By Journalist Dr. Ms. Jones
NEWBURGH – The sounds of quartet Gospel music echoed throughout the Newburgh Activity Center Saturday afternoon, July 11th, as Heaven Bound Church of Deliverance hosted its First Annual Men’s Day Quartet Concert, bringing together nationally recognized Gospel artists, local performers, and members of the community for an afternoon of praise, testimony, and fellowship.
The event, organized by Heaven Bound Church Deacon Charles “Till” Harris, celebrated the church’s Men’s Day while introducing a style of Gospel music many attendees have not experienced locally in a while. Along with inspiring performances, guests enjoyed chopped barbecue, fried fish, and coleslaw sold throughout the afternoon.
“We wanted to try it for Newburgh to bring back quartet singing,” Harris said. “This whole concert was part of our Men’s Day Program for Heaven Bound and to bring the community together.”
Despite encountering a few challenges while organizing the inaugural event, Harris considered it a success. He is already planning an even bigger production next year.
“I want to make sure that everything falls in place exactly because we had some bumps in the road, but now that we are versed in how to do this, I think it’ll be smoother next time,” he said as he credited Tiffany Williams for helping transform the vision into reality. “Tiff is my right-hand… Her creative craft that God has given her, using all the abilities that she has, I couldn’t do it without her. She took the lead, and I didn’t have to follow behind her.”
Looking ahead, Harris hopes to expand the concert by inviting nationally known artists such as American Idol’s Jamal Roberts and Keyla Richardson while also incorporating Gospel rap to appeal to younger audiences. He explained that diversity in musical styles will help preserve Gospel traditions while introducing them to a new generation. Serving as both host and co-producer, Leslie Mathis helped secure many of the performers who traveled from several states to participate in the celebration.
“I booked The George Sisters, Preparation, M.O.M., Paula Waters, and Bre Holly,” Mathis said as he shared the remarkable story behind one of Gospel music’s most beloved family groups. “The George Sisters are the mothers of Preparation. That’s their kids… They have been singing for about 40 years. Their father is a large bishop out of North Carolina. [They] got older and stopped singing. I saw them sing at my uncle’s funeral and said, ‘Who are they?’ I invited them to perform at my Vickie Winans concert and that brought them back together.”
Since then, the family has appeared on The Bobby Jones Gospel Show and has been showcased during the Stellar Awards. Mathis believes events like Sunday’s are important because local residents often travel hours to experience high-quality Gospel concerts.
“So many people love entertainment… We would have to travel to New York City or somewhere else to really get a good Gospel show. To bring it here is important because people don’t have to travel so far, and they can get that same quality of entertainment,” said Mathis as he revealed his next venture even though Gospel music remains close to his heart. “I’m switching gears… I’m actually going into [producing] WWE wrestling shows. Next year, maybe we’ll get back into the Gospel a little bit more.”
The afternoon featured performances by M.O.M. Dance Network G.A., Preparation, The George Sisters, Paula Waters, Marena Gates-Clunie and the Kingston Chorale, and headliners Bre Holly and Faithful, each bringing their own style of ministry through music. One of the day’s most powerful moments came when Gospel Recording Artist Marena Gates-Clunie shared her testimony of healing.
“My heart was functioning at 20% with congestive heart failure… I asked God, ‘What do I need to do for You to heal my heart?’ He told me, ‘Keep on singing. Keep on praising. Lift Me up higher and higher,’” Gates-Clunie told the audience and shared that she continued praising despite her diagnosis. “A couple of months later I told my doctor I was feeling really good… They checked my heart, and she came back and said, ‘I don’t understand… your heart is at 100%!’”
Gates-Clunie is preparing to release her second album later this year. She describes it as more worship-centered than her debut recording. The program concluded with an energetic performance by Bre Holly and Faithful whose unique stage presence has gained widespread attention on social media. The group’s signature “scoot” praise movement has become an online sensation, but not without criticism. Background vocalist and manager Renata P. said the group has remained focused on ministry despite negative comments.
“We all like to have fun in the Lord,” Renata said. “Sometimes people online can be really aggressive, and they can say things that are hurtful. Quartet has predominantly always been a male genre. When you find somebody who can kind of feminize it, there are so many critiques.”
Ironically, after critics mocked the group’s signature move, it soon became a viral social media trend through the “#ScootChallenge.”
“We didn’t intend for any controversy… We just know it’s an appropriate way to give God praise,” said Renata who invited supporters to attend Bre Holly and Faithful’s Fifth Anniversary All-White Blockbuster Celebration on August 15th in Jersey City, New Jersey. “We’re calling it a Blockbuster Affair… It’s going to be an all-white event… We have groups coming from Memphis, like the Sensational Wells, the Unionaires out of Aldosta, Georgia, and ‘Quartet Mini Legend’ Roy and Revelation out of South Carolina… We just want everybody to have a good time in Jesus.”
As the music ended and the final applause filled the Newburgh Activity Center, organizers expressed gratitude for the community’s support and optimism that the concert marked the beginning of a new annual tradition. For many in attendance, the inaugural Men’s Day Quartet Concert was more than entertainment-it was a joyful celebration of faith, fellowship, and the enduring power of Gospel music to unite generations.
