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Keith and Kristyn Getty have been at the forefront of the modern hymn movement
over the past decade demonstrating the ability to successfully bridge the gap
between the traditional and contemporary.
Keith and Kristyn Getty are currently living in the United States where they
write have just finished their second album together ‘Awaken the Dawn’, a
collection of hymns that takes you on a lyrical journey of grace and hope for
all the nations. This follows their first collection of hymns, the successful
2006 realease ‘In Christ Alone’. |
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Whether on a recording or leading worship with a congregation, Kristyn's
lilting, crystal-clear soprano is an ideal contrast to Keith's richly melodic
piano arrangements and accompaniment. An acclaimed soloist in her own right,
Kristyn began singing in her family's church in Northern Ireland - a
congregation her father helped plant - as a teen. Today she is both an
accomplished songwriter and artist, having penned children's musicals and been
featured with Christian music's Margaret Becker and Celtic artist Joanne Hogg on
the New Irish Hymns series, among her diverse credits. However, since her
marriage to Keith two years ago, the plight and power of the modern hymn has won
Kristyn's heart too, and she's equally dedicated to reviving the art alongside
her husband.
A multi-talented instrumentalist and composer, Keith first learned to play
guitar, but later began to study flute which included a summer masterclass under
renowned Irish flautist Sir James Galway. Ironically, it was Keith's piano - not
flute - arrangements that most intrigued Galway and helped open the world of the
music industry to him. Keith has since orchestrated and arranged more than 200
projects for recordings, concerts, theater, television and film, including
arrangements for Michael W. Smith's 2004 Healing Rain album, as well as
producing and composing (with Kristyn) various projects for the internationally
renowned African Children's Choir.
Though he was raised in a Christian home in Northern Ireland, it was ultimately
a yearlong study of the life of Christ during his time at university that
affirmed and crystallized Keith's faith. Since then, he has carried a passion to
communicate the basic tenets of Christianity through music in a universally
appealing way. Now, after several years in various aspects of the entertainment
industry, Keith has returned to his roots to use his gifts for the benefit of
the Church.
"I was challenged by a pastor in Belfast to perhaps try and bring some of what
the old hymns of the faith had brought to the Church through the centuries to
the contemporary Church," Keith remembers. "I didn't set out to create the
modern hymn. I wanted to write songs that contemporary, traditional and
liturgical churches could all use."
"There are two reasons we write modern hymns," explains Keith. "First, it's to
help teach the faith. What we sing affects how we think, how we feel and
ultimately how we live, so it's so important that we sing the whole scope of
truth the Bible has given us. The second reason is to try to create a more
timeless musical style that every generation can sing, a style that relates to
the past and the future."
"Our hope is not in ourselves, it's in Christ," Kristyn says of their purpose.
"We want music for the Church to be able to lift us beyond our circumstances and
become a plumb line for bringing all of our life experiences to the Truth."
"In the Church, the purpose of singing is to express the community we have as
the Body of Christ," his wife, Kristyn, adds. "To try to search for the melodic
ideas and song structure that might bring more people in - that's what we're
trying to investigate. Is there a way to bring everyone together musically?"
As Keith & Kristyn Getty stand at the helm of an emerging group of new hymn
writers today, it seems the Church need not fear the death of the medium in this
modern age. With songs that are timeless in theology and melody, much akin to
the prolific works of Wesley, Crosby and Newton, it's not hard to imagine the
esteemed roll call of the Church's greatest writers will one day include the
name Getty, as they carry forward the great standard of the hymn for generations
to come.
Bio written by Emily Kohl
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