Writing worship music that “works” for the non-denominational and mainline church is not an easy task. But Keith and Kristyn Getty have done just that, crafting beautiful modern hymns—the most popular of which is “In Christ Alone”—that have changed how many churches worship.
Case in point: I attend an Episcopal church that sings out of a hymn book last updated in the 1970s. Most of the songs are old standards like “Crown Him With Many Crowns,” “How Firm a Foundation,” and “Great is Thy Faithfulness.” When the musical director added in the Gettys’ music, I was thrilled since I was familiar with their work and knew it would add something new while fitting beautifully with the others. “In Christ Alone” is their best-known work, an anthem that an estimated 40-50 million people sing worldwide yearly.
The Gettys’ work has an unusual place in Christian music. As the Gettys’ bio states, “In re-inventing the traditional hymn form, they have created a catalogue of songs teaching Christian doctrine and crossing the genres of traditional, classical, folk and contemporary composition which are sung the world over.”
Despite their innovations, their work doesn’t receive much airplay on American Christian radio, leading to interesting solutions. Like their contemporary Andrew Peterson, they have become well-known for their praise and worship concerts, particularly annual Christmas concerts.
Keith was born in 1974 in Lisburn, Northern Ireland, and was involved in church music from a young age (his parents were Presbyterian Church musicians). He was raised in Belfast and earned a degree from Durham University in 1995. According to HymnologyArchive.com, he became an arranger and orchestrator for other artists and productions, sacred and secular, including James Galway, Michael W. Smith, and the African Children’s Choir.
Kristyn, six years his junior, was also raised in Belfast and developed quite a reputation as a singer-songwriter. She studied English Literature at Queen’s University of Belfast.
In 1999, her uncle, Christian apologist John Lennox, introduced her to Keith. Lennox had been one of Keith’s professors and hoped that Keith would help produce Kristyn’s music.
It was a great match, and they began playing and songwriting together (though Keith wrote many songs, including “In Christ Alone” with friend Stewart Townend). “I knew I wanted to tell the gospel story in one song, and I’d been working on a particular melody associated with this idea for some time that I shared with Stuart, said Keith. “Through our discussions, I made the suggestion that the hymn be called “In Christ Alone.” Stuart penned the incredible lyric, which outlines the gospel message. It was the first song we wrote together!
Keith and Kristyn were married in 2004 and have had three daughters together, living in Nashville and Ireland throughout the year.
In 2017 Keith Getty was honored as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The award, which commemorates Getty’s contribution to “Music and Modern Hymn Writing,” marks the first occasion that the award has been given to an individual involved in contemporary church music.
The Gettys have released 26 albums, including some for children. Their songs include well-known hits like:
“My Heart is Filled With Thankfulness”
“Come, People of the Risen King”
“Hear the Call of the Kingdom”
Their songs are available on a variety of albums, including Evensong and Christ Our Hope in Life and Death.
The Gettys travel worldwide for concerts and special events like their Christmas Show they’ve performed since 2011. According to their website, they launched a surprising new venture in 2016. Partnering with people around the world, they released the song “Facing a Task Unfinished” in February 2016, with the goal to see how many people they could get to sing it at the release. They result was 1.1 million people in 100 countries worldwide sing the song on the release day.
They also host the Sing! conference every year in Nashville, which combines worship music with speakers like David Platt and John Piper, and musicians like Sandra McCracken and David Kim.
Both Gettys are great friends of Joni Eareckson Tada and supporters of her ministry to people with disabilities. Joni recently released a book, Songs of Suffering: 25 Hymns and Devotions for Weary Souls. which includes an introduction by the Gettys that sums up their mission:
“The book of psalms—our Bible hymnal—teaches us to reach for lyric and melody through every journey of life. The psalms are our choirmaster but also the one signing beside us in the choir loft . . . The psalmist cries out, ‘Sing to the Lord, bless His name; tell of his salvation from day to day.’ Our signing to the Lord is not a blank or an escape, but wades through real life and drinks richly of Truth.”
Ten years after the release of “In Christ Alone,” Collin Hansen wrote a Gospel Coalition article on a debate over the hymn’s lyrics. Apparently, a committee in charge of choosing songs for the official Presbyterian Church USA hymn wanted to add the song but had a problem with some of the lyrics.
“The committee requested permission from the song’s writers, Stuart Townend and Keith Getty, to print an altered version of the hymn’s lyrics, changing “Till on that cross as Jesus died/the wrath of God was satisfied” to “Till on that cross as Jesus died/the love of God was magnified.” They believed that as it was, the song promoted the “view that the cross is primarily about God’s need to assuage God’s anger.”
Getty and Townend refused to make the change. The song remains one of the most-sung modern hymns worldwide.
In a 2018 Sweetwater interview, Keith Getty shared what he believes are the most important things pastors and worship leaders need to be more effective in leading worship.
First, he said that people need to know why we sing. There are over 100 commands in Scripture to praise God in song.
Second, he said that “deep believers” are those who “sing deeply to the Lord.”
Third, he says singing to the Lord is not just about Sunday morning. We need to sing to him, especially at home if we have children who can learn the gospel in song amongst their families.
Fourth, see how the congregation sang on a given Sunday and work backward to see what is missing.
Fifth, he says that congregational singing is a witness. “It’s not just for us or our families or the congregation, but for those who are there who have yet to believe.”
The first time I heard “In Christ Alone,” I had been away from church for nine months because of an illness. From the first sentence, I cried and cried. The song told me of my eternal hope through Christ’s sacrifice in a way I had never heard before. Now when we sing it at church, my hands are in the air the whole time.
Further Reading:
What Makes Christian Musician Michael Card Unique?
Remembering Contemporary Christian Music Pioneer Keith Green
What Makes Twila Paris a Great Christian Musician?
How Did Randy Stonehill Revolutionize Christian Music?
How Did Andrae Crouch Revolutionize Christian Music?
10 Things You Should Know about Rich Mullins
How Did John Michael Talbot Change Christian Music?
Photo Credit: © Getty Images/Vlad Antonov
Mary Oelerich-Meyer is a Chicago-area freelance writer and copy editor who prayed for years for a way to write about and for the Lord. She spent 20 years writing for area healthcare organizations, interviewing doctors and clinical professionals and writing more than 1,500 articles in addition to marketing collateral materials. Important work, but not what she felt called to do. She is grateful for any opportunity to share the Lord in her writing and editing, believing that life is too short to write about anything else. Previously she served as Marketing Communications Director for a large healthcare system. She holds a B.A. in International Business and Marketing from Cornell College (the original Cornell!) When not researching or writing, she loves to spend time with her writer daughter, granddaughter, rescue doggie and husband (not always in that order).
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