Legacy Five’s Celebration NYE is more than just your typical Gospel Sing.  After the singing, preaching and luxurious surroundings of Opryland, we also go to breakfast with Legacy Five the last morning.  The Delta opens its ballroom and serves everything a breakfast menu has to offer.  Buffet style, everyone gathers in line, selects their food and heads back to their table.  Tables are not reserved and you can sit anywhere you like.  The food is delicious!  From there, it is time to pack up, check out and enjoy the last session of NYE.

That morning featured the group we had all been waiting to hear – The Jim Brady Trio.  I missed their first few songs due to loading up the car and trekking back through the resort to reach the ballroom, but thankfully, I didn’t miss much!  When I walked in Jim, Melissa and Tim were singing a Lari Goss arrangement of The Love of God.  Jim took a moment to explain how Melissa was such a great supporter to him while he traveled over 200 days a year with the Booth Brothers.  “We have a great heritage in this music,” Jim continued.  He went on to comment that he, Melissa and Tim all came from singing family’s.  Their next tune was a classic, That Sounds Like Home to Me and a new number, God of What’s to Come, followed.  Jim introduced Tim and said, “Tim, play something for us!”  When Tim’s track kicked off we heard a horse neigh and a marching band start up as he tore up the keys on Keep on the Firing Line.  Jim mentioned that he never tires of hearing Tim play that particular piano solo.  The up-beat material kept coming with The Half That’s Never Been Told.  Since Tim was singing this one away from the keyboard, when the turn-around came around, Jim turned to Tim and teased, “That’s Tim playing on tape!”  LOL  “Thank you all for being so nice to us and for making us feel at home,” Jim said, thanking the crowd.  He went on to tease, saying that they never sang The Half with the BB’s because Michael couldn’t breathe and keep up with the words at the same time.  Melissa interjected, “I’m tending to agree with him!”  LOL  Jim introduced Melissa, and she also spoke a few words thanking the crowd for welcoming them and a little about how they selected their songs.  The one she went on to sing reminded her so much of her father.  Before he came to know the Lord, he was known for being the meanest man in town.   On the other hand, she only knew him as the preacher in town.  The lyrics to I Know What Jesus Did For Me was like his testimony in song that Melissa sang in tribute to him.  She received a standing ovation for the classic!  As they were getting ready to leave the stage, Scott came up and asked them to do another one and they consented with When He Saved Me, which featured Tim Parton.

Next, Cal Reichnor, a pastor from Illinois, brought us a message from the Word.

Notes from Cal Reichnor…
Jonah 2 – What do you do when you have a problem?
1 – Call out to God in the middle of your problem.
2 – Get your eyes off the problem and onto the Source!

“When we focus on the problem it gets bigger, we enable it.”

What does lying vanities mean in Jonah 2:8?
Definition – “Wanting you to choose to believe something about a problem that is different than what God says about it.”

Legacy Five stepped on stage with That’s a Hallelujah, Strike Up the Band and I’ve Been Changed.  “Many who have come by and ordered Trey’s new CD asked if they could hear a new solo again,” Scott announced, then asked, “Trey?”  Pausing a moment, Scott corrected himself, “Muffin?”  Trey let silence gather on the stage for a few moments until someone on the front row had the crowd shouting, “Muffin! Muffin! Muffin!”  LOL  So, Trey played Leaning on the Everlasting Arms.  Scott said, “You have to play old style, honkytonk, you know what a honkytonk is?”  Trey answered, “No.”  Scott replied, “Jim Brady will tell ya’!”  (That made the crowd giggle.)  Life Will Be Sweeter followed and when Matt hit the low note Howie said, “Bless you!  You had lunch this morning, didn’t you?”  LOL!  (The way that those guys kept bringing up “lunch” in every session was hilarious!)  “Hasn’t this been fun?” Scott asked.  “There are 39 states and three Canadian Provence’s here this week.”  Changing subjects, he talked about the song that had been requested more than any other that week – and usually isn’t.  “It is always very evident that most of us who are here are happy and celebrating,” Scott went on, “yet, in the midst of that there are those who have had to say goodbye to those they love.  It’s very sad, even when we know they’re in heaven, it’s still no fun.”  This set up Hello After Goodbye, a sobering, yet promising ballad about seeing our loved ones in heaven.  Something About that Name followed immediately and filled the room with the sweetness of that name.  “I heard some of you singing,” Scott mentioned after the ballad, “Do you know that song?  Sing it with us.”  Then they did another chorus.

In closing, Scott read the account in Luke where Mary and the other women visited the tomb and found it empty.  “A lot of people out there don’t believe that Jesus was who he said he was.” Scott went on,  “I’m not a theologian, but I do like to use a little common sense.  When those folks are debating, I would like to ask them, (‘cause it doesn’t have to be real complicated), ‘Do you know anyone who was born the way Jesus was born?  Do you know anyone who lived a sinless life?  Was there anyone who experienced what Jesus did three days after He died?’  Say it with me, He is not here!”  The audience repeated, “He is not here!”  Then L5 closed their event with Truth Is Marching On.  Scott sang the first verse and invited Jim Brady to sing the second verse.  It was a powerful moment that received a standing ovation!!!

Conclusion:  The morning highlight was definitely getting the first glimpse into the Jim Brady Trio.  I think that Jim, Melissa and Tim have a smooth sound that fans will enjoy.  Jim is a great emcee and can naturally connect with a crowd.  Plus, they have selected some powerful songs for their first CD, A New Chapter!  I also enjoyed Cal Reichnor’s preaching – it’s been a while since I’ve heard a sermon about Jonah and thought that the theme was encouraging for the New Year.  L5 was great!  Once again, the songs that they closed their event with were unique to their other sets, fan favorites and have great messages!  These guys know how to host an event with class, pull in the best artists and give attendees a wonderful week.