NEWS   Published August 1999 (The Barfly) Lancaster/York, PA

Efatha - This Is What You Get
By Cynthia Hummel

What you get in Efatha's new CD titled This Is What You Get is great folk music with a Celtic edge. Efatha, based on a Greek word, means "to be open; to gain insight." The wife of duo member Scott Hertzog suggested the name for this peaceful, reflective sound.
The CD, however, recently sparked a controversy when a local Christian bookstore chain banned it from its stores and canceled a promotional performance, Hertzog said. He explained that the word hell in the fourth song "Please Jesus Sir" prompted the ban. Despite the controversy, the CD is selling well through other outlets and some songs have received airplay on stations such as WXPN, WJTL, WIXQ, and Y102.
Hertzog provides vocals and acoustic guitar on the CD, while Christine Lafferty Plays viola. This Is What You Get follows Efatha's sampler 1997 CD, Snared In Chains. Since the newest CD's debut, cellist Jess Kormos has replaced Christine Lafferty.
The Celtic influence can be heard clearly in the instrumental "Sailor's jig" and in "Christopher's Morn."
In "Charades," Hertzog sings about the search for truth: "Let's play charades/Pretend I have the answers/Would you then be satisfied/There's something more than this/I know there's something bigger/Bigger than who I am."
The lyrics that caused the CD to be banned are: "Please, Jesus Sir what's living all about/I hear your people quoting John 3:16/And these religious people are just passing me by/And no one ever tells me what the hell is going on."
The black and white artwork on the CD is notable because it indicates the sound of the music within. Solanco High School Student Lauren Payne took the cover photo of a bend in a tree-lined river. "It's a very natural setting," said Hertzog. "We think it reflects the music."
In just two years as a group, Efatha has performed at venues from Philadelphia to Reading to Pittsburgh. Locally, they play a variety of places including the Chameleon Club, the Coffee Company, Barnes and Noble, Borders Book Shop and Lancaster Malt and Brewing Company.

Kspace Music Review (Kspace.com)...August 13, 1999

Efatha, Featured Artist
By Toni Barber, Kspace Production Manager
Acoustic folk/Celtic duo Efatha plays homemade, down-to-earth music that doesn’t sound like it was recorded in a covered garage.
Their songs are about real issues and real places in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in the tradition of Irish rock. Self-compared to groups such as Jars of Clay and Sixpence None the Richer, Efatha has created a unique sound that combines the melancholy instrumentals of viola, bass, acoustic guitar and even the occasional penny whistle with alternating female and male vocals. The end result in their newly released CD, This Is What You Get, is a very relaxing vibe -- perfect for sipping café lattes in an all-night coffee house.
The duo, comprised of Scott Hertzog (a Solanco High School English teacher) and his former student, Christine Lafferty, uses Scott’s passionate guitar and Christine’s focused viola to drive the music. The occasional use of bass and drums strengthen the rhythms without taking too much away from the vocals.
Efatha (pronounced E-fah-thuh), a Greek word, means “to be open” or “gain insight.” Their songs, Scott told Rockstar Review in a 1998 interview, are “to challenge and point people who don't know God along the path to discerning His truth.”
But you don’t need to be religious to enjoy their jubilant, acoustic rock. It’s music for all ages and musical tastes. What’s most impressive about Efatha is that as their popularity has grown, they have not lost sight of their hometown values and chemistry. They still play regularly at Renaissance Festivals and local street fairs, and another Solanco High School student did the cover art for This Is What You Get.

Top Two Songs:

A triumphant song about a man’s solo journey along the San Pedro River, “Christopher’s Morn” shares with the listener the solitude and success of the wanderer. The song’s hypnotic guitar rhythm will make you stop what you’re doing to listen to the words.
“Rain Fall Down,” with Christine on vocals, instantly reminded me of Ani Difranco – a youthful voice with a powerful, yet natural punch. Its story of a child creating sandbox sculptures in the rain is as inspiring as it is beautiful.