Keith and Kristyn Getty return to Irish roots with new release

|PIC1|Produced by Grammy Award-winner Phil Naish (Steven Curtis Chapman, Point of Grace), with orchestral arrangements by Rob Mathes (Pavarotti, Eric Clapton), the album marks a return to the traditional Celtic sound of the Gettys’ homeland.

A chronological journey through a service of worship, Awaken The Dawn comprises 12 fresh hymns and new songs for the Church. Highlights of the album include “Come, People Of The Risen King”, “Creation Sings The Father’s Song”, “Behold The Lamb (Communion Hymn)”, and “Compassion Hymn”.

In addition, “What Grace Is Mine” closes the project and features Kristyn Getty’s new lyrics set to the tune of one of Ireland’s oldest and most ubiquitous songs, “Danny Boy”. The arrangement was recorded at the famed Abbey Road Studios in London, where recordings by such legendary artists as The Beatles and U2 have been made.

“At heart, Irish music is experienced in group form,” says Keith. “Whether it’s at a sports match, at a funeral, in church, in a family home or out with friends for the evening, we like to sing together. It’s not as sophisticated as a lot of music, but it has a simple melody that everyone can sing along with.”

Kristyn explains: “The two goals we have when we’re writing are to get people of every generation all across the world to sing, and in doing so, to sing songs that will build up the Church and enable people to express more about who God is.

"Our writing process often reflects upon how a worship service is put together, and so very intentionally we think of where a song might be used in a service as we write it.

"We hoped that crafting an album that echoes the movement through a worship service would be a purposeful and thoughtful journey.”

Awaken The Dawn comes with the Behind The Hymns bonus DVD. Primarily filmed on the North Coast of Ireland, the piece features interviews with the Gettys and a behind-the-scenes look at the couple’s songwriting process. The DVD also includes footage from the Abbey Road recording session of “What Grace Is Mine”.

The Gettys’ GMA Dove Award-nominated 2007 debut, In Christ Alone, has sold more than 100,000 units worldwide and features the immensely popular Celtic-flavoured title-cut. Co-penned by Keith Getty and award-winning British songwriter Stuart Townend, the song has been recorded by numerous artists and has quickly become a standard in churches around the globe.

Keith & Kristyn Getty have shared their music in churches and at conferences throughout the US and abroad. They have also performed at the Pentagon, Focus on the Family, the National Prayer Breakfast Media Dinner, and the GMA Dove Awards, among various other prestigious engagements. Last year the couple joined Franklin Graham for crusades in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and Charleston, South Carolina.

In 2008 and 2009, the Gettys returned to the United Kingdom and Ireland to headline the “In Christ Alone Tour”, and to make a number of guest appearances.