The legendary Cathedral Quartet retired in 1999, upon the death of lead singer Glen Payne. Former Cathedrals members formed several groups; one of these was the Old Friends Quartet, which featured former Cathedrals bass George Younce and his son-in-law, Ernie Haase, who had sung tenor with the Cathedrals for nearly ten years. The Old Friends Quartet disbanded after about two years on the road, as Younce's ill health prevented them from doing much travelling.
Ernie Haase, a native of Evansville, Indiana, still had a love for quartet singing and wished to create a quartet that was 21st Century in image and attitude, but traditional in sound, emulating the great Southern Gospel groups of the 20th Century, including the legendary Statesmen Quartet, the Stamps Quartet, the Blackwood Brothers and of course, the Cathedral Quartet. Along with Old Friends Quartet pianist Garry Jones, Haase gathered three other young men with similar love and respect for Gospel music, and the Signature Sound Quartet was born. Jones left shortly after the recording of their first album, Stand by Me.
Almost immediately, their name was heard everywhere, and when audiences saw the fun and energy that the group gave at their concerts, they responded enthusiastically, rocketing the Signature Sound Quartet to instant stardom. With the fame came some controversy, as some Gospel music lovers objected to the "outlandish" look of the group, which included short ties and oddly-colored suits. Still later, the group began styling their hair in "modern" stand-up spiked style, which further added to their controversy. The fan reaction, however, was far more positive than negative, and trade magazines began referring to them as "the next Statesmen", implying that the mold-breaking style they created brought to mind the similarly outside-the-box thinking of the classic group.
In 2004, the group changed its name to Ernie Haase and Signature Sound, reportedly in order to avoid confusion with other similarly-titled regional groups, and since Bill Gaither suggested getting Ernie Haase in the group name for fans who would remember him from The Cathedrals. They signed with the Gaither Music Group and became regular performers with the Gaither Homecoming tours and videos. Like-minded legendary singer/producer Bill Gaither eventually began scheduling a second series of concerts with only Signature Sound and the Gaither Vocal Band appearing together. Due in part to the popularity of these concerts, the two groups decided to record a single album together, due out sometime in late 2007. The group is also at work on an album due out in 2008.
In May 2007, pianist Roy Webb came off the road to be with his dad, who was dying of cancer. On May 29, 2007, it was announced that Webb had resigned from the group. Later, it was announced that Gordon Mote would be the group's piano player during their Get Away Jordan summer tour.
Discography
* Stand by Me (2002)
* Building a Bridge (2003)
* Glory to His Name (2003)
* The Ground is Level (2004)
* Great Love (2004)
* Christmas with Ernie Haase & Signature Sound (2004)
* Stand by Me: Live (2005)
* Self Titled (2005)
* Get Away, Jordan (2007)
* Influenced (2008)
* Dream On (2008)
Christmas
Ernie Haase & Signature Sound Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Let your heart be light
From now on, our troubles will be out of sight
Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Make the Yuletide gay
From now on, our troubles will be miles away
Here we are as in olden days
Happy golden days of yore
Gather near to us once more
Through the years we all will be together
If the fates allow
So hang a shining star upon the highest bough
And have yourself a merry little Christmas now
Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Let your heart be light
From now on, our troubles will be out of sight
Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Make the Yuletide gay
From now on, our troubles will be miles away
Here we are as in olden days
Happy golden days of yore
Faithful friends who are dear to us
Gather near to us once more
Through the years we all will be together
If the fates allow
So hang a shining star upon the highest bough
And have yourself a merry little Christmas now
The song "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" by Ernie Haase & Signature Sound is a timeless classic that celebrates the spirit of the holiday season. The lyrics convey a message of hope, love, and togetherness, reminding listeners to let go of their worries and embrace the joy of the season. The song starts with an invitation to have a merry little Christmas, encouraging people to let their hearts be light and forget about their troubles. The repeated phrase "From now on, our troubles will be out of sight" emphasizes the idea that Christmas is a time to set aside our problems and focus on happiness and cheer.
The second verse takes us back in time, evoking memories of happy days spent with cherished friends and loved ones. The lines "Here we are as in olden days, happy golden days of yore, faithful friends who are dear to us, gather near to us once more" show nostalgia for past happy times and call out for the gathering of loved ones. The last verse brings us back to the present, with the hope that, no matter what the future holds, we will all be together again next year to celebrate another Christmas. And the final lines, "So hang a shining star upon the highest bough, and have yourself a merry little Christmas now" urges the listeners to celebrate with decorations.
Line by Line Meaning
Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Wish yourself a happy and joyful celebration of Christmas
Let your heart be light
Let go of any burdens or worries and be joyful
From now on, our troubles will be out of sight
We can put aside our worries and enjoy the holiday season
Make the Yuletide gay
Celebrate the holiday season with joy and happiness
From now on, our troubles will be miles away
We can leave our worries behind and enjoy the holiday season
Here we are as in olden days
We are together again as we have been in the past
Happy golden days of yore
Joyful memories of the past
Faithful friends who are dear to us
Our true and loyal friends who mean a lot to us
Gather near to us once more
Come close to us and celebrate together
Through the years we all will be together
We will all be together throughout the years
If the fates allow
If circumstances allow for it
So hang a shining star upon the highest bough
Place a bright Christmas star on the highest branch of the tree
And have yourself a merry little Christmas now
Enjoy the holiday season to the fullest right now
Lyrics © DistroKid, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Tratore, Downtown Music Publishing, Songtrust Ave
Written by: Hugh Martin, Ralph Blane
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@teresapascua7739
So heavenly...beautiful it warms the heart. Thank you
@SuperBerya
Your voices and your music touch my heart/soul 👏🏿🤗💞😍
@theresafuller8255
Beautiful and so soothing to the Heart. It's on my Christmas Play List now.
@dwells9399
🥰👏👏👏 Bravo...once again EHSS has delivered a wonderful, jazzy Christmas song to remember🎄 🔥
@marryannlamb9853
Awesome saved to my Christmas play list.
@Cristian-ug9rs
Muito lindo Deus abençoe sempre!
@fredfilman9172
Gave me chills
@adrianluis9487
That is wonderful, you nailed it perfectly! #ChristmasJams
@robinbond7878
Love Charlie Brown’s Christmas!
@rebeccad5988
Beautiful, King of Kings
Lord of Lords.
Thank you saved to list.