The Messengers Quartet

Pontiac, Michigan

Recorded July 1992

Trivia: In case you can’t read it on the J-card, the comments on the inside flap stated “Mark was so excited about recording a hymn tape that we asked him to select the music. As you can see, he exhausted every resource in carefully choosing these songs. We teasingly called them “Mark’s Hymnbook Favorites”. After some initial mixed reactions, the idea caught on, and so did his selections.”

Side one features “high church” type songs that in least in my congregation, were not usually sung. The music to some of these songs is very complicated. They are beautiful and our execution of them is good, no arrangements, just sung as written.

Trivia: We did one photo shoot for both this and the “Champion Of Love” photos. We did the formal “Champion” photo first wearing our ‘quartet suits”. Jan Coe had the idea for this cover and she made sure we all had the right sweaters and, as usual, was there with us to make sure everything looked the way she thought it should. If you look carefully you can note that the three of us were subtly displaying our displeasure with Mark’s process. David has one eyebrow raised, Mike is giving a thumbs down, and D....well the look says it all!

One more thing: This is the photo that convinced Mike that he was not fooling anybody and that it was time to lose his “comb-over!

Listen: The Spacious Firmament On High
Christ The Lord Is Risen Today
From Every Stormy Wind That Blows
Crown Him With Many Crowns
Remember Me, O Mighty One
On Zion’s Glorious Summit Stood
O Come Angel Band
Never Grow Old
I am Resolved
Something For Thee
Now The Day Is Over