Ulster hymn writers the Gettys win top US gospel album award

The album 'Hymns from Home' is a rich children's hymnal collection recorded during the Covid pandemic period of 2020-21 when the Getty couple and their four children were back in their Ulster homeland.

The hymns on the album were sung by the Gettys as part of their weekly 'Family Hymn Sings' that began at the start of the global pandemic, inviting believers around the world into their home to sing hymns with their family.

The hymns garnered much acclaim in both America and UK with US media outlets such as influential Fox News accruing more than 14 million viewers worldwide.

The award-winning album contains hymns performed by the young Getty children, including renditions of classics such as 'Amazing Grace', 'All Things Bright and Beautiful' as well as the Getty-penned 'Christ Our Hope in Life and Death', one of the fastest growing hymns in the Getty catalogue.

The American gospel music 'Dove' awards are the foremost international Christian and gospel music accolades, honouring outstanding talent, achievement and musical excellence.

Next year, the Gettys - Keith is a Lisburn man, and his wife Kristyn from Newtownabbey - plan to return to Northern Ireland for concerts as part of a 'Sing' world tour. They will appear at the SSE Arena on Belfast's Laganside, joined on stage by their young daughters.

The Gettys are now permanently based in Nashville, Tennessee, operating extensively in the Christian gospel music industry.

Keith Getty said:: “Winning the album award means the world to us as a family.

"Getting recognition from the industry’s foremost Christian music awards is absolutely wonderful.

"The girls have worked so hard and put an incredible amount of energy, creativity and passion into this collection of songs and we hope this comes across to listeners.

"Looking ahead, we can’t wait to perform the album with our girls live in Belfast next year in front of a sell-out home crowd.

"In making this album we wanted to hark back to our roots in Northern Ireland."

Keith and Kristyn Getty are leading modern hymn writers globally, with Keith being the first church musician of the modern era to be awarded the OBE from the late Queen, for services to music and hymn writing.

Getty hymns such as “In Christ Alone”, written with prolific songwriter Stuart Townend, uniquely cross musical genres and teach traditional Christian doctrine.

As ambassadors of hymn writing, they have performed for United States presidents and government leaders in other countries.

Their annual national hymn tour and Christmas tour including sell-out concerts at Kennedy Centre, Washington and Carnegie Hall, New York.