FOLK/Artists Robert Turner and the Silver Hearts Gospel Singers

Editor’s Note: The following piece is one in a series of short stories profiling performers in the 65th National Folk Festival Aug. 22-24 in Bangor.

Although this is the first time the Silver Hearts Gospel Singers has played at a National Folk Festival, anywhere is a good place to share this spirit-filled music, said Robert Turner, leader of the Indiana-based group.

“We play just about any place, churches, storefronts, festivals. There’s really no place too big and no place too small,” Turner said.

The singer was inspired to start his own group after going to a gospel concert when he was a teen.

“In 1958, I went to see an all-female group with my foster mother that had singers, piano and drums and I thought, ‘That’s what I want to do.’ And in 1960, that became a reality,” Turner said.

Turner and the Silver Hearts are still making gospel music more than 40 years later. Today, Silver Hearts is made up of Turner and five other vocalists, as well as four musicians.

Gospel music emerged in the early 20th century through a meeting of sacred and secular sounds, including old spirituals, blues and ragtime music. However, the definition of gospel depends on the source.

Turner has a simple and traditional definition of the genre.

“Gospel music is the Good News of our Savior and the good news of trying to save people. That’s what our music is about,” he said. “We also realize that a lot Christians might not be able to make it out to clubs to hear music. So that’s what our music is about as well, providing good music for those people.”

– By George Bragdon of the NEWS Staff

Robert Turner and the Silver Hearts Gospel Singers perform at 5:15 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 23, on the Heritage Stage and at noon Sunday, Aug. 24, with The Bronx New Heaven Shout Band on the Heritage Stage.