The Gospel is a mystery. God became something He is not, so that we can become something we are not. Christ became human, so we can become holy. Jesus became sin, so we can become righteous.

"God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him, we might become the righteousness of God."          - 2 Corinthians 5:21

Those of you who have listened to the music of ACAPPELLA over the years understand that the legacy is not exclusively about making beautiful harmonies, recording albums or presenting concerts. It has always been about message -- the "good news." In fact, many of our favorite songs are adapted directly from Scripture, such as this one.

 This video was shot while preparing for a concert in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The concert promoter has since rebooked Acappella to appear there again on October 21, 2017, so mark your calendars.

The Gospel message is going into all the world and we know that some people can only be reached through music.  Acappella will be celebrating our 35th anniversary in locations from coast to coast in 2017, as well as appearances in Puerto Rico and Switzerland. Thank you for supporting our ministry,  downloading our music and ordering CDs for friends and family.  Please visit our new store at Acappella.org.  Plan a road trip to attend an Acappella concert.  Sign up to cruise with Acappella in January.

Sing to His glory!

Every time we record, I ask these wonderful volunteers what is their favorite part of the experience. Without exception, the most popular response given is the time of worship.  The singers work so hard during the recording sessions that the devotional times of singing and worship become a very special treat. Hear the Praise & Harmony Singers worship with "Shield About Me" from the "Only God" P&H CD.

Did you ever sing in a school choir?  Countless people who have enjoyed being part of  a singing group in the past rarely seem to have the opportunity to replicate that experience, much less, be part of a professional recording.  What happens when you audition and record for a Praise & Harmony project?

AUDITION
First, you must assemble a like-minded quartet of singers, covering all four parts of soprano, alto, tenor and bass.  The audition consists of recording a pre-selected song (the latest audition song is the "Hallelujah Chorus") to submit to the committee for the selection process.  The committee is looking for, among other things, a smooth blend, intonation, breath control and a sound without vibrato and scooping (attacking notes by starting well below the pitch and gliding up.)  Since this is a professional recording, not every group is accepted, continuing an emphasis on excellence which is a favorite hallmark of the P&H collection.

REHEARSE
In addition to balancing the voices between the four parts for the final product, the primary reason for quartets is to provide the framework of regular weekly rehearsals for every participant.  There is no substitute for serious rehearsals for learning, perfecting and blending with other vocalists.  25 songs are assigned. The first time that the "complete group" will sing together will be at the actual recording itself; so the regular rehearsals during the months leading up to the recording are priceless and essential.  The songs must be learned before the recording process begins. This is why individual singers are not allowed to be part of the process, because the interaction of rehearsals provides necessary preparation. 
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SECTIONAL RECORDING
When the time arrives for the actual recording, the first thing that happens is every singer records with other singers of their same voice part in "sectional" recordings.  This usually happens in four groupings, with every voice seeking to blend as one.  Check out this video of the bass section recording in Lubbock, as the basses are assembled in four groups.

COMBINED RECORDING
After the sections are recorded, all vocalists combine to record the 25 songs with all voices intermixed.  The culmination of rehearsals and preparation creates stunning results so beautiful they cannot be fully described.

MUSIC VIDEOS
After the audio recording is completed, the entire group is recorded on select songs for music videos. These are the videos that you can find on the Youtube channel and through social media.

Although this process requires an amazing amount of work by every volunteer singer, the testimonies of those who participate are very heart warming.  Listen to these Praise & Harmony Singers share from their hearts:​

Follow the Praise & Harmony ministry here:
PraiseAndHarmony.com
Acappella.org
KeithLancaster.com

Every believer has the right to experience praising God through song. 

     There is nothing like singing with fellow believers. A cappella congregational singing, when it is grounded in Christ as an offering of mutual edification, makes for the most exhilarating community experience a church can be a part of. Many churches who have enjoyed the riches of this congregational idiom, however, are allowing it to fall by the wayside, blaming their static, lifeless, worship services on the a cappella tradition itself, as if we as a brotherhood haven’t completely neglected to equip our congregations with the skills that enable them to bring their best for the Lord on Sunday. 

    What’s the solution? Training and education. If a church wants to keep singing alive as a vital experience for every believer, training in congregational singing for the entire church is essential. When I was young, my home church would bring in Ralph Casey to provide a training weekend for the purpose of equipping our entire church family on music basics, singing fundamentals and song leading. This happened more than once in my home church.

    The need is greater than ever.  Sharon and I travel with the Praise & Harmony congregational singing workshops for the purpose of equipping churches to establish a solid training program to keep a cappella singing alive.  Our primary target audience is not the most gifted vocalists, who are already passionate about singing, but the beginners who either don’t participate or who have never tried to sing harmony before.  We are finding the results can be amazing!​
​​   We encourage churches to establish “new song” classes in which every person is encouraged to sit by voice part with basses, altos, sopranos or tenors. Teaching new songs should be a regular and frequent objective of growing churches. Using training CDs on a daily basis (in cars, homes, etc.) to reinforce the new song class will greatly accelerate the learning process.

    In order to coordinate everyone to your arrangements, we urge everyone to use projected musical notation. We urge them to incorporate real dynamic volume changes in their singing, which can easily be facilitated by singing verses softer and choruses louder, for example. Additionally, when the song leader dominates the volume for the duration of the song, it dwarfs the contribution of the congregation, and unintentionally moves the focal point on the worship leader. This is why we encourage the use of a hand held microphone so the leader can “mix himself out” of the overall sound, and only take charge when necessary to drive the tempo and facilitate changes.

    In this video, “God Of Wonders,” notice how the congregation is sitting in sections by voice part; lower voices on the left and higher voices on the right. By being “immersed” in each section, beginners find it much easier to learn to sing harmony by ear.  Secondly, notice how we are working to sing the chorus, “God of wonders beyond our galaxy” louder than the unison verses.  I am using the microphone to take myself out of the mix so that the leader is only heard when necessary, and the bulk of the experience becomes a culmination of every voice present. One voice (or voices) should not consistently dominate the congregational experience.

    For those interested in hosting a Praise & Harmony Workshop, find out more here. We strongly encourage churches to send their gifted song leaders to the annual advanced training “bootcamp” available at the Worship Leader Institute. If your church would like to participate in a professional worship recording, find out more here.  The video below provides more information from the volunteers who participate in the recording process, which happens at least once a year.