[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 103 (Monday, June 14, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S4517]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                 100TH STATE ANNUAL SINGING CONVENTION

 Mr. TILLIS. Madam President. I rise today in recognition of 
the 100th anniversary of the State Annual Singing Convention in Benson, 
North Carolina.
  The Sing will be celebrating its centennial June 25 to 27, 2021 in 
the Benson Singing Grove with some of the biggest names in southern 
gospel music. Local choirs, gospel groups, and recording artists from 
near and far will be sharing their talents and memories of the Sing 
throughout the years.
  Prior to 1921, choirs would assemble on fifth Sundays in early summer 
to sing in Benson. Whether in an open field or under a brush arbor, 
large crowds would come to hear these glorious choirs. Mr. Simon 
Honeycutt, a regular attendee, conceived of the idea for a singing 
convention and reached out to four other men--Mr. T.C. Miller, Mr. J.B. 
Raynor, Mr. J.V. Barefoot, and Mr. J.H. Rose--to help organize the 
event. The first State Annual Singing Convention was held in a tobacco 
warehouse in 1921. A silver cup was awarded to the best all-around 
group, along with prizes for the best quartette and duet. Impartial 
judges had to be found from a great distance away, and picnic baskets 
filled a table 110 feet in length as 200 people came to enjoy the 
wonderful singing.
  After a fire destroyed the tobacco warehouse in 1922, a new location 
for the Sing was found in an oak-shaded grove at the center of town. 
This land was donated by Miss Catherine Benson, a member of the family 
for which the town is named. In its early years, a temporary stage was 
constructed and lumber stacked on pine blocks served as seating, These 
materials were borrowed from a local sawmill and returned at the 
conclusion of the Sing. permanent stage in the center of the grove was 
dedicated in 1950, thanks to town merchants and patrons of the Singing 
Convention. Folding chairs have now replaced the early lumber-on-block 
seating. The Singing Grove would fill to capacity long before the 
singing started as people reunited with old friends and relatives, 
caught up on the latest news, and forgot about their worries as their 
souls were lifted through song. For those not able to attend in person, 
local radio stations allowed listeners to tune in and for a time, the 
State Annual Singing Convention was broadcast to a national audience.
  As the joy-filled weekend wound to an end, singers and spectators 
alike anxiously awaited judges tallying scores and winners being 
announced in several different categories. The people have changed, but 
the Sing remains because of a steadfast commitment to what it 
represents. As an early leader once wrote, ``The multitude of voices 
blend in `God be with you till we meet again' to reassure the world 
that there will always be a song of love in the hearts of God's people 
everywhere. That is the faith of the State Annual Singing Convention.''
  It is my honor to commemorate this notable centennial. The State 
Annual Singing onvention has nurtured countless souls through song and 
is a testament to the faith of those who carry on its legacy. I extend 
my congratulations and best wishes for the next 100 years.

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