Then Sings My Soul Performs At BNT’s 2022 Tour Preview
BNT is Celebrating with Then Sings My Soul for our 2022 Tour Preview!
We “sat” down for a little chat with Then Sings My Soul Owner/Producer/Writer Kat Prickett…
Tell us a little about your group Then Sings My Soul and how it all started.
Wow, where do I start! I grew up on Billy Graham. My grandparents, Lee & Mildred Peiffer (Lebanon, PA) were instrumental in exposing me to the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. I remember watching the Crusades on television, listening to George Beverly Shea on cassette tape. I packed shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child with my mother since 1996, and later became the Media Relations Coordinator for the Lancaster Area team in 2013. I have such a deep respect for Mr. Graham and his ministry. My background is in video production, producing and also performing. I had for a long time wanted to put together a program of some kind that featured hymns and their rich histories. Well, when Mr. Graham passed away in 2018, that seed started growing…like a beanstalk! I knew the time had come, and when I started doing research, I was amazed at just how many of the popular hymns of today were “made famous by” or written by someone saved at Billy Graham’s Crusades. I literally wrote the show in a matter of weeks. We are blessed in Lancaster County that there are so many talented artists, and I got to work with some really incredible people to put it all together and bring it to life. The original plan was for the show to have two performances only, as part of a Summer Entertainment Series at the property my family owns and operates, The Red Caboose Motel & Restaurant in Strasburg, PA. That evolved into a week of touring to area retirement communities, the Water Street Rescue Mission, and then, two shows in our Barn…which ended up being sold out. We added an encore performance two weeks later at WJTL’s The Junction Center where over 400 people attended. And, the rest….is history!
The group consists of 4 vocalists. We sing with live music, piano, and at larger venues we’ve included violin and additional instrumentation. The show was designed to travel and be performed in any space and to be accessible to all…and it has! From the living room area of a nursing unit to Dollywood Theme Park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee…we love to take this program on the road!
What inspires you when you are creating your show?
First of all, I pray about it! Music also plays a huge part. I often create a playlist of inspirational music and will play it over and over again while I write. I do a little more praying, and then, I’ll start sharing it with a few close friends and family to get their input and feedback. I really love to collaborate and throw ideas back and forth to make a final product.
What experience do you hope your audience will walk away with?
We always hope that everyone leaves feeling a little lighter, a little happier, a little more hopeful. Within Then Sings My Soul, I thought it was very important that this was more than entertainment. That it made people think about these songs…the beautiful words…what it meant to the people who wrote them…and what their own personal relationship with Jesus Christ looked like. We always say, every single show, that if even just one person makes a decision to accept Jesus, or renew their relationship with Him, it is WORTH it!
What is the central message of TSMS?
The central message of Then Sings My Soul is not to celebrate the man that was Billy Graham, but to share the gospel message through the stories of these hymns and songs that are beloved by so many. The message is the same as Mr. Graham’s always was his whole life: God loves YOU. Wherever you are, no matter what you’ve done. It’s never too late to start a relationship with Jesus Christ.
How has Lancaster shaped your group, your goals, or your message?
The really cool thing about Lancaster County is that there are so many people here that really appreciate the message of our program and the hymns. Everyone constantly says how much they love hearing them and how refreshing it is because churches nowadays really aren’t singing them anymore. There’s a lot to say about a statement like that. I think hymns and their words and their stories are so important and so relevant today, if people would just take the time to explore them. It is our hope to continue educating people, including youth!
What are some of the things that have happened in the last few years?
2020 and 2021 were certainly years unlike any other. We were fortunate to be able to use the wonderful world of technology to connect with people during 2020 and were able to hit the road again in 2021, presenting 31 programs in multiple states. Highlights this past year included being a part of the “Inspirational Spring Concert Series” at Dollywood Theme Park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, where we presented our program 12 times over 3 days; singing in historic Ocean Grove, New Jersey, at the Tabernacle (right next door to the Great Auditorium where Billy Graham preached three times throughout his ministry – and, where we’ll be returning to on July 24, 2022!); and celebrating three years of ministry presentations with a big celebration concert at WJTL’s The Junction Center this past August. God has been so good, and we have now presented this program in over 70 locations to over 7,000 people. We can’t wait to see where else He will use this program!
Where do you see yourself in five years?
Wherever God wants to take me!
Do you have a life verse or verse that inspires the group?
My personal life verse, and the one that is the base of LeeP Productions is Colossians 3:17: “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” I live and work and love to the absolute best of my ability, and God gets all of the glory!
What legacy do you hope to leave behind?
I hope that my children love and live for the Lord, and that they will teach their children to do the same…and that if just one person received Christ because of something I did, whether it was through seeing Then Sings My Soul, or because of a way I helped them or showed compassion, then that is legacy enough for me.
What question do you wish I had asked?
You asked some really good ones, so I don’t think I have anything else!
Three words…(first or last three that come to mind)
Macaroni and cheese. Is that answer ok? (laughs) I must be hungry!
BNT 2022 Tour Preview: Click Here.
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Is there a way to help sponsor future shows?
Yes. All public shows to date have been offered as ‘pay-what-you-will,” so that they are accessible to all people. That is very important to us. Therefore, we rely on the generosity of audiences! I always donate a portion of our proceeds from Then Sings My Soul to the Billy Graham Library. We are not a non-profit, so these contributions are not tax-deductible; however, if you’re interested, “sponsorships” can be made out to and sent to “LeeP Productions, LLC”, PO Box 272, Strasburg, PA 17579. We are also on Venmo @LeePproductionsLLC.
Visit TSMS website and to follow on social media: Click HERE
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