History
The 2nd Chapter of Acts began as a result of the trio singing at home together as Annie played the piano. Following the death of their parents (Elizabeth in 1968 and Walter Ward in 1970), [2] Nelly and Matthew, still minors, moved in with their older sister, Annie, and her husband, recording engineer and producer, Buck Herring. [3] Annie was a self-taught singer and songwriter who composed and played her songs around the family piano. Her brother and sister would often join in as she played, and eventually they developed extremely tight and intricate harmonies. [4] [5]
They started singing for local coffee houses and small gatherings, then gained the notice of Pat Boone who arranged a contract to record and release two singles with MGM, "Jesus Is" (1972) and "I'm So Happy" (1973). The fledgling trio also came to the attention of 1960s folk singer Barry McGuire, who had recently become a Christian and was preparing to record his first Christian music album, produced by Buck Herring. The siblings provided background vocals for Seeds and McGuire's 1974 follow-up Lighten Up.
The trio released their debut album, With Footnotes , in 1974. This album featured "Easter Song" which would become a signature piece for the group and has been recorded by many other artists since. This was followed up with In the Volume of the Book in 1975, the year that also saw the release of a live album with Barry McGuire, To the Bride , which included "a band called David", who supported 2nd Chapter of Acts on tour. 2nd Chapter of Acts' first three releases were issued by Myrrh Records, and the group toured with McGuire intermittently for three years.
The group went on a touring hiatus in 1976. Annie released her first solo record on the Sparrow Records label founded that year by the executive who had signed them to the Myrrh label, Billy Ray Hearn. For the summer of 1977, they were joined on an 18-city tour by Phil Keaggy and the result was the live triple album, How the West Was One . Their contract with Myrrh fulfilled, they moved as a group to Sparrow. [5]
Their Sparrow debut, Mansion Builder (1978) was followed up with The Roar of Love (1980) (a concept album inspired by C. S. Lewis' The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe ), Rejoice (1981), Singer Sower (1983), and Together Live (1983) (with Michael and Stormie Omartian). 2nd Chapter moved to their own Live Oak label with the release of Night Light in 1985, and their final recording of original material, Faraway Places in 1987.
Their voices can be heard among other Christian artists on two benefit singles in 1985. Do Something Now! credited to The Cause on Sparrow Records to aid famine relief in Africa and Fight the Fight, Rescue the Unborn which featured over 100 Christian artists, to benefit the Christian Pro-Life Movement, released on Live Oak.
2nd Chapter of Acts broadened their appeal with the release of Hymns and Hymns 2, reaching audiences with more traditional music. Hymns proved to be their best-selling release, receiving a Dove Award for "Best Praise and Worship Album of the Year" in 1987. [6]
Except for two sabbatical years in 1976 and 1983, 2nd Chapter of Acts continued to tour until 1988. Their final concert was in Houston, Texas on August 12 of that year. [5]
2nd Chapter was recognized by the Gospel Music Association in 1999 by their induction into its Gospel Music Hall of Fame. [7]
Annie and Matthew also recorded several solo projects during the 2nd Chapter of Acts years. Both have continued to release new material and perform concerts as of 2011.
Roles of group members
Annie was the main songwriter of the group and the only one who played an instrument (piano). Her admittedly unschooled compositional style, with its frequent irregular rhythms, sometimes added almost progressive rock-like elements to what was otherwise an easy listening or soft-rock sound. Matthew and Nelly initially made the occasional small contribution to the lyrics, and Matthew developed as a songwriter for the group as his solo career grew.
Annie and Matthew sang most of the solo parts. Nelly — whose voice could be hard to distinguish from Annie's — most commonly sang lead only on songs where each member took a verse. Other songs where she sang lead were "I Don't Wanna Go Home," "Make My Life a Prayer to You," "Mountain Tops," "My Jesus I Love Thee" and "Sing Over Me." Some of the group's albums, such as The Roar of Love and Night Light , do not have any lead vocals by her.
Sparrow Records is a Christian music record label and a division of Universal Music Group.
Michael Omartian is an American singer-songwriter, arranger, keyboardist, and music producer. He produced number-one records in three consecutive decades. He has earned 11 Grammy Awards nominations and won three. He spent five years on the A&R staff of ABC/Dunhill Records as a producer, artist, and arranger; then was hired by Warner Bros. Records as an in-house producer and A&R staff member. Omartian moved from Los Angeles to Nashville in 1993, where he served on the Board of Governors of the Recording Academy, and has helped to shape the curriculum for the first master's degree program in the field of Music Business at Belmont University.
Love Broke Thru is the title of the second solo album by Phil Keaggy released in 1977, on New Song Productions.
The Roar of Love is a 1980 concept album and fourth studio album by Christian band 2nd Chapter of Acts, that recounts the story of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the first published book in The Chronicles of Narnia, a series by C. S. Lewis. It was recorded in 1976, prior to their third studio album Mansion Builder, but its release was delayed by contractual and copyright issues. According to band member Matthew Ward, all the vocals were cut in a bedroom of the house the trio lived in at the time. They converted their garage into a mixing room, knocked a hole in the bedroom wall and ran a microphone cord into it. The songs have a heavy use of synthesizers. It was reissued on the Live Oak label.
Together Live is a live album featuring 2nd Chapter of Acts and Michael and Stormie Omartian, released in 1983. It was recorded at The Church on the Way in Van Nuys, California. As with all 2nd Chapter of Acts recordings, it was produced and engineered by Buck Herring. This is the only 2nd Chapter of Acts album that has not been released on CD.
Singer Sower is the studio album by 2nd Chapter of Acts, released in 1983. It was recorded at Easter Song Studio in Garden Valley, Texas. As with all 2nd Chapter of Acts recordings, it was engineered and produced by Buck Herring.
Mansion Builder, released in 1978, is the third studio album from contemporary Christian music group 2nd Chapter of Acts, their first for the recently created Sparrow Records. Members of 2nd Chapter of Acts' touring band, a band called David, also perform on this album.
With Footnotes is the debut album by the Christian group 2nd Chapter of Acts, released in 1974. It contains one of the group's most well-known songs, "Easter Song", which was named by CCM Magazine in 1998 as the No. 4 Christian song of all time.
In the Volume of the Book, released in 1975, was the second studio album from the contemporary Christian music group, 2nd Chapter of Acts. The album title is a reference to Psalm 40:7.
Annie Herring is one of the pioneers of the Jesus music genre, later to be called Contemporary Christian music. She was a member of the trio 2nd Chapter of Acts, for which she wrote most of the songs and sang lead and harmony vocals with her brother Matthew Ward and sister Nelly (Ward) Greisen. During her musical career with the 2nd Chapter of Acts from 1973 to 1988, she also recorded solo albums.
Matthew Ward is one of the pioneers of the Jesus music genre, later to be called contemporary Christian music. He is best known as a member of the trio 2nd Chapter of Acts, in which he sang and performed with his sisters Annie Herring and Nellie (Ward) Greisen. During his musical career with the 2nd Chapter of Acts from 1973 to 1988, he also recorded solo albums.
A Band Called David was a group of musicians who provided the instrumental support from 1974 until 1988 for the 2nd Chapter of Acts, a contemporary Christian music group.
This is a listing of official releases by Phil Keaggy, an American acoustic and electric guitarist and vocalist.
Night Light is the title of a 1985 studio album by 2nd Chapter of Acts.
Myrrh Records was an American Christian music record label.
How the West Was One, released in 1977, is a three-LP live album featuring 2nd Chapter of Acts, Phil Keaggy and a band called David. The album was a collection of songs recorded in a series of 18 concerts held throughout the western United States in 1977. It was also 2nd Chapter of Acts' final release for Myrrh Records.
To the Bride, released in 1975, is a two-LP live album featuring Barry McGuire, 2nd Chapter of Acts, and a band called David. The album was culled from four concerts performed in the summer of 1975 and is the first of two live albums that 2nd Chapter of Acts recorded for Myrrh Records, although the majority of the concert is performed by McGuire. The album was re-released on two CDs in 2007 with one song excluded.
First Love: A Historic Gathering of Jesus Music Pioneers is a 2004 concert film and documentary that looks back into the Jesus Music of the 1970s. In 1997, a group of Jesus Music pioneers gathered in southern California for three days of music and fellowship. The event was both recorded and filmed, and was released in a 2-CD/2-DVD set simply titled First Love: A Historic Gathering of Jesus Music Pioneers. It was compiled and edited by the spouses of two of the artists who appear in the documentary: Dan Collins and Steve Greisen produced the project. The CD contains each of the 31 songs that were performed during the gathering, and the DVDs shows the live performances of the songs, interviews with the individual performers and groups, interviews with others who were involved in the roots of Jesus Music, and rare pictures and footage of the artists from the 1970s. Other artists who were interviewed for the documentary include pastor Chuck Smith, Pat Boone, Phil Keaggy, and Michael Omartian, among others.
Michael Omartian, American musician, keyboardist, and music producer has released 4 solo studio albums, 9 collaboration albums, 4 promotional singles, 2 EPs, and 1 compilation albums. He has sold over 350 million albums over the span of his career whether it be through being a solo artist, producer, or anything of the like.
