Fans love the Petersen siblings — Katie, Ellen, Matt and Julianne — for their family chemistry, flawless harmonies and clear love for one another. All are evident in their live performance of “Sweet Beulah Land,” a gospel classic from the 1970s.
The siblings, along with their mother Karen and family friend Emmett Franz, have been performing for years as The Petersens, a Branson, Missouri-based bluegrass act. Their performance of “Sweet Beulah Land” starts with Matt on guitar and Ellen’s pure, gorgeous vocals. Soon after, all four siblings join on instruments and vocals.
Beulah Land is a metaphor for Heaven, and The Petersens’ heavenly voices do the song justice. This performance, like most of the family’s, features Katie on fiddle, Matt on guitar, baby sister Julianne on mandolin, Karen on bass and Emmett on dobro.
Ellen also plays banjo, as seen during her Season 14 “American Idol” audition. She auditioned with “I Wanna Be A Cowboy’s Sweetheart” and made the top 48. And if all that isn’t impressive enough, all four siblings also have college degrees. Julianne was even valedictorian.
