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The questions most asked...An Interview with Keith Getty
Gettymusic.com gets answers to the most asked questions...
Keith Getty has played an important role in developing modern hymns for the church.
With Stuart Townend, he has written "In Christ Alone" and "The Power of the Cross", both sung around the world today. These hymns aim to teach the truths of the bible for multi-generational Christian worship.
Keith is married to singer-songwriter Kristyn Getty. Together they have also collaborated on hymns, songs, musicals and children's music and are touring the USA throughout 2006 & 2007 to introducing their music to new audiences.
1. Keith – why write hymns?
I grew up singing hymns in a family where they were greatly loved in fact much of what I understood about the christian faith was engraved in my mind and heart by those lyrics. Around six years ago I had been involved in many different sectors of the music industry and had not really applied my abilities to writing songs for 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; songs that that would have room to breathe out the faith, the great stories of the Bible, the challenges of the gospel in a way that might be sung by potentially many age-groups and generations.
2. How do you think a hymn style song lyric can speak into an instant, pop, one-liner channel flicking society?!
Some of the lyrics of these old songs sometimes use words or phrases that might not easily be understood today so I thought it would be useful to attempt a contemporary vernacular meets fresh melody hymn song blend for today's church (It sounds like something you'd buy in Starbucks!).
Also, people love stories. Why is it that today's child can be seen flicking from MTV to Disney to Hallmark but can also be seen in a corner reading 'The Lion, the witch and the wardrobe' or Harry Potter without being able to put it down!? With 'In Christ Alone' there was a big story progression and especially with 'The Power of the Cross' which goes through Christ's walk from Gethsemane to Calvary. People will sing theology forever if the song takes them on a journey! I have heard people pray, evangelise, talk in the language of worship songs so what a wonderful opportunity to have almost creedal like hymns swimming around people's heads!
3. Are all your songs story epics?!
Not always. As worship leaders we have often found it difficult to find that song that fits that particular slot in a service – where were the songs that simply said sorry, where were the songs that prepared us for hearing the sermon, where were the songs that taught us how to pray?
Out of this need has been born several songs that have very functional roles in a church service. For example 'Speak O Lord' – the intention with this song was that after you sing it you are immediately engaged in the seriousness of what's coming next – the preaching of the Word. Isaiah 66 concludes by talking about judgement with the declaration "This is the one to whom I will turn my face – he who is humble and contrite and trembles at my word". I know my attention span has a drifting problem and this song was to call people like me to attention at this point in the service!
4. So you see worship music as a teaching tool rather than a worshipping tool?
No - I believe it is both.
When we sing to God we join with people of God from around the world and from every generation singing to Him, about Him, what He has done and our response to that. What we sing however is so important because, to a degree we are what we sing. What we sing provides a grammar by which we understand and express our faith. This is why we spend long hours talking with Pastor's and theologians who give us advice, feedback and fresh challenges in terms of what they think congregations should be singing. I think the healthiest environment is when the worship leader/ worship song-writer partners with the Pastor in feeding the congregation well through the songs they sing and the sermons they hear!
5. What about the melodies – how important are these? Why write in the more hymnlike melodic style?
We are aiming to write melodies that people of different ages and backgrounds can sing and will sing. It is a high ideal! But what we have found is that students and the elderly, young professionals and old timers are singing these songs. Is it possible that we could pursue to some degree a musical and lyrical goal that could help unite people is song instead of dividing people in frustration? We are not alone in working towards this.
In our hymns we have tried to fuse influences from folk music, classical music as well as contemporary songwriting and classic hymnology. We have found that when the music is melodically driven they are easily singable and if in a more hymn-like structure, once you get the first verse you have got the song!. Also we are trying to write hymns that for the mostpart can translate into either rhythm section arrangements or settings for choir, organ or orchestra.
6. Tell us a little bit about your writing relationships with Stuart Townend?
I am greatly blessed to have had the opportunity to work with someone such as Stuart Townend. His hymn "How deep the Fathers love" was also instrumental in getting me involved in modern church music.
In our writing relationship, there is a strong degree of partnership and that partnership has become more integrated the longer we have worked together and got to trust each others opinions on things.
He has very strong opinions on melodies, being such a gifted musician, and most hymns will follow my lyrical concept for where the song should go. For the mostpart however Stuart is the lyrical genius – I happen to think he's the most gifted lyricist in the world today when it comes to writing songs for the church.
7. How did you write "In Christ Alone"?
Of all the hymns we have written, this hymn is the most popular wherever we go. Ironically, it is the first hymn we ever penned together! I had a strong very Irish melody that I could imagine a large crowd singing. I wanted it to become a hymn that would declare the whole life of Christ and what each part of it meant.
Stuart wrote an incredible lyric, which the two of us edited, developed and rewrote for a couple of weeks until it became "In Christ Alone". As well as being a creedal song, it fires people with hope – that here is the God who even death cannot hold – "No guilt in life, no fear in death, this is the power of Christ in me".
8. This is one of the most universally sung hymns in the world today. I'm sure you receive many stories about this hymn – perhaps you could share one with us.
One particularly moving story was a letter we received from a soldier at war
" I wanted to share a song that has been a real inspiration to me. It is a
new hymn written, I believe, a year or two ago but it has the feel of the
traditional hymns. I have listened to it almost every night and even tend
to sing/reflect on its words on my trips across... It has been an inspiration to me
because in each of it verses it reminds me of fundamental principles.
It moves immediately to Christ's burden for those who scorned him. Boy,
can I relate. We are losing soldiers here everyday to people that we are
trying to help. To know that Christ purposefully gave his life for us helps me to understand that he knows that soldiers are dying and that he is in control.
Till on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied -
For every sin on Him was laid;
Here in the death of Christ I live
No matter how many times I hear that verse, I get chills up my spine. The picture of Christ standing in victory, the image of sin's grip being broken and the promise that I am his and knowing that he in fact is mine brings him incredibly close to me.
As I drive down the highway with my M-16
pointed out the window and my 9MM pistol tucked in my flak jacket
pocket. I can tell you that I feel more secure in claiming the
promise "No power of hell, no scheme of man can ever pluck me from his
hand till he returns or calls me home" than I do with that rifle and pistol."
9. Most people would say the best hymn you have written since then is "The Power of the Cross"?
"The Power of the Cross" is a meditation on the sufferings of Christ. In communion we are commanded to 'remember His death 'til He comes'. In the New Testament, Paul and the Apostles often preached and prayed in more detailed and visual ways about the cross, turning all of our senses to Christ's sufferings and their significance.
Stuart and I considered how the reality of His sufferings should penetrate our worship services and were challenged by the need to explain the overwhelming significance and implications these have for our lives.
'This the power of the cross
Christ became sin for us
Took the blame, bore the wrath
We stand forgiven at the cross.'
Our hope is that the hymn; "The Power of the Cross" will be a resource to the church as a declaration of what we believe and a song which challenges us by affording us time to really consider Christ's sufferings.
10. For the last several years you have been talking about this Apostles Creed Project. Why has this been such a consuming passion?
This has been such a consuming passion as it takes us through all the basic beliefs of the Christian faith and provided a way for us to organise our writing on the key aspects of the faith – songs that we had already written and songs that we felt we must write.
It is probably the most defining collection of hymns in my work so far.
11. Tell us something about your relationship with Kristyn. How has that affected your walk with God and your calling to ministry.
Kristyn and I got married last June – it was the greatest day of my life. We had a wedding with lots of friends and went to Italy for our honeymoon. As we began to plan for our future there were many thoughts in our heads as to where our futures could go.
I had a music business composing and arranging music for many artists I felt priveledged to have the opportunity to work with as well as being a record and show producer. Kristyn was a talented singer who had a couple of record deal opportunities, a gifted worship leader and a very gifted songwriter in her own right.
The more we thought however, the more apparent it became to us that we should work together on a common calling rather than constantly being stretched and so we decided to make the hymnwriting our primary focus where we would write, perform and develop a company and ministry that fulfilled these ideals. As we have gone along we have increasingly seen that our different gifts complement really well confirming that we went in the right direction!
12. So is it always love and romance working together – is it ever challenging?!
Honestly – of course it's challenging sometimes! There are times that we disagree over a lyric and we have to train ourselves to not let it spill into home time at the dinner table!
But while it is challenging it is a great blessing that we can share so much together. We are currently working on Kristyn's solo project as well as preparing for a couple of recordings later in the year. She has a presence on a stage that I could only dream of as well as some great new songs and I'm excited to see what will happen in the future.
13. Tell us a little bit about the future?
Our primary focus in everything we do now is writing hymns and songs that churches can use.
In February we moved to the USA for two years. The performing opportunities afforded us there and further afield allows us to be involved in many new exciting tours and collaborations in February – it is a really exciting time. We are also based at Alister Begg's church in Ohio which gives us a sense of local church support throughout the challenges of travelling.
Additionally we're releasing a number records, print music and books about our hymns as well as developing our website and existing songs.
We do hope however to create a ministry ultimately that sees far beyond the reaches of the Western World and can partner with ministries throughout the world and become a truly innovative, word centred and missionary orientated organisation.
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