CENTRE HALL — The Covalts, a family gospel singing group from Spring Mills, recently presented their 23rd annual Outdoor Gospel Sing at the Grange Fairgrounds in Centre Hall. The free event, held June 8 through 10, featured the Covalts, as well as 10 other gospel singers and groups, entertaining capacity crowds on the Southside Stage.
The Covalts are a family singing group composed of brothers Mike and Jody Covalt, who sing, and their sister Holly Covalt Rowles, a singer and keyboardist. Other members of the band include Mike Covalt’s son, Eli, on drums and bass, and Stan Truckenmiller on guitar. The group sings about 20 to 25 times a year at churches, carnivals, festivals and other events.
Mike Covalt, who is the pastor at Fellowship Bible Church, said his family’s gospel singing history dates back to 1953, when a group was formed by his grandparents Merrill and Christine Covalt and their sons, Tony (Mike’s father) and Mark. They traveled as a quartet, with Tony playing the guitar. Their daughters, Amy, Dolly and Sue, traveled as a trio with them.
There have been many changes through the years as members passed away or married and moved on. Covalt said his children are the fourth generation of the family to participate in the group, which has traveled and performed throughout Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia. He said his family’s musical history actually goes back farther than 1953, to the 1880s, when his great-grandmother played guitar at barn raisings, where she met Covalt’s great-grandfather.
The gospel sing featured local performers, including Dave Boonie, of Millheim, and The Fishers, of Milesburg, as well as singers from farther away. Mike and Karen Matieszyn, known as Last Generation, came in from Somerset. They have performed at the Outdoor Gospel Sing during 22 of the event’s 23 years.
Other performers were The Segers, a family group from Shamokin, The Bates Family, of Spring Grove, and singer Dave Powers, of Lemasters. Comedy singing group Sunday Drive made the trip from Knoxville, Tenn., to Centre Hall.
Mike Covalt said that the Gospel Sing events take considerable effort to organize and are not cheap to put on, costing about $10,000 to $15,000 each. They are funded by local business sponsors, food stand revenue, camping fees and CD sales, as well as the church.
“We often say, ‘This will be the last one,’ but the next year we do it again,” said Covalt.
