>> Rev. Tarrence
Paschall: Hello, everyone.
My name is Reverend
Tarrence K. Paschall, Senior.
I'm the pastor of the
Mount Nebo Rzua Church,
where we are doing
this presentation.
We want to thank God
for the opportunity.
I'm from, originally
from Norfolk, Virginia.
I've been pastoring
here for five years.
The City of Portsmouth,
Virginia,
the City of Portsmouth,
Virginia is right next,
it's the neighbor of
Norfolk, Virginia.
A lot of people are
more familiar with that.
But it's right across the
water from Norfolk, Virginia.
And we thank God for that,
because this city is one
of the oldest cities
[inaudible] in Virginia.
And we would enjoy it if
you came to Portsmouth
and came to see about us.
If you're ever in the area,
I would like to say come
to Mount Nebo Rzua, 2515 High
Street, Portsmouth, Virginia.
Thank you.
[ Music ]
I love singing.
I love singing.
And these guys have
afforded me an opportunity
to do what I love.
And I want to thank God for
them, because my brothers are,
some of them, God has called
them home to their reward.
And some of them are
under the weather.
But nevertheless, I'm still
here to sing God's gospel.
Amen. Until I leave, I believe
I'm going to be on assignment
to just praise the Lord.
I really appreciate that.
And I thank God for that.
Thank you.
I would like to just
introduce the rest of the guys.
I'm going to give
them the opportunity
to introduce themselves,
from fine gentlemen
that I enjoy working with,
starting, introduce yourself.
>> James E. Carter Jr.:
Yeah, good evening.
My name is James E. Carter Jr.
I live in Yorktown, Virginia.
Been with the group
going on 11 years.
And I really, really enjoy
this singing that we do.
And Pastor Paschall,
he is a beacon for us
because he caused a lot of
things for us to be places
that we didn't think
we can get there.
But opened up some doors for us.
And we really appreciate it.
And for all the people
that's listening,
the Chosen Few has been
around for a minute now.
I just want to say I enjoy it.
And I love the guys I sing with.
And it's just something good
to do, praising the Lord,
knowing that the Lord is
blessing us with what we sing.
He keep his arms wrapped around
us when we go out on the road
and bring us back safe
without no harm or danger.
And we just want to give all
thanks and praises to our Lord
and savior, Jesus Christ.
And the song I'm about to
sing now is called The Old
Rugged Cross.
So, you all ready to go?
[ Music ]
Thank you.
>> Isaac "Eyeball" Ellison III:
And praise the Lord, everybody.
My name is Isaac
"Eyeball" Ellison.
That's what they know me by.
And I've been singing
with the Chosen Few now
for about 11 years, just
like I said earlier.
And I'm from Hampton, Virginia.
Thank you.
[ Music ]
>> Rev. Tarrence Paschall:
My father was a great,
he was a philosopher.
And Reverend Frank Addison
Paschall Sr., he was known
in this area as the
singing preacher.
I was in the Army
from 1978 to 1981.
And when we got to sing, I came
out of the Army February, '78,
'81, I'm sorry, and me and
my brothers got together,
and we heard a song
called The Lord's Prayer
by this street corner symphony,
this group called
The Persuasions.
And they sung The Lord's Prayer.
And we learnt that
song in one evening.
And that was a Saturday.
We learned that song.
We took it to our father.
That was the last
week in February.
That next week, my
father, he was single solo,
because he said he got sick
of folk partying their guitars
in the gospel quartets and
partying in their suits.
So, he started singing
by himself.
And he said honor him, for
his sons, there was five
of us, to sing with him.
And we learnt The Lord's Prayer.
He took us to his church
at Mt. Moriah RZUA Church
in Newport News, I'll never
forget it, the first Sunday
in March on a deacon's
trustee anniversary.
And we've been singing
together ever
since until daddy died in 1999.
And we thank God.
It's kind of strange, but when
we were young, we used to sing,
we were living with daddy
back during that time also.
And daddy would say, after
you all get the dishes,
come into the front room.
And he would give
us our [inaudible].
Oh, just like we're doing here.
And you couldn't skip rehearsal
because rehearsal was
always after dinner.
And the Lord has blessed
us, God rest his soul.
When he passed, we quit in 1999.
But Dr. Jon Lohman some kind
of way got in touch with us,
Virginia Folklife
for Humanities,
and got us to do an
apprenticeship program,
my son and my nephews and
some friends of theirs,
and that was a very
successful endeavor.
But say this, these guys
have given me the thing
that I missed, harmony.
>> Ruzzie Bizzle: Hi, my
name is Ruzzie Bizzle.
I'm originally from
Mississippi, but I've been here
since '84 in Hampton, Virginia.
This is my fourth year coming
this August with the Chosen Few.
I never did a cappella
style before,
but I had some good teachers,
these ministers that are here.
And I am grateful
for this group.
And I just thank God that he
blessed me with this talent,
and they enjoy teaching
me, and enjoy listening
to some of the songs I sing.
They are a great group, and
I appreciate Pastor Paschall
for bringing us here
to [inaudible].
And like James said earlier,
you know, you never know
where you're going or end up to,
so this is a blessing
to be here.
God bless you, everyone.
>> Cornelius Smith:
Hello, I'm Cornelius Smith,
Founder of the Chosen Few.
I'm originally from
Hampton, Virginia.
I've been with the
group now 12 years,
going on 12 years this
year, it will be 12 years.
And I really enjoy
managing the group.
And these are a bunch of
nice guys to work with.
And thank Pastor Paschall
for all that he do for us.
Thank you.
[ Music ]
>> Minister Kenny Watts:
I am Brother Kenny Watts.
I'm originally from
Houma, Louisiana,
small town in Louisiana,
but I now reside
in Elizabeth City,
North Carolina.
And it's all I have
to say thank you.
>> Genesis Arrington: My
name is Genesis Arrington.
I'm originally from Rocky
Mount in North Carolina.
But I reside here in
Newport News, Virginia.
I've been with the
group for five years.
Thank you.
[ Music ]
>> Cornelius Smith: Well,
I think it was 2011,
there was three guys in
the group; Bobby Hopson,
"Eyeball" Ellison, and there was
another guy named Larry Carter
that's, we still talk to Larry,
he's medically, you know,
not able to sing with us right
now, but they got together,
well, they used to sing
together in the 70s, you know,
music back in the 70s,
and I think through high
school they grew up together.
And they, Bobby called
me one day, and like, uh,
you interested in
singing with us?
And I was like, sure.
So, we got together and started
practicing, and we eventually,
we tried musicians,
they didn't work
out because they weren't
dependable, and they, you know,
they wanted to play for the
churches and show up sometime
with us when they can.
So, we still practice,
we practice hard,
but we was missing a bass guy.
And that's when we called James
Carter, because I was singing
in a group, a couple of groups
with James Carter before,
and we needed a bass guy.
James stepped onboard and gave
us that bass and the boom boom
that we needed with the harmony.
So, it went on and on.
And that's how we ended up,
you know, going a cappella,
because we could never find
dependable musicians to hang
in there with us
in the practice,
because we practiced sometimes
three, three times a week,
you know, we had to do that
to get our harmony together.
So, and I remember seeing the
Paschall brothers on a couple
of engagements where we were.
So, that's how I ended
up actually meeting him.
Then General, he did
our recording for us,
and he brought them to one
of our awards concerts.
We was getting an award
through [inaudible] magazine.
And that's how we
connected back up.
We have a single,
that was our single
on our latest CD was 2019, was
wrote by my brother Mario Smith.
And it's called More Like Jesus.
And he gave us a song.
And we tweaked it, and, you
know, got it to where we could,
you know, got verses
and stuff to it.
So, that's now our main single.
It's called More Like Jesus.
So you guys want to
hit that one time?
[ Music ]
>> Rev. Tarrence Paschall:
The intricacies of harmony,
it's called a quartet.
And the reason it's
called a quartet is usually
because four people are singing.
However, it could be if you can
get all five people in there,
you know what I mean,
this group is so tight
that the intricacies
amount to us don't step
on anyone's toes that's singing,
don't sing anyone's pitch.
As long as you don't touch
anyone's pitch, this group,
they have the four part
harmony that we had.
And I couldn't get in.
But the point that
I'm making is this.
They allow us an
opportunity to get a fifth,
I've heard this group
singing six part harmony.
You know what I'm saying?
Just don't touch anyone's pitch.
Don't do it.
And that's what I'm saying.
I've learned that
from my father,
because when we were raised
up to sing, everyone had
to learn everyone's pitch,
because sometimes
somebody might not show up,
or somebody might be a little
stronger that day in that pitch.
Everyone here should
know everyone's pitch.
I think they do.
With all of the technology
and the, and the, the guitars
and keyboards and
everything, to me,
an a cappella group
is distinguished
by being just that.
In the midst of all of
the energy, electricity,
and all of the excitement,
when you can just come up there
and step out and sing the
same notes that you heard
on the guitar, the same
notes that you heard,
it's just amazing,
because the voice,
because all of that
stuff come from voices.
The syncopation and the tempo
and the melody of no music,
people use it at gospel
concerts, they can attest to it,
people are saying turn the music
down, the music's too loud.
But only, all we have to
do is sing and breathe.
Sometimes we sing loud, and
sometimes there's nothing
like harmony, a soft melody.
And you can hear every note.
And that's what it's about.
There's not too many a
cappella groups that I know
of today that sing it.
This, as a matter of fact, was
the only one, I'm not saying
that they are the only one,
but the only one that I know.
[ Music ]