Local gospel singers Katie Barrett, Tim Armour and Jennifer Cagle make up the trio CS&K and have been singing in churches all their lives.

After years of dedication and many awards, the trio recently won first place at the National Quartet Convention in Louisville, Ky. They took home the top prize out of 45 groups, which included a $10,000 recording contract.

"This is this group's first time to compete," said Kay Barrett, manager of the group. "They really had some great talent there from California, Kentucky and even Canada.

"They were judged on appearance, vocals and other things."

The group was allowed to choose one song to perform and they sang "My Name Is Lazarus."

Katie Barrett said they chose that song because it tells the story of Lazarus in a unique way.

"It was actually a song written by a man named Rodney Griffin," she said. "It was a song written back in the early 1990s that was a No. 1 song in gospel music. It talks about the Bible scriptures where four friends trying to get a man, who was never able to walk, to Jesus."

CS&K, short for Christ, Savior & King, came together in 2003 after entering a talent contest and placing second, soon after they officially formed the trio. Katie Barrett has been a member since the beginning, but Armour and Cagle have both joined CS&K this year.

Over the years, CS&K has recorded albums with producer Roger Talley and attended The Steve Hurst School of Music.

CS&K has recorded four albums and hopes to release another CD this December with a special original song written by Casey Ryals, a Lula musician.

"We're are in the process of completing our fifth album," said Barrett, a member at Hopewell Baptist Church. "It has eight original songs ... and four cover songs that people should know, hymns, choir songs and church songs people will know.

"The Lord is blessing us beyond anything that we ever dreamed possible."

The group not only sings old-time Southern gospel music, but also praise and worship to progressive genres. They have performed with various artists including: The Perrys, Dahlonega-based group Karen Peck and New River, The Whisnants and many others.

"I think something that is really good about us is that we've got lots of different ranges of music," said Cagle, a member at Riverbend Baptist Church. "We've got some hymns we do, we have some praise and worship songs, some are upbeat and some are slow and it all centers on Jesus Christ and the ministry ... but there's lots of different kinds of music that appeals to a larger audience."

The next big concert that CS&K will perform in is the 3rd Annual Kate Davidson Memorial Singing on Nov. 4 at Airline Baptist Church in Gainesville. Kate Davidson, Barrett's grandmother, was an educator in Hall County. The benefit will raise money for an annual college scholarship awarded each year. The concert also will feature the award-winning Booth Brothers.

"They are Dove award winners, Grammy nominees; they are big in gospel music," Barrett said.

Along with CS&K, other locals placed in the 2010 National Quartet Convention Talent Search.

Two Truett-McConnell College students were part of a trio that earned second place in a singing competition.

The group, Omega, took second place in the competition. The Southern gospel group earned a deal for a 10-track CD at Chapel Valley Studios with Sanctuary Records, in addition to national and radio releases of their songs.

Omega consists of Truett-McConnell senior music major Dustin Simmons and Monroe Bennett.

Traci Lawson, another Truett-McConnell student, placed fifth in the competition. Lawson said she was contacted by a producer from Indiana and hopes to be offered a record deal soon.