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Artist Community Comes Together To Celebrate 75 Years Of "How Great Thou Art"

GMA News Jan 25, 2024 11:22:28 AM

2024 ushers in a significant milestone for one of the world’s most beloved hymns, “How Great Thou Art.” Marking the 75th anniversary of this cherished song written by Stuart K. Hine, a group of award-winning artists came together to celebrate and record a new version, “How Great Thou Art (Until That Day).” The song, accompanied by a music video, will be available worldwide beginning tomorrow. Click HERE to pre-save and HERE for a sneak peek of the video.

This special collaboration unites the voices of many of today’s top artists, featuring Chris Tomlin, Hillary Scott, Kari Jobe, Cody Carnes, Matt Redman, Naomi Raine, Blessing Offor, Jon Reddick, TAYA, Brian and Jenn Johnson, Matt Maher, Pat Barrett, Benjamin William Hastings, Ryan Ellis, and Mitch Wong. Commissioned by the Stuart Hine Trust, Matt Redman and Mitch Wong crafted the new verse, offering a strikingly powerful addition to the timeless hymn while hoping to stir souls and bring critical help to those in need.

“In the lyrics, we wanted to acknowledge the ‘broken, warring world’ we live in, but also to sing with hope and faith over that,” Matt Redman explains. “Worship isn’t meant to have an escapist mentality, where we ignore what’s going on around us in this fragile, fallen world. Instead, we can engage with these things, pray for, and acknowledge God’s ultimate kingdom rule and reign in the midst of them.”

Produced by Matt Maher and Steve Marcia, with the string arrangement by Tommee Profitt, “How Great Thou Art (Until That Day)” is administered by Integrity Music (internationally) and Capitol CMG (U.S.). The new recording was captured at Gold Pacific Studios in Los Angeles and the iconic RCA Studio B in Nashville, establishing a poignant connection to the legendary artist Elvis Presley. It was in 1966 when Presley himself recorded his GRAMMY Award®-winning rendition of the song in the very same RCA Studio.

Official video for "How Great Thou Art (Until That Day)"

ABOUT THE STUART HINE TRUST: The song’s original writer, Stuart K. Hine, was a faith missionary in the 1930’s living and traveling in the Carpathian Mountains of Eastern Europe, which now include Ukraine. He could not have imagined the impact his 300-mile mission journey by bicycle, which inspired the English words of his internationally loved hymn, was to have on history. As Hine wrote many years ago, “The thoughts of the first three verses were born, line by line, amid my unforgettable experiences in the Carpathian Mountains.”

Before he passed away, Hine and his daughter Sonia created the Stuart Hine Trust, which now owns and administers his catalog. Royalties from “How Great Thou Art” flow into the Trust and are distributed each year to ministries that fulfill Hine’s calling and mission.

In 2022, the Ukrainian landscape that inspired Hine to write “How Great Thou Art” was suffering the impact of war. The trustees wanted to share the story of the hymn and commissioned a new verse, intending to give back to those whose land had originally inspired Hine, so a new section of the hymn was born. Matt Redman and Mitch Wong, along with Integrity Music, generously gifted this song entirely to the Stuart Hine Trust to ensure that the charity benefits from the royalties for years to come. As a result, proceeds from this version will be channeled towards humanitarian relief and rebuilding efforts in Ukraine as they face ongoing conflict and crisis.

“This derivative of ‘How Great Thou Art’ will see the fruit of the hymn sow seeds of hope into generations to come,” says Phil Loose of The Stuart Hine Trust. “The church is the hope of the world, and for the Stuart Hine Trust to use these hymn royalties to bring hope to those in need is truly transformational. How does worship make a difference? It makes all the difference when mission and worship collide.”

Artist Community Comes Together To Celebrate 75 Years Of "How Great Thou Art"

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