The Union County Lions Club annual concert on May 18, this year featuring The Poet Voices and The Browders, has had a major change. Through an unforeseeable and unexpected circumstance, the Browders will be unavailable for this concert – that’s the Bad News! The Good News is that the Poet Voices are still onboard to perform for you AND the ticket prices have changed dramatically!

Brothers Matt and David Browder were young when they began traveling with their dad, Tommy Browder, in 1990. Matt recalls that at the age of 10 or 11 he actually began singing with his dad and around the age of 13 he learned three-part harmony. Tommy Browder had started singing gospel music at the age of 5, despite being stricken with polio. “My right hand was completely paralyzed from polio,” he recalls. Then one day, his thumb started working, then his fingers and then he regained enough strength in his right hand to be able to play the guitar.

Poet Voices (Phil Cross, Jeff Snyder, K.C. Armstrong and Donny Henderson) on the God & Country Tour will be in Maynardville for one night only. With their history of sold-out performances, be sure to get your tickets now for the May 18 performance.
One of the most highly acclaimed writers of gospel music, writing since he began his song writing journey in 1980, is Phil Cross. He is an award-winning singer, songwriter, mentor and producer with a passion to share his faith and experiences with the world. His music is well-known and well-loved.

Part of the basis of Southern Gospel were traditional postbellum shape note singing schools. At that time, shape note singing was most popular among rural singers. According to James Goff, Jr in his book “Close Harmony: History of Southern Gospel”, itinerant singing school instructors organized shape singing local, regional, and even national singing conventions and local quartets sung the latest gospel hymns.

We enjoy the precision of the close 4-part harmony and inspirational messages in Southern Gospel music. But how did this form of music come about? The oldest tradition of Christian hymns was the singing of Old Testament Psalms.