Concert review: Bill Gaither & The Homecoming Friends Christmas Spectacular at Hampton Coliseum

By FRANK ROBERTS

Bill Gaither’s Homecoming Friends are some of the most talented performers in show business and each year the show is more exciting, more vital.

Sunday night's Christmas Spectacular was enthralling and engrossing. It was a make-up for missing a September date due to a hurricane threat.

Hampton Coliseum was packed, though not a sell-out. The audience got its money’s worth. The show ran for four hours, each minute a gem.

The most effective minutes came near the end when the auditorium was darkened, fans waved their mini-flashlights giving the Coliseum the look of a dark, star-filled night as they joined in singing, "Silent Night."

Part of the Sunday program featured the boss, himself, reminiscing of his early visits to the Coliseum, with a smaller group. He parked himself on the piano bench and ran through a few of the numbers he and his wife, Gloria - not present Sunday - had written.

There was so much talent on stage, all of it of the highest quality, but the greatest amount of kudos must go to Ernie Haase & Signature Sound. They got going with an appropriate pop favorite from the 1930s, "Great Day," written by showman Billy Rose, and composer Vincent Youmans.

One of their highlights was a four-part harmony on, "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen."

Additionally, about 50 high school students, the Liberty Christian Academy Choir, performed and occasionally became part of Gaither's Friends.

Gaither was astounded at their quality and predicted, "one of these days they'll have their own bus."

The quartets, the family groups, the individual singers - everyone - provided an evening of hand-clapping, some craziness and lots of inspiration.

A four-hour show, but the time went by too quickly.