Subscribe to Christianity Today
Subscribe to Christianity Today
Donate to Christianity Today
November 23, 2009
Free Newsletters:
RSS Feeds | Audio | Twitter

Home > Music > News > 2005 |  
SPECIAL REPORT
Christian Music Responds
When it comes to tsunami relief efforts, mainstream celebrities aren't the only ones pitching in. Christian musicians are also rallying to the cause—including a benefit concert this week.



Madonna sings John Lennon's "Imagine" for a television special. Linkin Park starts a relief fund aimed at rock enthusiasts. Phil Collins, Rod Stewart, Sir Elton John, Gwen Stefani, and Pink team up for a cover of Eric Clapton's "Tears in Heaven." Sony's Connect e-music offers exclusive live recordings whose proceeds will all go to the American Red Cross. More than 60,000 strong pack the Millennium Stadium for a Live Aid-styled relief event in the UK. MTV scraps its yearly Asian video music awards ceremony and repositions it as a star-studded Asia benefit concert.

These are just a few of the examples of what the music world at large is doing to assist in the Southeast Asian tsunami crisis. But what about the Christian music world? What's their response?

Their highest-profile response is a Wednesday night benefit concert in Nashville, hosted by Michael W. Smith and Kathy Mattea. Performers will include artists from gospel, Christian, country, and pop music, including the likes of Steven Curtis Chapman, CeCe Winans, tobyMac, the Crabb Family, MercyMe, Ricky Skaggs, the Oak Ridge Boys and other Grand Ole Opry stars. Many of the acts will be backed by the Nashville Chamber Orchestra. The entire $25 ticket price will go to Christian relief organization World Vision's tsunami aid fund.

The concert, billed as "An Evening of Restoration," is part of the Gospel Music Association's response to the tsunami crisis. The GMA, which oversees much of the Christian music industry, has launched Project Restore, in conjunction with World Vision, as an awareness, prayer and fundraising effort to help with the crisis. More than 60 artists have signed on as supporters of Project Restore.

The January 26 concert date is no accident, says GMA president John Styll, noting that it's exactly one month after the tsunami hit. "We felt there was some importance to having the event on a 'symbolic' date," Styll said in an e-mail.

Styll says it's been surprisingly easy to pull this event together. "Because the need is so obvious, enormous and immediate, it really didn't require any coaxing to get people to work together on a common goal. What is truly amazing is that top-tier companies who provide lighting, sound, staging and other production elements have all donated their equipment and staff to the cause. Everybody here in Music City really seems to like the idea of working together. It has never happened here quite like this before."

Organizers say fans looking to be solely entertained by their favorite artists will be in for a surprise. "Each artist will be doing songs that mean something to them as it relates to the tsunami crisis," said GMA spokesperson Tricia Whitehead. "This will not be a staging of greatest hits, but rather a meaningful, inspiring, and thoughtful night."

Wednesday's benefit concert in Nashville won't be as big of a newsmaker as NBC's recent "Tsunami Aid: A Concert of Hope," which featured Madonna, Sheryl Crow, Stevie Wonder, Eric Clapton and others while raising $18 million. "It's really just one city's response," the GMA's Styll says of the Nashville benefit. "We hope we can raise a six-figure sum. World Vision can do a lot of good in the region with that money."

Steven Curtis Chapman, spokesperson for Project Restore, is particularly excited about the benefit. "I'm even more attached and concerned about that region because I have three adopted daughters from Asia," said Chapman, who has also been gift-matching every donation—more than $7,000 so far—given through his own organization, Shaohannah's Hope




E-mail this pageWrite CTPrint this articlePost a comment





  


Subscribe to Christianity Today and get 3 free trial issues. No credit card required.

Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. Offer valid in U.S. only.

If you decide you want to keep Christianity Today coming, honor your invoice for just $19.95 and receive nine more issues, a full year in all. If not, simply write "cancel" across the invoice and return it. The three trial issues are yours to keep, regardless.


Click here for international orders2-for-1 Gifts!

[Reader Reviews]
Average User Rating: Not rated

The allotted time for commenting has ended.

sponsors 








[Browse More Christianity Today]

Search






















Search by Name
Or use Advanced Search to search by program, region, cost, affiliation, enrollment, more!

Search by:





Books & Culture
Christianity Today
Church Law & Tax Report
Church Finance Today
Leadership Journal
Men of Integrity
Outcomes
Kyria.com
Your Church
ChristianityTodayLibrary.com
PreachingToday.com