Bluegrass Gospel Songbook Review

The Bluegrass Gospel Songbook
Written by Wayne Erbsen
REVIEWED BY NADINE KERFOOT

This collection of gospel songs, over 100 strong, includes words and melody, and brief descriptions of the origins of each. Erbsen also makes a heroic effort, in the opening pages, to teach the reader to sing in harmony and play a guitar, with his painless gospel music theory lessons. And it’s amply illustrated with photos of the performers, listeners and scenes of by-gone days. Faithfully included are the gospel classics like We Shall Meet, Life’s Railway To Heaven, and Hold To God’s Unchanging Hand. There’s also a couple of novelty numbers. For the uninitiated to gospel music, Erbsen’s book can be a pleasant first step. For the history buff, it’s a reinforcement of any knowledge of camp-meeting spirituals, shape notes, and "the high lonesome sound." All in all, this is a real treasure. BMP