SONG OF PRAISE: INTEREST IN CHRISTIAN MUSIC HAS GROWN IN THE REGION

Jeromy Deibler, lead singer for FFH, sang during the performance Monday night. Smaller concerts, like the one at Lynwood Church, let the band interact with audience members.

Ray Boltz sang before a crowd of 2,400 Thursday night at the Show Me Center. Boltz promoted his "Hope and Glory" CD with a tribute to people who have served in the military.

With new bands springing up like wildflowers in an open meadow, the popularity of Christian music is blossoming.

Especially in Cape Girardeau.

Two Christian bands performed in the city last week: FFH performed Monday night at Lynwood Baptist Church and Ray Boltz and band performed Thursday at the Show Me Center.

Although neither played to sell-out crowds, their concerts sent a message to the region that Christian music is gaining in popularity.

Anytime you can get a Christian group to perform a concert in Cape Girardeau, it's a good thing, said Mike Parry, who helped promote the FFH concert.

"More people are interested in contemporary Christian music," Parry said.

Because the interest is rising, David Ross hopes to get some of those musical acts at the Show Me Center.

"We try to get them every chance we get," Ross said. "The trend is there and fits with the changing trends of the '90s."

As the nation moves toward a politically conservative era, more people are speaking out about Christianity and a return to moral values. Those messages show up in the musical arena too, Ross said.

But that conservative bend doesn't show up in the lively beat of the music.

FFH plays to a younger audience, though the group likes to bring generations together with their songs.

Many of their songs are upbeat and fast, but not too loud or lively that you couldn't just clap or sing along. When the group started, they sang a cappella music, which helped make them a favorite of both young and old.

"We draw kids and their parents," said Jeromy Deibler, lead singer.

Parents write to us and say "Your music is the only thing we can agree on," Deibler said.

Ray Boltz said his music also reaches across the generations, but much of that is because he sings ballads.

Even children can understand the story although the lessons they learn might be different than what an adult or teen-ager learns, he said.

"I just came back from New York City with my family where we saw `Les Miserables' and `Beauty and the Beast.' Those are stories with drama. What I get out of it might not be the same as what my 13-year old does. You tell the story and it pulls you in."

Boltz uses video screens to show dramatizations of his ballads while he's on stage singing.

FFH hasn't really gotten into a big concert production. Most of their venues are smaller arenas or church auditoriums.

The group sits on stools to sing and play guitars. Being in a smaller arena lets them get to know the audience better, said Brian Smith, vocalist.

"They can sing back at us and clap along," he said.

Being a touring band does have some downfalls. "You never really get to see the effect on a town or congregation," Smith said. "You plant some kind of seed that people take out to the community."

"We try to reach as many people for Christ as we can, as quickly as possible."