Touching The Soul

Old Time Gospel Hour raises hearts, money in Fort Smith

Friday, February 28, 2014

Rye Hill Baptist Church's minister of music, Steve Stewart, has performed in pretty much every Baptist church in the Fort Smith area.

"I grew up with a family of singers," he says. "I've been singing in churches all my life. I sang in a group with my brothers in my 20s. We traveled and performed all over. And I'm still singing."

FAQ

Old Time Gospel Hour

WHEN — 7:30 p.m. today & 2 p.m. Saturday

WHERE — Breedlove Auditiorium at the University of Arkansas in Fort Smith

COST — $15

INFO — uafs.edu/academy/ac…

FYI

Soweto Gospel Choir

Performs at WAC

The 24-member award-winning Soweto Gospel Choir from South Africa will be performing Thursday as part of the Walton Arts Center’s 10x10 Series. The choir has performed at the World Cup and presented its Academy Award-nominated song “Down to Earth” at the Oscars. The choir is best known for its debut album, “Voices of Heaven.”

WHEN — 7:30 p.m. Thursday

WHERE — Walton Arts Center, 495 W. Dickson St. in Fayetteville

COST — $10

INFO — 443-5600

Although Stewart will not be performing with his brothers this weekend at the third annual Old Time Gospel Hour, he will be joined by three friends with as close to "brother harmony" as they can get, he says.

"These are some of the best singers I have ever sung with," he says. "We'd never sung together before, but we put together this quartet, and it really works."

The Fort Smith-based Southern gospel quartet will perform at this weekend's Old Time Gospel Hour as part of the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith Academy of the Arts On Stage Series, and the show includes local artists and musicians.

"There's a lot of wonderful talent in the Fort Smith area," says Stewart. "You can go to any church and hear good gospel music, and these performers are a great representation of that."

The Old Time Gospel Hour will feature not only Southern gospel, but African-American gospel and familiar hymns. And although the music stems from the Christian music tradition, Stewart believes that anyone who comes to the Gospel Hour will enjoy themselves and find joy from the music, regardless of religion. "This music is very touching to the soul," he says. "It's going to be rhythms that anyone can get into."

Beyond simply uplifting the soul, the Gospel Hour hopes to be a benefit to the 475 students enrolled at the Academy of the Arts in Fort Smith.

"We've had tremendous concerts the last three years," says Rosilee Russell, executive director of the Academy of the Arts. "The people of this area love this type of music, and we love presenting it."

"It's fundraiser for a great cause," Stewart says. "This music is amazing, the performers are wonderful and it's benefiting the creative children. That's what this weekend's really for."

NAN What's Up on 02/28/2014