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Tuscaloosa News | Gordo church keeps August all-day singing tradition alive

August 15, 2011

Gordo church keeps August all-day singing tradition alive
By Robert DeWitt | Tuscaloosa News | August 15, 2011

GORDO | Nobody seems real sure just how long the Elmore-Center United Methodist Church in Pickens County has held its all-day singing. But they are sure that it's been a long time.

“I'm 78, and it was going on when I was 4 or 5 years old, as long as I can remember,” said Henry Shirley of Gordo, a church member.

The sanctuary of the little brick church was full of worshippers Sunday who filled the room with the sounds of gospel music. Shirley was among the overflow who sat in folding chairs in the vestibule.

As the congregation finished a song, Jack Pate, who organized the singing, took the pulpit.

“Raise your right hand,” Pate said. “Now reach over and pat your left shoulder. That was good.”

Elmore-Center's all day singing takes place ever every second Sunday in August. It is what folks call a “new book” singing. Every year, the gospel music publishers produce a new book of music with mostly new songs and that is the book used in the singing.

“It's just a good old country singing,” said Shirley. “If you want to get up and sing a solo, you can do that.”

It's called southern gospel convention music, said Dylan Feezell of Addison, in Winston County, to differentiate it from gospel singings where quartets perform for the congregation. The whole congregation takes part in the singing.

“It's a form of worship for people who like gospel music,” Pate said. “There's something about singing, if you listen to those words, it's just about as good as preaching.”

David Holmes has been the church pastor for two years. It's the first time he's served a church that had an all-day gospel singing. He's enjoyed learning about the tradition, and it obviously energizes his congregation.

“They look forward to it,” Holmes said. “A lot of work goes into the preparation.”

Like other churches, Elmore-­Center's all day singing serves as its homecoming. The singing starts at 10:30 a.m. and continues to noon. Then the congregation adjourns for lunch in the church basement from noon until 1 p.m.

“We used to eat out under the trees,” Shirley said and gave a frown. “Now we eat in the basement.”

After lunch, the singing resumes until 3 p.m. It's a special day in the life of the church.

“This is a small crowd compared to what we usually have,” said Robin Elmore, who grew up in the church and has been coming to all-day singings as long as she can remember. “It's usually standing room only.”

But it's not just a special day for church members.

“There are a lot of people who travel three and four hours to get here,” Elmore said. “There are people who go around the state singing at churches.”

Feezell is among those. He estimates he'll attend 100 singings a year.

“We travel everywhere,” Feezell said. “I was in Arkansas last weekend on Saturday. I was in South Alabama on Sunday.”

Rep. Robert Aderholt, the Republican congressman from Haleyville, was another traveler to Elmore-Center. He takes advantage of the Southern tradition while he's at home for the August recess.

“Over the years, I've kept it up,” Aderholt said. “When I have a chance to, I go. Unfortunately, you don't get a whole lot of opportunities in Washington, D.C.”

Aderholt has been going to singings since he was a teenager. His father, Bobby Aderholt, who was also in attendance Sunday, said he was taking his son to gospel performances at an age when the other kids were going to rock 'n' roll concerts.

All-day singings are becoming less common, like many rural traditions.

“It's a dying thing to have new book singings,” Robert Aderholt said. “Thirty or 40 years ago, you had one nearby just about every two weeks.”

Now those who are serious about gospel music and convention singing have to travel to participate regularly. Pate estimates there were people from 15-17 counties, plus Mississippi and Georgia, in ­Elmore-Center's congregation Sunday.

The travelers aid the singing because all of the songs in the book, with a few classic exceptions are new.

Since they've already attended multiple singings, they're familiar with the songs, and the congregation belts out hearty renditions of the music.

“They'll say something like ‘This one sings good,' ” Caroline Aderholt, the congressman's wife, said with a smile.

West Alabama residents who enjoy southern gospel music get a bonus this year. The 2011 Alabama State Gospel Singing Convention will be in Tuscaloosa County at Cottondale United Methodist Church.

For more info, click here.