Over 44 Years Later And It's Still Drawing A Crowd

It's been over 44 years since Sing-Out '65 began the Up With People movement.

For many alumni cast members the spirit of the show continues to burn in their hearts. A couple of weeks ago, cast members from the 1965-70 Era joined up with other alumni in Branson, MO to perform "A SONG FOR THE WORLD," a two-hour presentation which featured the best songs of Up With People and which honored the musical founders of the show, the Colwell Brothers and Herb Allen.

I saw a tentative rundown of the show and it listed a lot of songs we in Sing Out South would remember, and which we also performed back in the 1960s, That includes PAUL REVERE, SING OUT, FREEDOM ISN'T FREE, WHAT COLOR IS GOD'S SKIN and, of course, UP WITH PEOPLE, although as you can tell from this YouTube video, some of the tunes have been given a contemporized feel....

Reports I've seen said the A Song For The World show was well received, with a combined attendance of almost 400 people for both nights. That's a pretty good turnout when you consider the venue size and how many shows there are every weekend in Branson.

It seems there will always be a Nashville and Middle Tennessee connection with Sing-Out and Up With People. That continued with the recent show in Branson through the involvement of the Smith-Wade band which was the orchestra for the show along with the addition of a horn section and a keyboard player.

Smith is Dick Smith and Wade is Cabot Wade, both members of the original Sing Out South cast and who went on to further accomplishments musically when they joined the national casts of Up With People in the late 1960s. They've also worked together in the Smith-Wade group since 1971, performing at special events all across the country from their home base of Williamsburg, VA.

Dick Smith is second from the right in this photo as he performs with the rest of his Tennesse Tech Quartet(Joe Capers, Ken Ashby and Lee Piepmeier) at the debut performance of Sing Out South at Hillsboro High School on March 24, 1966.

A contemporary photo of Cabot Wade, who plays acoustic and electric guitars, bass and the keyboard.

By the way, there is also a book which has recently been published entitled, "A Song For The World." It is written by award-winning author Frank McGee and profiles the story of the Colwell Brothers and Herb Allen as musical diplomats to the world through their work with Up With People.