Young “Old Order Amish” Couple Goes Viral with Country Song
It’s not uncommon for some unknown to come out of nowhere with a rendition of an old country song that goes viral on YouTube or social media these days. As the appeal for country music—and traditional country music especially—has become rather pervasive over the last few years, it’s happening more and more.
But it’s not every day you see an Old Order Amish couple gaining traction. This isn’t the semi-Amish or Mennonite order we’re talking about here. This is the horse-and-buggy of the Amish faith. Their strict codes generally forbid them from things like the internet.
But one young couple simply known as Ben & Rose decided they wanted to record a version of the classic country song “Slowly But Surely,” joining the ranks of Merle Haggard and Bonnie Owens, and Rhonda Vincent and Daryle Singletary.
Who better to reach out to than singer/songwriter Conrad Fisher, who along with releasing his own music, operates Ragamuffin Hall in tiny McCoysville, Pennsylvania. It’s an old church built in 1871 where Fisher holds performances, and operates a recording studio.
Born and raised in a Mennonite household himself—and regularly hosting performances with Amish/Mennonite performers—Fisher seemed like the perfect intermediary to trust with recording a song for Ben & Rose. So the singing couple had their brother drive them to Ragamuffin Hall, and Conrad produced “Slowly But Surely” for them like he would any other country song.
When they were done, Conrad Fisher convinced the two to make a quick video for the song, if only for themselves. But at some point, they Ben & Rose decided to upload the video on YouTube, and it’s since found strong reception.
“Very seldom can anyone be a part of something that is truly ‘new under the sun’ but I think an Old Order Amish couple recording a country song and putting a video out on YouTube qualifies,” Conrad Fisher says.
Rose can also be seen in a couple of other more lo-fi videos, performing “Circle of Love” and Dolly Parton’s “Coat of Many Colors” in a group called Third Fret Harmony, but they haven’t taken off like “Slowly But Surely.” “She sounds like Dolly,” says Conrad Fisher.
Though some might think Amish can’t engage with music at all, according to AmishRules.com, they can play and listen to live music, “but it has to be music that is uplifting, and culturally appropriate.”
“Slowly But Surely” is definitely uplifting and culturally appropriate to Ben & Rose. And who knows, maybe they’ll become country music’s next power duo, even if its unbeknownst to them or the rest of the Amish world. Meanwhile, we’ll all be sitting back and enjoying the music.
December 11, 2024 @ 12:48 pm
I just want to fast forward 14 months to Paul Cauthen telling them to STFU.
December 11, 2024 @ 1:10 pm
Sounds great!
Who’s playing pedal steel on the track?
December 11, 2024 @ 2:26 pm
Daniel Beachey.
December 11, 2024 @ 3:07 pm
Conrad, I was in Pine Grove Mills this past fall briefly for a family funeral. Wish I had remembered that Ragamuffin Hall was not too far away, but time was short.
I’ll probably be heading back that way in the next couple years, again for funerals, such is life, which makes this all sound pretty sad-sack, but it’s not, really. Building in some time to drive over to McCoysville might be just the thing to keep the spirits up.
And we could pick a song or two.
December 11, 2024 @ 3:10 pm
Holler at me. I love when folks stop by. Maybe you can catch a show. Roger Cook is coming up this summer. That’ll be a good one.
December 11, 2024 @ 4:07 pm
That is near my old stomping grounds!
December 11, 2024 @ 3:02 pm
Beautiful. Love it. More please!
December 11, 2024 @ 3:35 pm
Great job by that young couple. I know a few Amish performers (well ex-Amish now) down the road in Holmes County, Ohio. The bishop of the Old Order Swartzentruber Amish here in Northern Ashland County won’t even allow the buggy’s to have SMV signs or any flashing lights (it’s been going through our court systems as a law was passed last year by the Ohio general Assembly) so we don’t have any Amish folks who openly perform music here. If there is anyone left in America who have actually lived the life the early country music performers from Appalachia sang about, it’s the Amish
December 11, 2024 @ 3:41 pm
Quick, record more of this now before the Amish start using an outdated version of pitch correction software.
December 11, 2024 @ 3:43 pm
I live in the heart of Amish country. I have Amish customers, nieghbors, and friends. Over the years I’ve learned a lot about Amish ways. One important thing to note is that there is no central governing authority, each community makes its own rules about what modern practices members can engage in. Allowing recordings to be made of themselves, whether audio, video, or still, after baptism into the church is something I’ve never heard of even in the most progressive-minded congregations. So while they may belong to an old order community, they stopped being old order themselves as soon as the mic went on.
December 11, 2024 @ 3:54 pm
These 2 seem like they could be young enough to be in Rumspriga. Maybe that’s how they got away with it.
December 12, 2024 @ 6:36 am
His beard tells me that they’re married. You have to be baptized before you can be married, so the “time of running around” has passed for them.
December 11, 2024 @ 3:54 pm
I would hope that these young folks could remain in their community and be supported and loved as long as they wish to be there while sharing their heartfelt expressions with a world that craves them. Whether that conforms to anyone’s rule, I don’t know. But that would be my wish.
December 11, 2024 @ 4:05 pm
I grew up in one of the most Amish populated counties in the country in Indiana and lived there until I was 27 when I moved to TN. The Amish bishop in a given area has control over certain rules. Groups of Amish are allowed to have cell phones. This was the case all the way back in 2004. I have never heard of a rule where if a camera or microphone went on then they were essentially banished from the church. I believe the rule is still applied in most groups among the Amish where if they want to leave the Amish church after rumspringa then they are shunned.
The rule of only being able to listen to uplifting music is not exactly true. Some buggies would have sound systems in them and I know what I heard… My first job was in an Amish restaurant (No I am not Amish and it was 50/50 English and Amish that worked there) and this one woman would always sing ‘Pour Some Sugar on Me’ by Def Leppard in the kitchen lol.
December 11, 2024 @ 5:07 pm
Elkhart County, Montgomery?
The Commissioner of Hamilton County/Township (N. INDY) was working some property in Montgomery he had with two Magnificent Belgians.
We (One of the owners of a carriage company working downtown Nashville, Indiana, and myself and another, were in Montgomery, to have one of the carriage wheels fixed)
The commissioner asked if i had ever worked a team of Belgian ‘s. Replied, haven’t had the honor.
He motioned for me to step up on the platform and take the reins.
Very beautiful experience.
Peace & quiet, and the Belgian’s going about their business.
They were Huge, and Smart, and knew their business.
December 11, 2024 @ 6:07 pm
Lagrange County, which is beside Elkhart County. Once I turned 18 I moved to FT Wayne, South Bend, and Plymouth
December 11, 2024 @ 6:35 pm
Very nice.
December 11, 2024 @ 4:08 pm
Correct.
Each bishop is different.
December 11, 2024 @ 3:50 pm
There is so much right about this video, the song, the music, and those facial expressions to each other make it so real.
December 11, 2024 @ 5:12 pm
I’m gonna get blowback for this but it’s very obvious that they are miming along with the vocal in this video. I only say this because most people won’t even realize that they aren’t singing live in this video. They are talented and this is obvious in the live music videos of them posted on Youtube.
December 11, 2024 @ 5:53 pm
Yes you’re going to get blowback for it because everybody knows this. Everybody. I talked about how the video was made in the article. It’s obvious. You made the same hectoring comments in the Oliver Anthony article, talking down to everyone like nobody had ever heard of pitch correction software before, and then pestering folks with semantics about the different software names as if that was what was being argued.
December 11, 2024 @ 6:09 pm
Hectoring??? Because I understand pitch correction software and it’s use today and you don’t. Piss off Polyanna
December 11, 2024 @ 6:12 pm
You want to deny the reality that audio engineers use this software on virtually all major country pop artists because acknowledging so might cause collateral damage to some more “independent” artists. The more I learn about the pervasiveness of its use, which includes aspiring artists on TikTok and social media, the more it makes me want to reject accepting any new music as valid.
And no this isn’t a political defense of Oliver Anthony.
December 12, 2024 @ 4:19 am
Strait in 1961: “You mean to tell me that this Haggard guy uses a guitar that plugs in? To electricity? This newfangled technology makes his music invalid.”
December 12, 2024 @ 2:15 pm
This is the core of the ethical argument of pitch correction on vocals. Yes people in the past tried to invalidate changes in music whether it was drums, electric guitars, etc but those technological advancements still have a direct link to the heart of the musician whether it is Haggard or Stevie Ray Vaughan with a guitar or John Bonham with the drums. Reverb can be added to vocals to increase the sense of space and illicit other emotions.
What I do not see the artistic merit in is using software to take an already talented singer’s voice and snap the vocal line directly to 440hz forgoing the natural way vocals meet pitch and creates “soul”, in favor of sounding more “polished and modern” or whatever.
I am aware that in the studio when recording records that engineers for decades have had different ways to “clean up” a desired vocal take. They even sped up analog tapes in spot if there was a slight pitch issue. I don’t find an issue with that. It’s the using of pitch correction software in a live setting to create an absolutely flawless performance that just defies reality – especially when the singer is completely talented on their own.
December 12, 2024 @ 2:42 pm
For the love of all things Holy, did you honestly just leave another comment about this dumb issue Strait, and on an article where it’s totally unreleated?
Parker McCollum doesn’t use ANY pitch correction, of ANY name. Artists who’ve toured with him, including Koe Wetzel, Kolby Cooper, Kassi Ashton, and Corey Kent have all come out to say the claim by Oliver Anthony was completely irresponsible, if in fact it was about Parker McCollum.
Congratulations that you’re just waking up to the phenomenon of pitch correction, but you’re having discussions the rest of the world had a quarter century ago when Cher released “Believe.” And if you want to keep on having it, at least do it on an article that is relevant to the topic. Any other comments about it here will be deleted.
Furthermore, I can’t express to you how embarrassing it is to see some of the comments left here. People need to understand the context of these articles, appreciate that people who may never read Saving Country Music, or rarely read about country music online might come here and participate. This isn’t your fun house to vent your spleen in. Have a little respect for the topic and the subject at hand. Saving your offhanded and off color comments for the rants and where they’re relevant.
December 11, 2024 @ 11:57 pm
No shit. You think Dwight was singing on top of the train cars???
December 12, 2024 @ 6:00 pm
I was responding to the fact that Gary said “and those facial expressions to each other make it so real.” The vast majority of the people watching this video won’t know that that they are miming the vocals.
December 13, 2024 @ 4:43 pm
Good thing we have you to set us Strait 😉
December 11, 2024 @ 3:53 pm
I got to meet Ben Rose and some of their family on Sunday at Ragamuffin Hall for the Rhonda Vincent show. They were genuinely nice and humble people. I’m happy they are saying some success!
December 11, 2024 @ 4:51 pm
Beautiful. Rose actually reminds me of Sierra Ferrell when she hits those high notes.
December 11, 2024 @ 5:45 pm
It’s a solid song/performance. But I have to admit (not picking on this pair specifically), but I just have become bored with the “viral” performers/performances. So few of these performers have any sticking power, it’s hard not to view these as “huh, nice” and move on. From Mason Ramsey to Oliver Anthony to whatever 20-something male is playing guitar on TikTok this minute, it’s just hard to care much.
Credit to the artists who HAVE managed to break out and have some sticking power (most notably Zach Bryan, though someone get him an producer), but these viral performances have essentially replaced the “1-hit wonder” from previous decades.
December 11, 2024 @ 5:56 pm
It’s pretty surprising they’ve gotten 150K spins on their video out of nowhere. But this is nowhere near the Oliver Anthony/Mason Ramsey level. Not even close. Traditional country performances go viral like this all the time these days. What’s cool and interesting about it is that it’s an Amish couple.
December 12, 2024 @ 11:47 am
Really interesting comment. I agree, and I think it might have to do with the medium. Back in the 70s-90s, we had magazines to pull things together. Musicians were stories, including and especially country musicians. Loretta was a story. Hag was a story. Cash — what a story! And so the telling of those stories gave their music a context, and that was part of a bigger context about music as a whole.
In this day and age, when you have an infinite selection, there’s less of a sense of story about any one piece of that infinite selection. It’s like everyone is a candy bar in the Big Vending Machine In the Sky(net). Select one, eat it, move on to the next, next time you’re hungry. No story.
That’s why I keep reading SCM. Here at least we have a journalist who can see things in time and in context. That’s a big value-add, in my opinion. Otherwise, we just have … flotsam.
December 11, 2024 @ 5:47 pm
Sounds like a great song to me. Hopefully get some more
December 11, 2024 @ 6:01 pm
Sounds great!! As a traditional Catholic, I appreciate how true the Amish are to their core values. Wish them great success!
December 11, 2024 @ 10:58 pm
I’m a Traditional Catholic here too.
Do you like The Hillbilly Thomists? Some would say they aren’t fully traditional, but they are definitely Catholic country.
December 12, 2024 @ 11:25 am
Yes, I do. Really like their version Wayfaring Stranger.
December 11, 2024 @ 7:51 pm
“So the singing couple had their brother drive them to Ragamuffin Hall….”
In a [horse and] buggy, of course.
[And I will refrain from any cheap joke on this score and assume that the gentleman is actually only a brother to one of them.]
December 12, 2024 @ 3:15 am
This comment is in really poor taste. Ben’s brother left the Amish and drives a car.
December 12, 2024 @ 6:21 am
OK.
Maybe they’ve left–or are out the door–as well, if they’re riding in it.
December 12, 2024 @ 3:13 am
A few things for the record:
1. Ben and Rose are indeed with the old order Amish church, not in rumspringa.
2. There are some Amish communities where this might get you excommunicated, but the Amish Churches in PA are in such an upheaval about other things right now, they’ll probably get away with it without even being reprimanded by the church.
3. It’s none of our businesses anyway. They initially made some pretty music for themselves, and then decided they’d post it. That’s pretty much it. I’m happy to be a part of it.
Whenever someone speaks in sweeping generalizations about the Amish and Mennonites (or any other subculture, really) you can be assured they don’t know what they are talking about. Even that Amishrules.com link has a picture of Mennonites in an article where they are talking about the Amish which indicates to me that they don’t have a very good handle on things, even though they took time to make a website trying to explain it to the rest of us. Every community is so different, and technology is changing things everywhere.
Trigger is correct in his analysis of the situation.
December 12, 2024 @ 10:55 am
Finding something hypocritical makes people feel like they’ve got some special insight or “unique revelations” to share, perhaps.
When I first watched this, I couldn’t help think about the technology being used, but didn’t really dwell on that. Really what hit me was how direct, straight forward, and “pure” this is. Good stuff.
And maybe it seems really fresh and, I guess maybe even a little rebellious in an era that when face tattooed rappers are making electronic sounding country records.
December 12, 2024 @ 10:59 am
Don’t bother about the naysayers, know-nothings, and internet cranks. This young, married couple made beautiful music together. I’d bet (never know) that they understand a way of life that provides them a heck of lot more than selfish pleasure. So if you see them again, please tell them some ole’ hillbilly in Mississippi loved their music and encourages them to follow God’s will together.
December 12, 2024 @ 7:28 am
Thought this might be interesting, but didn’t expect to really love it. No disrespect to Ben, but Rose is the jewell here. What a voice. The steel is fantastic too. Great job.
December 12, 2024 @ 7:38 am
Sound good. Another family I like is The Brandenberger Family. They are on YouTube. Someone needs to get them in the studio to.
December 12, 2024 @ 8:21 am
Hmmmmm.Wonder if Ben &Rose aren’t a 2024 nod to Joey and Rory.
December 12, 2024 @ 8:47 am
Awful lot of technology being used here…
December 12, 2024 @ 9:45 am
Can’t we just enjoy the music and forget all the fuss?
December 12, 2024 @ 9:57 am
I’m with you there.
December 12, 2024 @ 9:45 am
I grew up in a real conservative Lancaster County PA Mennonite environment…went to Mennonite schools (4 different ones, that’s how much of a trouble maker I was) all 12 years. Most everyone in the school looked like these two. We didn’t have radio or TV till i was a senior in high school. I couldn’t wait to get out. Seeing / hearing this brings back the good memories of my childhood. Thanks for giving the details of where it was recorded, which isn’t far from where I live now.
December 12, 2024 @ 10:56 am
Both Ben & Rose’s voice, are very nice. Their voices certainly complement each other.
I would call this very uplifting music.
Pure in its simplicity.
December 12, 2024 @ 1:46 pm
I’m wondering what their last name is , and where they are from.
December 12, 2024 @ 2:07 pm
They are keeping their last name private. They are from Pennsylvania.
December 12, 2024 @ 9:30 pm
How dare you post this before their agent approved!
December 13, 2024 @ 6:52 am
Wonderful in every way!
Who woulda thought that the Amish would be the ones to save REAL country music?
And for those who are making comments about the Amish rather than the excellent MUSIC performed by Ben & Rose, give it a rest! Just enjoy it. We seldom hear anything this good these days.
December 13, 2024 @ 7:01 am
I have absolutely no problem with current groups doing new versions of classic country songs. Most of the time, the new versions give us a whole new take on the song. Not always but most of the time. A current example of this is the fantastic South African group “West” who did wonderful versions of “I’m So Afraid of Losing You Again”, “There Goes My Everything”, “Lay Down Beside Me” and several other classic songs. Since I found this group on YouTube, I cannot stop listening to their versions of classic songs as well as their original music. I wish they could get played in the US. So this Amish couple is perfectly OK in doing their own music, I will check them out.
December 13, 2024 @ 9:12 pm
Sure would love to see them record a few more songs and see how that flys at home and how they’re received. Rose has as voice that gets your attention and appreciation.
December 19, 2024 @ 2:55 am
She has that sound like LeAnn Womack. Great voice!!