Southern Gospel Christmas
Located in 2 routes
Southern Gospel Christmas applies quartet and group harmony to Christmas carols, seasonal originals, and nativity-themed songs, blending traditional carols with the genre's four-part blend, piano, and orchestration. Arrangements range from tender ballads to jubilant, up-tempo celebrations of the incarnation. Vocals feature rich harmony and featured leads on both sacred carols and gospel-flavored originals. The mood is festive, warm, and worshipful, a holiday staple of the Southern gospel calendar.
History
Christmas albums have long been a Southern gospel tradition, with quartets and family groups recording seasonal projects since the golden age, and the Gaither Homecoming series producing hugely popular Christmas videos and tours. The Gaither Vocal Band's recordings of songs like 'Mary, Did You Know?' (co-written by Homecoming comedian-singer Mark Lowry) became modern standards, and groups such as Ernie Haase & Signature Sound and the Booth Brothers issued perennial holiday releases. It cross-lists with the Christmas/seasonal family and anchors the genre's winter touring season.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- James R. Goff Jr., Close Harmony: A History of Southern Gospel (UNC Press, 2002)
- W.K. McNeil (ed.), Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music (Routledge, 2005)
- SGHistory.com and Singing News magazine