Interview with Keith Getty

When you hear the name Keith Getty, you may begin to hum the hymn ' In Christ alone. Number eleven on CCLI's top 25 list,1 In Christ Alone is Getty's most well-known and beloved hymn. Even if you haven't heard or sung In Christ alone, you may know it as the hymn which was the subject of several articles, interviews, and blog posts concerning its controversial inclusion in (or exclusion from) the new PCUSA hymnal, Glory to God. Co-written with Stuart Townend in 2001, the hymn has already found its way into seven hymnals, including Celebrating Grace and Lift Up Tour Hearts. However, this song was only a launching pad for Keith's hymn-writing career. Working together, Keith and his wife, Kristyn Getty, have been writing hymns for over a decade, while selling out churches and concert venues across the United States, Canada, and across the globe when they tour with their band. Their concerts always include congregational singing, drawing from both newly composed hymns and hymns from the church's tradition.Born and raised in Northern Ireland and now living in Nashville, Tennessee, Keith was formally trained as a musician at Durham University in the mid 1990s. He was introduced to the music industry by Sir James Galway, who intrigued with Getty's piano arrangements.2 With Galway's help, Keith quickly became a successful orchestrator and conductor, especially in the film industry. At the turn of the century, Keith 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.3 It was then that he turned his professional attention to the song of the church. Quickly finding international success with In Christ alone, Keith has since been a unique voice in contemporary hymnody, combining praise-andworship styles with his Celtic and orchestral influences. The Gettys now have fourteen different hymns published in hymnals,4 five full-length albums, and over sixty hymns published electronically on their website.5It is because of his original musical style, intentional textwriting, and the frequency with which his hymns are used in churches across the United States and Canada that our President-Elect, Geoffrey Moore, and I sat down with Keith when he was in Dallas on tour in order to discuss his work as a hymnwriter and introduce him to the work of The Hymn Society. Energized by our conversation about The Society's work and hoping to continue our conversation about congregational song, Keith agreed to have the questions and answers published.BH: What inspired you to begin writing hymns?KG: I've always loved singing hymns and as a young, thoughtful Christian growing up at the beginning of a new millennium with so much opportunity and so many challenges for Christians, I realized the need for our generation to be able to articulate what we believe.BH: I noticed that you are very intentional when you say you write hymns, never songs. Why is that?KG: The hymn thing was originally the initiative of other people, but I was happy to adopt it since traditional hymns tend to follow the more historic patterns of church worship from the Old Testament to New Testament to church history. It's in this tradition where we find understanding our faith through congregational singing and passing songs down from generation to generation both attractive and a huge need.BH: Your performances are mostly in venues such as concert halls or large venues with a stage, yet you incorporate a substantial amount of singing by the audience. What is your experience with people singing together in venues that typically do not involve the audience in the performance (e.g., symphonies, recitals, operas, etc.)? Do those venues provide any unique challenges or positive surprises when it comes to group singing?KG: The Christmas Tour does frequent a number of concert halls and the concerts involve carol singing, which is deeply meaningful for churchgoers and at the very least a cultural experience for those who are outsiders of the faith. …

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