circles.

Harry Peters does not like self aggrandizers, which is really the biggest beef he has with Ernie Haase or Bill Gaither. Has anyone besides Harry Peters noticed, that as more more Gaither Homecoming Tours and videos came out over time, that the genuine, heartfelt emotional, spiritual aspects of the group seemed to fade?

By: Sissey

Sissey — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 02:23:40 +0000

The Gaither’s was on Thursday. Phil’s Songwirters Showcase is what took the place of Mike Speck’s Showcase in Freedom Hall. Phil’s Showcase was the biggest showcase ever at NQC. I look forward getting my DVD. I do hope they will be able to correct some of the sound issues for next year.

By: Jack Lamont

Jack Lamont — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 14:22:40 +0000

We asked the lady at the Mike Speck booth at NQC why they didn’t have the choir shocase and she said “Mr. Speck has much more important issues to address than anything at NQC. If it were up to me I would not even be here now”. Some of these big name artists, music ministers, and mega church ministers alike think they are too good for us Southern Gospel fans. They just use the genre to make a buck. There are plenty of churches with wonderful choirs that would love to be a part of NQC and wouldn’t use a time slot as an excuse. Friday at NQC is the number one time slot for a showcase in Freedom Hall, this year it was the day Gaither was in town and Mr. Speck figured if he couldn’t have it his way then he wouldn’t play at all.

By: TNGAL

TNGAL — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 20:08:40 +0000

I think there should be some explaining conerning the Mike Speck showcase for the #11 post. The programming had already been set when he was contacted about his showcase being moved to Saturday afternoon. Since this would mean he could not have a choir (due to travel) and most of the minister’s of music could not get back to their home churches by Sunday morning services, he declined. Please read the following as it was published with NQC approval concerning the matter:

We have been honored for the past 9 years to present the Choral Extravaganza at the National Quartet Convention on Friday afternoon. Our goal was to have an anointed church service while also exposing ministry staff to new Mike Speck music for choir and congregation. Friday afternoon suited us best because it gave opportunity for ministers and a guest choir to come from all over the country.

When asked this year to move our showcase to Saturday, we considered the way it would affect those church staff and choir members on whom we focus our efforts. Mike Speck Ministries firmly believes we all need to be in our home church for our regular Sunday services. Because of this, we feel the Saturday afternoon time slot would be a hindrance to those traveling for the extravaganza.

It is with disappointment we have declined the opportunity to move the showcase to Saturday afternoon. There are many other showcases already scheduled at NQC that I am sure you will find interest in.

Please contact the National Quartet Convention office for tickets and additional information you may need.

Thank you,

Mike Speck Ministries

By: Stac

Stac — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 22:54:20 +0000

There were two things that bothered me in this showcase. As stated before some of the songs had no story, I would love to hear the story behind Mark Bishop’s song and several others. And the sound was bad at times. Other than that is was very uplifting.

By: GM Fan

GM Fan — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 23:06:21 +0000

Mike Speck was offered a showcase but refused because he was not offered the number one showcase. The sound was not all that bad, no worse than it had been all week. Phil did a fine job and if the people thought it was as bad as you make out I wonder why they pre bought so many DVD’s? For the most part the posters here are positive, the other few must be a wee bit jealous. If NQC is smart they will continue this showcase for years to come.

By: Illinois

Illinois — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 21:04:12 +0000

This showcase, I agree, was awful. The sound was bad and Phil was not a good emcee. Where was the “nananer pudding”?

He ended it with “we lost the last song-we went long”. If I had a 200 voice choir and an orchestra that travelled from Atl, I would have used them ALOT more.

I miss Mike Speck.

By: George Alben

George Alben — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 14:20:51 +0000

I’ll comment on one just one thing as the previous poster covered many aspects of Avery’s comments pretty well. Maybe the selection of the Songwriters and Artists was based on the stories that were behind the songs and not based on how popular a group is or how high the song went on the charts. After all this is the Songwriters Showcase-Stories Behind The Songs. I really don’t get the ego bit you keep insisting on. I have however seen a thirty minute sad story begging for more $$$ from a couple of the groups you have so highly praised in the past. Keep the coments consistent - Don’t use you blog to promote one and tear down the other.

By: Mark

Mark — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 00:40:23 +0000

What a joke this blog has become at times. To lift up and promote your “buddies” and tear down those who you dislike. I attend the Songwriters showcase each year and agree with post #4, it is by far the best showcase of the week. Personally I liked the lack of a “planned script” on Friday morning as this truly let the evidence of the Holy Spirit working be captured. If I were Mr. Cross I would consider it a blessing that one would compare the showcase to that of a “Gaither” style and setting. I remember attending the Atlanta video Gaither recorded a few years back at the Georgia dome. There were a total of 13 “do overs” during the taping that day. I applaud Avery for being able to pick apart the details of the production and bring every less than perfect moment to the forefront for all the SG world to critique. You do this so well for those who you look down upon. However, in doing this you have totally missed the point of what the Songwriters showcase is all about. The tears, hands waving, and eyes uplifted were due to the Holy Spirit moving. What a great day and total success!

By: Angel

Angel — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 00:05:15 +0000

You guys are just too funny but God love ya. Call NQC and they will verify that the Song Of A Lifetime Showcase was the most profitable showcase in history for NQC. And for the thousands of fans that were there, the handful (less than 5 who spoke out) is hardly worth mentioning. As for the sound, it was the same crew handling the sound production the entire week. The crew at the showcase was the same crew making the mistakes were the same group of techs making the mistakes the very same night.

By: FirstNighter

FirstNighter — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 17:33:00 +0000

I think all those people were standing in line to order the dvd so they could hopefully find out which face belonged to which songwriter’s name they might have seen on that cd they bought last year!!!

By: Sissey

Sissey — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 13:39:25 +0000

Yes there was problems with the sound but over all it was GREAT. I stood in line to order the DVD. Not everyone feels like Doug about Phil Cross. He is a great man.

By: Baritone

Baritone — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 13:36:55 +0000

Flaws, yes there were a few. However this has always been and still is the best showcase NQC has each year. The fans must have overloooked how terrible Doug claims it was as people waited in line an hour after the event to pre purchase a copy of the DVD. I also took notice that his booth was very busy the remainder of the week.

By: Realistic

Realistic — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 02:30:19 +0000

Great post. I’d like to hear even more details about the songs and songwriters honored.

But — dare I say it? — maybe the NQC needs to handle their songwriter showcase similarly to how it’s done on Sunday night during Gospel Music Association Week in Nashville. It makes sense since some of the BEST Southern Gospel writers are successful in more than one genre (a great writer is a great writer), and have performed on that GMA stage as well.

If the songwriting performance rights organizations (BMI, ASCAP, SESAC) along with the SG publishers and SG record labels would have representatives work together to structure an event that highlights the most successful SG songs of the year, it could eliminate the host making it a personal ego-fest. It might also keep the A-list songwriters and groups involved at an appropriate level.

No offense to the B-list regional writers and groups, but keep working and hopefully you’ll rise to the A-list. Otherwise, sit in the audience, listen and learn until then. It’s only fair, it’s a mark of spiritual maturity, and will — if you have the right attitude — help you strive for a higher level of excellence to enhance your communication of the Gospel.