CHRIS FISH - BARITONE |
I have lived in the Twin Cities, MN all my life and music has been a big part of that life for as long as I can remember. Both my parents sang in church choir and my father, Wesley Fish, even sang in a quartet with his buddies from time to time, although that was before I was born. My oldest sister, who is still teaching piano, started giving me piano lessons when I was in early grade school. Even though it was a struggle to get me to practice, I was hooked on making music in whatever form was handy to me at the time. I’ve been known to stop what I am doing because I hear something interesting when I tap a bowl or utensil a certain way and I’ll try to repeat it. Try this sometime; Put a little water in a big metal bowl, hold it at the bottom, swish the water around and tap the side. It sounds really cool! Any-who, in 5th grade when I got to choose a band instrument, I chose the drums, but had to get my parents to sign a release form! When I brought the paper home, my mom thought, “There’ll be a million kids trying for the drums. I’ll sign off on it because he’ll never get it.” But God had other ideas, and I ran home the next day all excited about being able to have drums as my instrument.
A couple years later I got my first drum set and started playing in a band with a couple friends of mine that shared an interest in a style of rock music that was very difficult to play. So it really challenged me to become “good” very quickly. Later in high school I joined a singing group with Youth for Christ, played drums for them until I graduated and then ended up leading the group after the director was called into another ministry. While at Youth for Christ, I also formed a local Christian Rock band called “Insight” and we performed for many years in various forms. In 1995, after those ministries had wrapped up, I was playing drums at my church when this Southern Gospel Quartet called “The Chancellors” showed up to do a concert. |
They talked to me about playing drums on a recording project they were going to do so I started coming to their rehearsals. After a couple weeks they had another concert and they wanted me to play, so I did. At the time I thought I wouldn’t be caught dead playing for a Southern Gospel Quartet, but when I saw how God was working through that ministry, I just had to be a part of it, so I became a permanent member. Around ten years later, the baritone and founder of the group, Harold Vogel, decided to step down from touring. At that time I moved from drums to baritone and have been singing “the part no one else wants to sing” ever since.
My wife, Brenda, and I have one daughter, Lauren, who was married in the summer of 2016. I work for Ecolab as a “Data Steward”, which means I’m a computer geek.
One of my favorite verses is Proverbs 10:19 “When words are many, sin is not absent. But he who holds his tongue is wise.” Even though I am really an extravert, I tend to be reserved and try to choose my words carefully. Another verse I like is Proverbs 26:11 “Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool who repeats his folly.” All I have to say about that is God has given me a very odd sense of humor, which has gotten me in trouble at times when my words were many...
My wife, Brenda, and I have one daughter, Lauren, who was married in the summer of 2016. I work for Ecolab as a “Data Steward”, which means I’m a computer geek.
One of my favorite verses is Proverbs 10:19 “When words are many, sin is not absent. But he who holds his tongue is wise.” Even though I am really an extravert, I tend to be reserved and try to choose my words carefully. Another verse I like is Proverbs 26:11 “Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool who repeats his folly.” All I have to say about that is God has given me a very odd sense of humor, which has gotten me in trouble at times when my words were many...
