I settled down to watch the ABC program last night in celebration of Dolly Parton produced by the Country Music Association. I was aware of the potential land mines. And it should be clear that Ms. Parton was not perfect by any means.
With the exception of a few brief comments made, the live event was well produced and delivered, and reasonably wholesome. The country music artists commemorated Ms. Parton honorably for the most part.
About midway through the program, I found the presentation of one particular song to be particularly astonishing. Reba McIntrye sang “He’s Alive”– an unapologetically Christian anthem– accompanied by a choir from nearby Belmont University. I had heard this particular piece during Easter services at church perhaps twenty years ago. I remember becoming a bit teary-eyed with the conclusion of the song back then.
It was particularly encouraging to see the crowd in Nashville last night rise to their feet in appreciation. If you would like to see and hear Ms. McIntyre’s performance, you can find it at this link.
I was completely unaware that this was one of Ms. Parton’s signature pieces, but here it is:
POWERFUL !!
Glad you enjoyed it, Fred. I was pretty shocked when I viewed the program last night. While I was aware that she invoked her Christian beliefs and sang accordingly at times, I just did not know about this one.