Beloved Christian vocal trio Selah coming to the Tack

Since the release of their watershed debut, “Be Still My Soul” in 1999, Selah has become one of the most beloved groups in contemporary Christian music (CCM) with more than 900 million streams and over 4 million albums sold. The vocal trio’s genre-spanning renditions of cherished hymns and inspirational classics, as well as their signature originals, have been beacons of hope and healing to listeners around the world for 26 years.

Now this veteran group — consisting of Todd Smith, Amy Perry, and Allan Hall — is coming to the LuCille Tack Center for the Arts in Spencer Oct. 11 for an evening of uplifting music.

“Their voices are just awesome. They are a powerhouse group, very dynamic. They have great ranges and blend well. Al’s piano playing is amazing,” said Tack Center Director Daniel Worsham. “They are also very versatile. They can do contemporary, 90s or 2000s, the classics they are known for, and their hymns. They’ve brought new life to a lot of hymns.”

Some of Selah’s most popular recordings include “Wonderful, Merciful Savior” (2001) and “You Are My Hiding Place” (2004), along with their renditions of “Bless the Broken Road” (2006), “You Raise Me Up” (2004) and “He Will Hold Me Fast” (2020). They have recorded many original compositions as well as covers of classic Gospel and CCM songs, original songs by other songwriters, or hymn arrangements. Their newest album “Higher Name,” to be released Nov. 1, will be unique in that it will be their first album in which all songs are written or co-written by at least one Selah member. This new album will be previewed at their upcoming concert, along with many old favorites.

The group has won 11 Gospel Music Association DoveAwards and been featured on The 700 Club, Hour of Power, and TBN.

Worsham said how the opportunity to host such a big name in Christian contemporary music came about was truly a “God story.”

“I initially saw a video of theirs and happened to see them singing a hymn — I think it was the Sing Christian music conference and they were singing ‘He Will Hold Me Fast.’ I just thought, ‘They are such an incredible group. I wonder if they have any touring availability yet.’ Being in the position I’m in, I called up their agent and asked. At that point, we had almost finished planning for this year’s season at the Tack. After talking about it, we thought it was not going to work out, because it was too late to add on to our season. So it was kind of disappointing, but I thought, ‘Well, maybe we can try to bring them in down the road.’

“A few weeks later, their agent called me up and said, ‘Can we rent your facility?’ And we were able to make that work. It’s a different type of arrangement. They are not actually part of the Tack season; they’re an add-on. By them renting the facility, we don’t make as much money, but we don’t lose money either.

“It’s a win-win for them and for the audience, because how often do you have a multi-Dove Award winning, big-time Christian name coming to a small town of 2,000 people?” Selah will perform at the Tack Center at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 11. Regular tickets are $25 and VIP tickets are $45. VIP ticket holders will receive early entry to the event at 6 p.m. and will get to go into the hall as the artists are finishing warming up. They will get front-row seating and have a chance to meet and chat with the artists for a half hour session.

Opening act: King’s Conquest Concertgoers will also get to enjoy the music of King’s Conquest before Selah comes on stage. King’s Conquest is an award-winning Christian contemporary band with a mission to shine the light of Jesus through a blend of pop/rock and contemporary music styles. The band consists of siblings Noah Wolf, Ezra Wolf and Ella TenNapel, all originally from Chili. Noah is the lead vocalist and keyboardist, Ella sings and plays violin, and Ezra plays the drums and does vocals.

They have performed at several Christian music festivals, including Lifest, OneFest and the Icthus Music Festival. They were a 2023 WisconsinArea Music Industry (WAMI) Award winner for Christian/Gospel Artist Of TheYear and a 2024 WAMIAward finalist.

Their first album is “Tested By Fire” and can be found online wherever you listen to music.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO