It's Saturday night live at the Gospel Chicken House, a former chicken coop and now a place to praise God in Hanover County's rural Montpelier area.

A typical three-hour evening is a mixture of gospel music and worship, where hands clap and toes tap to music flowing from the old, white-washed building.

"Where would you find something like this in today's world?" asks Nancy Stout Anderson, who lives in Glen Allen and rarely misses a week at the Chicken House on Greenwood Church Road.

For 34 years -- that's more than 1,768 Saturday nights -- people have gathered at the Chicken House to proclaim Christ through music.

Many of the 350 wooden seats have reserved signs placed there by regulars.

It's not unusual for 25 or 30 newcomers to show up on any given night.

. . .

For some, the Chicken House is a second church. For others, it's their only church.

George Aubrey Childress of western Henrico County, a Chicken House regular for 25 years, "really loves gospel music. This is kind of like church." He often plays bass or violin in the Gospel Chicken House band and years ago played at the Old Dominion Barn Dance.

On a recent Saturday night, trumpeter Ducky Weeks led the brass players of the Chicken House band in "When the Saints Go Marching In" as they strutted up and down the aisles. Back on stage, they continued with such favorites as "It Is Well with My Soul" and "Turn Your Radio On."

The second gospel group to perform that night was One Accord from Wilson, N.C. It was the sixth time the group, led by Wayne Whitley of Victory Free Will Baptist Church in Wilson, had appeared at the Chicken House.

Vickie Bruce of Glen Allen, who has emceed the weekly program for the past 27 years, sang several solos. She also read Isaiah 6:1-8, about Isaiah's repentance and his commission to preach.

Bruce welcomed everyone to the Chicken House. First-timers and those celebrating birthdays and wedding anniversaries were recognized.

Those attending for the first time included people from Oregon, Idaho and North Carolina as well as several places in Virginia.

The group prayed for the sick, the trapped coal miners and their families in Utah; people affected by flooding in Texas and an earthquake in Peru; and U.S. troops in harm's way.

. . .

The converted chicken house, with heat and air conditioning, is about 40 feet wide and 100 feet long. Its seats, which came from the Ashland Theater and from a church under renovation, are anchored to the concrete floor.

Photographs of groups that have performed there, such as the Easters, the Virginians Quartet and the Mill Swamp Messengers, line the walls.

The Gospel Chicken House started in 1973 when a quartet needed a place to practice. Ray Pollard, who sang with the group, invited them to use the chicken coop on his farm, where he and his wife, Mary, still live.

Soon people began to wander in and listen to the Saturday night rehearsals.

Pollard, now 85, said: "I never thought it would last this long. It wouldn't have lasted so long if God hadn't wanted it to."

Volunteers such as Bruce keep the Chicken House going. No one is paid to cut the grass, clean, or prepare the hot dogs, hamburgers and desserts sold at modest prices. For at least 18 years, Carolyn Packard has made and donated pies and cakes that are sold by the slice.

Packard's husband, Bill, cooks hot dogs and burgers. "Who knows why I do it every week?" he said. "When the Lord tells me to quit, I will."

. . .

An offering is taken and divided among the bands and singers. Bruce said she has no trouble getting musical groups. "I have a waiting list right now of 25 to 30 groups waiting to come for the first time. This year is booked. I'm working on 2008," she said.

First-timers Harvey and Joyce Elder and Ray and Corita Owen traveled from Halifax County. Both couples said they enjoyed the music and would be back.

Ray Owen added: "They seemed like a dedicated bunch of people. But I was a little disappointed that they didn't have any bluegrass gospel."

Judy Satterwhite, who sometimes sings at the Chicken House, said she enjoys the fellowship as well as the music. "It's Saturday night church. It blesses our hearts."