GUIDON staff

The Cowan Civic Center, 500 East Elm., in Lebanon, will host two Southern gospel music festivals starting this weekend, including The New Horizons Gospel Spectacular and the 42nd annual Brumley Gospel Sing.

The 2010 Gospel Spectacular features several gospel acts from throughout Missouri performing Friday, Saturday and Sunday in the center’s exhibition hall and theater.

The annual music festival is hosted by The New Horizons, a Lebanon gospel group that has been performing and recording for more than 40 years. They will be joined onstage by the Blackwood Brothers, the Mark Trammell Trio, Second Generation, the Bruce Punches Family, the Inspirations, The Lesters, Final Authority and more.

Concerts are scheduled from at 7 p.m., Friday; 6 p.m. Saturday and at 10 a.m., Sunday in the exhibition hall. A 1 p.m. Saturday matinee in the theater is also planned.

Admission is free.

For more information, call 417.532.9741 or go to www.newhorizonsdannyrhoades.com/gospel.html online.

 

Brumley Sing

Billed as “the largest summer sing in America,” the annual Brumley Sing music starts Wednesday and continues, Aug. 5-6.

The festival is named for the late Albert E. Brumley, who wrote more than 800 gospel and sentimental songs, including “I’ll Fly Away,” “I’ll Meet You In the Morning,” and “Turn Your Radio On.” Brumley’s songs have been recorded and performed by artists in virtually every music genre, and have been featured in the sound tracks of major motion pictures such as “O’ Brother Where Art Thou?,” “The Apostle” and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.”

The music festival features dozens of professional gospel music artists and comedians. This year’s event includes the groups Greater Vision, the Primitive Quartet, Karen Peck and New River, Dailey & Vincent, the Booth Brothers, the Isaacs, the Triumphant Quartet, the Perrys, Jeff and Sheri Easter, the Lesters, Aaron Wilburn, the McKameys, the Inspirations, the Chuck Wagon Gang, the Dixie Melody Boys, Little Roy Lewis and Lizzie, the Hayes Family, Dennis Swanberg, Mark Bishop, the Talley Trio, the Florida Boys, Dixie Echoes, the Mark Trammell Quartet, the Legacy Five, the Dove Brothers, the Tribute Quartet, the Kingsmen and Dennis Swanberg.

Concerts are scheduled at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 5 and Aug. 6, with a 1 p.m. matinee show, Aug. 6. A second 1 p.m. matinee is scheduled, Aug. 7, followed by concerts at 6 p.m., Aug. 7.

General admission tickets are $15 per concert. Children ages 6 to 12 are $4, and children ages 5 and younger get in free. Multi-ticket packages and reserved ticket packages are also available.

For more information, call 800.435.3725 or visit www.brumleymusic.com.