A Joyful Noise
Keith and Kristyn Getty have been writing and performing hymns for over 20 years.
Their songs have been sung by millions in churches all over the world.
“We began to look at the songs we were singing and we were going, "Are these songs that we will carry with us and pass to the next generation? Are these songs that are helping us think more deeply?” Keith continues, “so we realized there was a need alongside what is being sung today to really try and recreate, I guess, the hymn genre, but it's really just deeper songs written in a more classic way. And so we started with “In Christ Alone" with our friend Stuart back in 2001 and it's really just become our life's work ever since.”
Kristyn comments, “I think the initial idea, "Why do we have this song and how will it be used?" That is often the beginning of all of our creative conversations. When we think of the church service, when we think of the church's year, when we think of the things going on in the world, when we think of pressures in the family, all those things. What parts of the Bible, what main ideas would it be a really great idea to sing?”
Keith adds, “What do we learn about the Lord in this song? How do we go deeper into His word? That's the first thing. The second thing is, is it great to sing? Not is it singable, because anything is ultimately singable, but is it great to sing? Can you hear a large group of people singing it? And thirdly, could you see yourself grow old with it?”
He continues, ”Kristyn started the hymn of the month with the girls, and I was driving them to school from our old house one day, and they started singing "Be Thou My Vision" And I thought of my girls, and that was the prayer for their lives, "Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart" Then with carrying their little screens into school, with all they might learn in education, "Be Thou my wisdom" Thinking about them leaving us some day, singing "Be Thou my battle shield, sword for the fight, Be Thou my dignity, Thou my delight" Thinking that they will grow old, I want them, however successful or unsuccessful they are by worldly terms, I want them to say "Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise, Thou mine inheritance, now and always" And then, all of us one day will die, and I want them to sing "High King of heaven, after victory won, may I reach heaven's joys, O bright heaven's sun" But the joy of that is, I know they will carry that song for 50 years, because even beyond my best songs, there's no evidence yet, people will sing my songs for 50 years, they'll sing them for 20, 25 years, but they're not singing them for 50.”
Kristyn responds, “It's a lofty goal for us as writers, but I think it's worthwhile going after what is so wonderful about that, and how can we follow in the footsteps of those great hymns, and write into our time and our generation.”
In 2017, the Getty started the Sing Conference, gathering writers, performers, pastors and churches from all over the world to join the chorus praising God.
“We want the conference to be a wonderful experience, and people to enjoy being with one another and singing, but we don't want it to become just that,” says Kristyn. “We want it’s use to continue on into the months, and so it's very important as we're planning the Sing Conference, what does this mean for next Sunday in these churches? What does it mean for families? What are they actually taking away with them? And it's been encouraging over the last few years, watching those who come back, those who are new because they've heard about it, and the expansion of some of these ideas It's been really, really important.”
She adds, “I think that's the most encouraging thing, when someone will text us or send a letter and say, "We tried this song in church on Sunday, it worked really well" Or our congregation are going through the Sing book to learn some of the ideas behind this, or next year we're going to bring the students with us.”
The Gettys are excited to bring their Christmas tour home to Ireland this year, and are working hard on a hymnal full of great songs, prayers and more.
Keith smiles, “Sing 25 is a real moment in our history. It's the most exciting sing we've ever had because we're launching the hymnal that year with our friends at Crossway It's opening at the Grand Ole Opry House with a special gala hymn concert for everybody who's coming, but also for the whole city of Nashville It's going to be a massive hymn singing. It will feature City O'Light, ourselves, our writers, guests.”
Kristyn adds “Celebration of hymns, old and new, but the core of this gospel story, and lots of voices telling it. That’s what so exciting about it.”
