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Northern Irish Christian duo From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Keith & Kristyn Getty are a musical duo from Northern Ireland, focusing on hymns and other Christian music. They are best known for the 2001 hymn “In Christ Alone”, co-written with Stuart Townend.[1]
Keith & Kristyn Getty | |
|---|---|
 Keith & Kristyn Getty at the Sing! 2019 Tour in Bakersfield, California | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as |
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| Origin | Northern Ireland |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Labels | Getty Music |
| Members | Keith Getty Kristyn Getty (née Lennox) |
| Website | gettymusic |
Other well-known hymns in the Getty Music catalog include “Rejoice”, “The Lord Almighty Reigns”, “His Mercy Is More”, “He Will Hold Me Fast”, “The Power of the Cross", "The Lord Is My Salvation", "By Faith", and "Speak O Lord".
The Gettys have recorded 26 albums and have been nominated for a Grammy Award, as well as winning two Dove Awards.[2] In 2017, Christianity Today named the Gettys "preeminent" hymn writers who have "changed the way evangelicals worship".[3]
The couple oversees Getty Music, a record label and publishing house, as well as an education program for developing hymn writers and worship leaders. In 2020, the Gettys founded the Getty Music Foundation which provides resources to churches and families, especially resources pertaining to theology and congregational singing education. They have four children.
Kristyn Getty's uncle John Lennox, introduced the couple to one another, and the pair soon began writing songs together. They were involved in several organizations and projects in Northern Ireland. The Gettys were married in 2004 and moved to Switzerland and worked at an international church in Geneva. They then relocated to Cleveland, Ohio and were based out of Parkside Church with Alistair Begg for 4 years. They relocated to Nashville in 2010.[citation needed]
Julian Keith Getty OBE (born 16 December 1974) was born in Lisburn, Northern Ireland to Helen Getty (née Irwin), a piano teacher, and John Getty, an organist. He studied music at St Chad's College at Durham University in 1993,[4] and enrolled in private conducting lessons with Alan Hazeldine in London and later in 1996 at the Tanglewood Music Center in Massachusetts.[5]
Kristyn Elizabeth Rebekah Getty (née Lennox, born 22 May 1980) was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland. She is the daughter of Gilbert Lennox and Heather Lennox (née Wright). She is the niece of the mathematician John Lennox. In 1999, she studied English literature and Ethnomusicology at Queen's University of Belfast (1999-2003). Kristyn was a member of various local bands during her early career, before meeting Keith Getty and beginning to write music. Kristyn’s first song to be published was titled “Your Song to Me,” which was released on her album with Keith, under her maiden name Kristyn Lennox.
"In Christ Alone" was released in 2001 on New Irish Hymns, featuring vocalists Máire Brennan, Margaret Becker, and Joanne Hogg. The song gained popularity.[6] It hit number one on the United Kingdom CCLI charts by 2006, and in January 2009, it was still number one in the UK, number two in Australia, number seven in Canada, and number 15 in the United States.[7] In 2013, "In Christ Alone" was played during the enthronement of Justin Welby, England's 105th Archbishop of Canterbury.[8] "In Christ Alone" has been covered by numerous Christian and Celtic performers, including Natalie Grant, Lauren Daigle, Jim Brickman, Owl City, the Gaither Vocal Band, Alison Krauss, and Newsboys.[9][10][11] The Gettys have also performed for former United States President George W. Bush, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, and former Vice President Mike Pence.[11][12][13]
The duo's debut release was In Christ Alone, released in 2006. This record was a collection of ten hymns remade with Kristyn as the vocalist.[14]
After a total distribution of approximately 200,000 units, In Christ Alone was nominated for a Dove Award in 2007. "The Risen Christ", a choral collection based on the album, was also nominated for a Dove Award in 2009.[15]
In 2008, Awaken the Dawn was the duo's second album.[16] The album was nominated in the 41st GMA Dove Awards for "Praise and Worship Album of the Year". Awaken the Dawn introduced a more "worship band" approach as Keith and Kristyn began to tour and present their music to an American audience. The album also collaborated with producer Phil Naish, the string arrangements of Rob Mathes, and Nashville rhythm musicians. As a result of a total distribution of approximately 110,000 units, Awaken the Dawn was nominated for a Dove Award in 2009.
In 2011, Keith and Kristyn Getty released Joy: An Irish Christmas. The album was dedicated to their daughter, Eliza Joy, born that year.[17]
This album developed into a touring Christmas show. "Irish Christmas" is performed annually at Carnegie Hall, and was presented at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.[18]
In 2012, The Gettys released Hymns for the Christian Life, a collection of music that most strongly represented the Gettys move to Nashville, Tennessee.[10][19] The album is personal, both in terms of writing more hymns on how the gospel speaks to the issues of everyday life and moving away to a more acoustic musical style that blends the two cultures they live—Irish and American folk music. The album was produced by Charlie Peacock and Ed Cash. The album featured guests artists including Alison Krauss, Ricky Skaggs and Máire Brennan.[20] In 2014, The Greengrass Sessions EP was released as a supplement containing additional songs used on the Hymns for the Christian Life tour. This was a limited edition EP that contained recordings of the live tour band.[citation needed]
The pair first performed at London's Royal Albert Hall in 2012 for the 40th anniversary of Prom Praise with the All Souls Orchestra and returned to the same venue in 2022 for the 50th anniversary concert. In 2013, they performed in Nashville at the Ryman Auditorium for the first time for a Saint Patrick’s Day concert.
In the spring of 2013, the National Conference of The Gospel Coalition was held in Orlando, Florida. The Gettys arranged the music at this event with traditional and modern hymns, including several selections from their own catalog. This became a live album, as well as a printed songbook.[21] The album was produced by Ed Cash, and features 13 previously-released songs.
In 2016, the Gettys began work on their next album Facing a Task Unfinished. The album's title track is the hymn "Facing a Task Unfinished", which the Gettys were invited to re-write by OMF International from the original by Frank Houghton in 1931.[22] The album was recorded at Ocean Way in Nashville, Tennessee. The album also features special guests Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Fernando Ortega, John Patitucci, and Chris Tomlin.[23] The album was released on 17 June 2016.
In 2018, Keith and Kristyn performed at the British Parliament’s annual National Prayer Breakfast at Westminster Hall. Together they led a worship service, singing songs like "Behold The Lamb" and "In Christ Alone". The audience included former UK prime minister Theresa May and the event was introduced by the former Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow.
In May 2019, the Gettys announced via their Facebook page an album named after the Christian worship hymn His Mercy Is More.[24] The album features Getty Music partners Matt Papa and Matt Boswell and was released in August 2019.[25]
In 2019 and 2020, TBN aired the program Sing! An Irish Christmas on their network for the Christmas season. The program featured the Gettys as well as Matt Boswell, Matt Papa, and others.
On 4 September 2020, the Gettys released the album Evensong (Hymns and Lullabies at the Close of Day), which features lullabies written by the Gettys throughout their parenthood, as well as various other hymns. This album was a product of collaboration between the Gettys and various other artists such as Vince Gill, Heather Headley, Ellie Holcomb, and Skye Peterson, daughter of musician and author Andrew Peterson. In its debut week, it debuted at #1 in both the Top Christian Albums chart and the Kid Albums chart[26]
On 29 October 2021, Keith and Kristyn Getty released the album Confessio: Irish American Roots, which includes traditional and original hymns arranged in Celtic and American folk styles. The album featured collaborations with Ricky Skaggs, Alison Krauss, Kirk Whalum, Dana Masters, Jordyn Shellhart, and Sandra McCracken. The album was nominated for a Grammy in the category Best Roots Gospel Album at the 2023 Grammy Awards.[27]
On 28 April 2023, Keith and Kristyn Getty released the album Christ Our Hope in Life and Death, named after the song with the same title. The album, consisting mainly of original worship songs and hymns, featured collaborations with Michael W. Smith, Rend Collective, Shane & Shane, Laura Story, Skye Peterson, Matt Boswell, and Matt Papa.[28]
The Gettys have been influenced by the work of musicians such as Irish traditional musicians, George Gershwin and Johann Sebastian Bach. Their music has been influenced by folk music and classical music and their lyrics incorporate techniques used in contemporary songwriting and standard hymnody.[29]
In reference to his songwriting and musical performance, Keith Getty wrote in 2015: "I do not pretend to be qualified to write a theological treatise on this particular subject. Congregational singing is a holy act, and as I organize my thoughts, I hear my old pastor, Alistair Begg, reminding me that in our song worship, we have to be spiritually alive..."[30]
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In 2010, Tom Bledsoe invited Keith and Kristyn Getty to join a special Christmas celebration in with George Beverly Shea and Cliff Barrows. The event included Billy Graham as the headlining speaker. The Gettys prepared thirty minutes of music from their album Joy: An Irish Christmas for the first evening. Their segment was expanded to a fuller evening of music subsequently presented to a number of churches that year.[31]
By 2011, Joy - An Irish Christmas was developed into a full-length album and a monthlong concert tour.[32] The tour returned in December 2012.[33] Irish Christmas took a hiatus in 2013 as Keith and Kristyn awaited the birth of their second daughter. The tour returned to North America in 2014. The 2014 tour culminated in Carnegie Hall with Ricky Skaggs as a special guest.[34]
2015's Joy - An Irish Christmas Tour took place in over 20 cities across the southeastern United States. The Gettys were joined by guest artists John Patitucci and Sally Lloyd-Jones in New York, as well as Buddy Greene and Ricky Skaggs at The Fox Theatre and the Schermerhorn Symphony Center, with astronaut Butch Wilmore as a special guest at the tour's final stop in Nashville.
The duo along with others toured the UK in 2012 during their The Northern Celtic Islands Tour.[35] Guest performers included Stuart Townend, New Scottish Choir and Orchestra, Jonathan Rea, New Irish Arts, and Dr. Noël Tredinnick.
In 2013, Keith and Kristyn embarked on the Hymns for the Christian Life Tour throughout North America.[36]
Keith and Kristyn were introduced to each other in 2002 by Kristyn’s uncle, John Lennox. After dating for two years, the couple married on 16 June 2004 in Armagh, Northern Ireland. They have four children.[37]
They divide their time between Portstewart, Northern Ireland, and Nashville, Tennessee.
Keith has received two honorary doctorates: one from Lancaster Bible College in 2011 and another from Dallas Baptist University in 2021.[39][40] Kristyn received an honorary doctorate from Dallas Baptist University in 2023.[41] In 2012, The British Hymn Society named "In Christ Alone" as one of the top 5 Hymns of All Time.
In 2018, Keith was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Elizabeth II, becoming the first church musician of the modern era to be given the award for contributions to music and hymn writing.[42]
In August 2019, Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council (LCCC) approved a motion to bestow its highest civic order on Keith and Kristyn Getty following a proposal by Alderman Allan Ewart.[43] The award of Freedom of the City of Lisburn and Castlereagh was conferred on 1 June 2023.[44]
In 2019, "In Christ Alone" was voted as the third most popular hymn in Britain as announced on the BBC program Songs of Praise, making it the only modern hymn to be included in the top ten.[45]
In 2020, their children’s album Evensong topped Billboard's Kids Album Chart, moving the Frozen Soundtrack out of the top position.[46][47]
| Year | Association | Category | Nominated Work | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Christian Book Award | Best New Author(s) | Sing! How Worship Transforms Your Life, Family, and Church | Nominated | [48] |
| Best Ministry Resources | Nominated | ||||
| 2019 | GMA Dove Award | Inspirational Album of the Year | The North Coast Sessions | Won | [49] |
| 2022 | Children’s Album of the Year | Getty Kids Hymnal: Hymns from Home | Won | [50] | |
| 2022 | Grammy Award | Best Roots Gospel Album | Confessio - Irish American Roots | Nominated | [51] |
In 2013, the Presbyterian Committee on Congregational Song in the United States sought permission to include "In Christ Alone" in a hymnal with a modification of the lyrics "Till on that cross as Jesus died, the wrath of God was satisfied" to instead say, "Till on that cross as Jesus died, the love of God was magnified". Keith Getty and co-author Stuart Townend rejected the request for modification and the Committee subsequently declined to include the song in its hymnal. The dean of Beeson Divinity School of Samford University, Timothy George, published an article criticizing the Committee's attempt to remove the controversial doctrine of the wrath of God from the song.[52] The topic of George’s article became popular and was eventually adapted by reporters from USA Today, The Washington Post, and other major publications.[53][54]
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