Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith are ’2 Friends’ on tour

Two of the biggest names in Contemporary Christian music — Amy
Grant and Michael W. Smith — joined forces this fall on the “2
Friends Tour.”

Saturday’s concert in Merrillville is one of the final stops on
their three-month trek together. It’s also the first time Grant has
performed at Star Plaza Theatre.

It will be her first time back in Northwest Indiana since 2002,
when she gave a 30–minute performance at Family Christian Center in
Munster while touring in support of her gospel album “Legacy.”

Between Grant and Smith, there are seven Grammy Award wins, 65
Dove Award wins, a couple of Emmys, and a gazillion records sold.
To call this anything short of a dream package for fans of this
style of music is an understatement.

Smith — with 29 No. 1 hits on the Contemporary Christian chart
– is one of the most influential and best–selling artists of the
genre.

Grant who released her first album in 1977, has become the
best–selling Contemporary Christian artist in history to date.

Grant and Smith were friends long before the fame, awards and
accolades came to them. In 1982, Smith was hired as keyboardist and
back–up singer for Grant on her “Age To Age” tour. With her
support, he ventured into solo recording in 1983 after signing with
Reunion Records, which was started by Grant’s then brother–in–law.
Smith, remaining a member of her group, often playing his music as
her opening act, until 1984 when after a Grammy nomination and and
hit single (“Friends”) launched his solo career and made him a
headline artist.

Grant and Smith have teamed up together to do live shows
sporadically over the years.

Smith cites the current “2 Friends Tour” as a happy reunion for
both of them. Logistically, Grant opens the show with Smith joining
her for some songs; then he takes the stage during the second half,
and Grant returns the favor by joining him for a couple of
tunes.

“It’s a streamlined little package,” said Grant of the
production which features a total of 13 musicians, who all travel
together by bus.

“From a work stand point, I’ve had the amazing opportunity that
anything I’ve ever wanted to try, for some reason, the door has
opened. I feel very content when it comes to (my) work,” said
Grant, whose most recent album is 2010′s “Somewhere Down The
Road.”

That album — her first new studio recording in six years during
a period that included a live concert disc and a “Greatest Hits”
collection — landed Grant a 2010 Grammy nomination for the single
“Better Than A Hallelujah.”

“The honesty of it, the vulnerability of the lyrics, the
beautiful melody, and that the song found me right where I was in
my own journey was incredibly powerful,” she said of how the song
resonated with her while dealing with the recent death of her dear
friend, musician Ruth McGinnis. “It’s just so poignant.”

It’s one of the new tunes fans can expect to hear Saturday.

Grant said she has been busy writing songs for a new album
targeted for 2012.

Lauren Alaina to Sing ‘My Grown Up Christmas List’ for ‘CMA Country Christmas …

Rick Diamond, Getty Images

‘American Idol’ runner-up Lauren Alaina will perform ‘My Grown Up Christmas List’ during next month’s ‘CMA Country Christmas’ special, which airs on ABC. The show was taped last Thursday in Nashville, and a fan video captured the 17-year-old taking on the song that was first made famous in country circles by Amy Grant.

“I feel like Christmas came early for me this year,” Alaina says, “but if Santa Claus wants to bring me some makeup I don’t think I’ll argue with him.” The big man does indeed have a tough task in topping the ‘Georgia Peaches’ singer’s year that’s included reality show fame, a recording contract, a tour of the country and a fire engine red Ford Mustang.

Alaina steps away from the group to perform the Christmas classic. She looks radiant in a sleeveless black gown, and her rendition of the song shows real vocal maturity. Scotty McCreery, Rascal Flatts, Vince Gill, Keith Urbanand Faith Hill are among the other performers on the special. It will supposedly air again on Dec. 17.

Leigh Nash

Leigh Nash
Hymns & Sacred Songs (Kingsway)
Released November 2011
Kristin Garrett

Style: Acoustic/folk hymns; compare to Sandra McCracken, Stuart Townend, Sara Groves

Top Tracks: “O Heart Bereaved and Lonely,” “Come, Ye Thankful People, Come”

Most pop fans know Leigh Nash as the darling vocalist for Sixpence None the Richer, whose hits “Kiss Me,” “There She Goes,” and “Breathe Your Name” have been heard on radio stations everywhere since the late 1990s. Nash’s artistry has taken her beyond Sixpence into solo work and other collaborations (with Amy Grant and Jars of Clay, among others). Now she releases her first solo project since 2006, Hymns and Sacred Songs.

Part of the difficulty in working with hymns lies in their familiarity, as their longstanding place in religious settings has made their context and depth all too forgettable. Nash selected songs for the album based on their poignant lyrics, and in collaboration with other artists, she creatively reworks melodies, arrangements, and sounds that push the listener to hear these powerful words in fresh ways. Covers of traditional favorites are sprinkled amongst new compositions (by such artists as Stuart Townend, Keith Getty, and Kate Gustafson), and old hymns are given fresh sounds and a new framework for their poetic stanzas (“Come Thou Fount,” “O Heart Bereaved and Lonely,” “Come, Ye Thankful People, Come”).

Nash’s chosen hymns focus primarily on weariness, loneliness, and other human struggles while also praising Christ’s victory over them. The poetic verses of such acclaimed hymnists as Fanny Crosby, Charles Wesley, and William T. Sleeper connect listeners with generations of believers who experienced similar challenges and trusted the same Lord.

A simple, subtle folk bent that will please Sixpence fans colors most of the arrangements, which are primarily acoustic with light percussion. Occasionally, some of the more recent releases adopt a contemporary praise/pop sound with soaring, repetitive choruses, but vibrant lyrical and thematic content keeps them from becoming completely beholden to the genre. What truly fleshes out this collection, though, is Nash’s ethereal voice; the re-orchestration adds depth, but her vocal sweetness and charm flavor it beautifully.

Hopefully Hymns and Sacred Songs will encourage listeners to reconsider traditional hymns and the practice of hymn composition today. Contemporary praise choruses—which often utilize short stanzas, oversimplified themes, and drawn-out phrases—could learn from Nash and company, whose rich scriptural context, beautiful lyrical expression, and intricate arrangements occupy an important place in Christian tradition and make for an aesthetically valuable, spiritually nurturing work of art.

Copyright © 2011 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Leigh Nash
Hymns & Sacred Songs (Kingsway)
Released November 2011
Kristin Garrett

Amy Grant and Vince Gill to Begin ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’ Tour

Legendary husband and wife singers, Amy Grant and Vince Gill are embarking on their sixth Christmas tour, “The Twelve Days of Christmas” starting on Dec. 7 in Baltimore, MD.

• Music

“Christmas audiences are special,” said Grant in a press release. “They tend to involve the whole family, and their emotions are a wonderful mix of anticipation and reverence. It’s a thrilling experience for both of us.” Gil agrees with his wife and aid, “These holiday tours have become our favorites.”

The Christmas tour will feature a two hour program taking the audience through the entire Christmas story.

Amy Grant is a six-time Grammy award winner selling over 30 million albums spanning her almost 30 year career.

The singer also has six No. 1 hits and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Vince Gill is one of country music’s biggest stars. He has won 17 CMA awards and “Song of the Year” four times; the most in CMA history.

Like us on Facebook

In addition to this, he has won 20 Grammy awards and sold over 26 million records

Gill was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2007.

Grant has four Christmas albums, A Christmas Album (1983), Home for Christmas (1992), and A Christmas to Remember (1999), and The Christmas Collection (2008).

Gill has released three Christmas albums, Let There Be Peace On Earth (1993), Breath Of Heaven (1998) and ‘Tis The Season (2000).

The Twelve Days of Christmas tour dates:
December 7 Baltimore, MD Lyric Opera House
December 8 Norfolk, VA Constant Convocation Center
December 9 Richmond, VA Richmond Landmark Theater
December 10 Augusta, GA Bell Auditorium
December 11 Savannah, GA Johnny Mercer Theater
December 12 Roanoke, VA Roanoke Civic Center
December 15 Louisville, KY Palace Theatre
December 16 Evansville, IN The Centre
December 17 Muncie, IN Emens Auditorium – Ball State
December 19 Atlanta, GA Fox Theatre
December 20-21 Nashville, TN Ryman Auditorium

‘Weird Al,’ Amy Grant And Your Secret Musical Loves

Guest(s)

“Weird Al” Yankovich is famous for writing parody songs. He’s written parody versions of mainstream music hits since the 1980s, releasing 13 original albums. His latest album “Apocalypse” came out this summer.

Amy Grant has sold over 30 million albums worldwide, including multiple Platinum and Gold albums. She’s won six Grammy awards for best contemporary album, best gospel performance, and best southern, country, or bluegrass gospel album — as well as Grammy nominations for everything from record of the year to children spoken word.

Michael McQuilken is a New York City–based theater maker, composer, musician and performer. He also invents and builds strange musical devices.

« Previous Page — Next Page »