Singer keeps his cool

Vocalist David Phelps singing his Christmas show "One Wintry Night" at the Paramount Arts Center in Ashland, Monday Dec. 10, 2007.  Proceeds from the concert going to Neighbors Helping Neighbors, a collaborative effort of five local agencies to provide basic human services for familes in need, raising funds to develop a one-stop center in the old Johnsons Dairy building.PHOTO KEVIN GOLDY

You want to know what “keeping your cool” is all about?

I’ll tell you about something my wife and I witnessed this evening.

We attended a gospel concert at a megachurch here in Amarillo. The Gaither Vocal Band was the featured act. We’ve seen them perform many times over the years — and every single performance we’ve seen has brought great joy to both of us.

As I told my pastor, this brand of music “ministers to me often more than a preacher in a pulpit.” He got it.

Well, tonight one of the vocalists — tenor David Phelps — stepped forward to sing a solo. This young man’s range is nothing short of spectacular, not to mention the power in his voice is simply not to be believed until  you hear it.

He launched into an operatic song he’s performed many times; we’ve heard it and are moved every time we hear it.

Tonight, about a fourth of the way through the song, the sound system let out this huge groan and then went dead. Nothing. Deader’n dead.

What did Phelps do? He kept singing. He didn’t miss a note. Not a beat. He sang as if he was in complete control of the situation.

The crowd of several thousand started to applaud. Some of them stood.

Phelps kept belting out the aria.

Then, just as he started to sing the conclusion, the sound came back on. He finished his song.

We all stood and cheered.

I turned to my wife and said, “Now, that was impressive.”

“Sure it is,” she said. “He’s a pro.”

No . . .  kiddin’.

Bravo, David! Bravo!