Hopes embodied in sweet harmonies

BENSON -- This town's annual singing convention is a far cry from its heyday in the 1940s, when as many as 20,000 people gathered in the oak grove to hear Southern gospel.

But new dreams are still nurtured by this old Johnston County festival, at which a few hundred people spent Saturday afternoon listening to Christian music in the shade.

The Taylor family of Lillington took the stage with hopes of building a professional singing career.

The four siblings -- Jonathan, 21, 18-year-old twins Suzanne and Chris, and Leslie, 17 -- wore ties and conservative long skirts as they belted out their song, complete with choreographed hand movements and knee bends.

"The word of God is alive and true!" they sang, their voices harmonizing flawlessly.

They sang to a graying audience in lawn chairs, a few of whom fell asleep under the afternoon sun. But the Taylors knew better than to be discouraged.

Since winning last year's quartet competition, they have had singing engagements nearly every Sunday. Now, they want to take their performances to a national level.

Their mother, Sandra Taylor, attributes their success to God, who gave her an alto, a soprano, a tenor and a bass. But they received another boost with last year's victory at the "sing," as Southern gospel performances have long been known.

The yearly event began in 1921 with a few church choirs performing in a tobacco warehouse.

It grew into an event that drew hordes to this shady square in downtown Benson.

"It was probably the highlight festival in the state of North Carolina," said Danny Holland, president of the board that organizes the convention.

"They didn't have movie theaters or TV or video games."

Holland, like many in the audience, grew up attending the sing with his parents and grandparents. He watched the event dwindle to a few hundred spectators in the 1960s and 1970s.

Now, it is growing again, with more than 4,000 people expected during three days this year and singing groups traveling from around the Southeast to compete.

The convention continues today with a morning sermon and a full day of singing.

The performers sing exclusively Southern gospel, a style dominated by old hymns such as "Amazing Grace" and often performed with a twangy country sound.

The genre has an aging audience, and many of the performers Saturday were three times the age of the Taylors.

But Holland says that at least one new young talent gets discovered every year.

Brittney Knowles was one of four 8-year-olds in matching dresses and hair bows who sang "The Walls of Jericho."

Their mothers brought the girls together to practice a year ago, after noticing how well they sang together in church. Saturday's was the latest of half a dozen public performances for the Precious Jewels.

Brittney's mother, Lisa Knowles, said she would welcome any singing engagements the convention might bring.

"Whatever the Lord wants her to do," Knowles said.