Dave's Review

Label: Tradition Records
Website: www.torchmen.com
Producers: Torchmen Quartet
Song Titles: "Glorybound," "Movin' Up, Movin' Out," "I Don't Know Where I'd Be," "A Place Called Grace," "Live For God," "I Have A Bridge," "Pray Daniel Pray," "Lead Me To The Rock," "There Is A Reason," "I Will Pray," "His Love Is Forever," and "Mercy River"

When you think of Southern Gospel quartet singing, you probably expect most groups to be based in the southern United States. The Torchmen Quartet doesn't exactly fit that pre-conception. This group has been providing fine quality Southern Gospel to Canadian audiences for many years. They hail from the province of Ontario.

Movin' Up is a collection of mostly light hearted, uplifting lyrics. The tune "Glorybound" follows the traditional train-to-glory analogy that has become a Southern Gospel tradition. Rebecca Peck and Christina Degazio share writing duties. "Movin' Up, Movin' Out" and "Live For God" come from the same writing team. Another Degazio tune, "A Place Called Grace" is also included, this time with Kelly Garner as a writing partner. This number is more serious in nature, retelling the story of Christ's sacrifice at Calvary.

Movin' Up offers up a double dose of the story of Daniel, first on Peck/Degazio's "Live For God," then an outright novelty treatment on the Richard Ash song "Pray Daniel Pray." Written in the verse spoken/chorus sung style of "Led Out Of Bondage" and the "Mississippi Squirrel Revival," we enjoy cute lines like ". . . the man whose knees refuse to bend gets a dinner reservation in the lions' den" and "All right, there's gonna be a prophet on the menu tonight and if you would, save a drumstick for me."

It's clear from the content of Movin' Up that when you see the Torchmen Quartet in concert, they want you to enjoy yourself, but I don't want to imply that they have no serious side. The lyrics on this project are biblically solid and well written. "There Is A Reason" is a quartet arrangement of a praise song written by noted worship leader Clint Brown. "I Will Pray" slows the tempo down for a more focused look at the importance of prayer, and Sheldon Mencer's "Mercy River" is an impassioned plea for God to use the singer as a vessel for ministry. That final song is fast becoming a classic, in my opinion.

Torchmen Quartet members Steve Ash, Michael Helwig, Mike Moran, and Jon Hisey are doing an excellent job representing Southern Gospel in Canada. Movin' Up shows that their products are worth seeking out and purchasing, even if you can't find them in the bins at the local Wal-mart yet. The group ventures into the U.S. for the National Quartet Convention and other events from time to time. Hop on over to www.torchmen.com to check out their schedule and other recent recordings.