Keith Getty

Getty is a composer of Christian hymns. His song "In Christ Alone" is sung by an estimated 100 million people worldwide each year and was voted the third most popular hymn of all time in Britain on BBC's Songs of Praise.{{Cite news |date=2022-12-27 |title=Grammy-nominated hymn-writer wrote most famous tune on back of power bill |language=en-GB |work=BelfastTelegraph.co.uk |url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/entertainment/music/grammy-nominated-hymn-writer-wrote-most-famous-tune-on-back-of-power-bill/42246159.html |access-date=2023-07-24 |issn=0307-1235}} He has since written or published 38 of the top 500 songs sung in churches in the USA and UK as measured by CCLI.{{Cite web |last=Savage |first=Joanne |date=June 30, 2023 |title=Award-winning NI Christian singer/songwriter couple Keith and Kristym Getty take to stage in Oz in culmination of tour |url=https://www.newsletter.co.uk/whats-on/arts-and-entertainment/award-winning-ni-christian-singersongwriter-couple-keith-and-kristym-getty-take-to-stage-in-oz-in-culmination-of-tour-4202718 |access-date=July 24, 2023 |website=NewsLetter}}

As a recording artist, Getty's album Confessio: Irish American Roots was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Gospel Roots Album and he has received two GMA Dove Awards.{{Cite news |date=2023-02-06 |title=NI hymn writers lose out on Grammy but speak of ‘privilege’ at nomination and conversations with Elvis Costello |language=en-GB |work=BelfastTelegraph.co.uk |url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/entertainment/news/ni-hymn-writers-lose-out-on-grammy-but-speak-of-privilege-at-nomination-and-conversations-with-elvis-costello/1560214759.html |access-date=2023-07-24 |issn=0307-1235}}{{Cite web |last=Spence |first=Julie-Ann |date=November 2, 2022 |title=Modern hymn writers Keith and Kristyn Getty take home esteemed Children’s Music Award |url=https://www.northernirelandworld.com/news/people/modern-hymn-writers-keith-and-kristyn-getty-take-home-esteemed-childrens-music-award-3902865 |access-date=July 24, 2023 |website=Northern Ireland World}} Often considered an ambassador for hymns, he has performed at venues including Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Royal Albert Hall, and Sydney Opera House.

In 2017 Christianity Today described Getty and his wife Kristyn as "preeminent" hymn writers whose songs have "changed the way evangelicals worship."{{Cite web |last=Guthrie{{!}} |first=Steve |date=2017-08-18 |title=Keith and Kristyn Getty: Singing Isn’t Just for Sunday |url=https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2017/september/keith-and-kristyn-getty-singing-isnt-just-for-sunday.html |access-date=2023-07-24 |website=ChristianityToday.com |language=en}} In 2018 Getty was named Officer of the Order of the British Empire by Elizabeth II for contributions to "Music and Modern Hymn Writing," making him the first contemporary church musician to receive this award.{{Cite web |date=2018-07-17 |title=Hymn Writer Keith Getty Marks First Individual to Receive OBE Award Involved in World of Contemporary Church Music - The Gospel Music Association |url=https://gospelmusic.org/news/hymn-writer-keith-getty-marks-first-individual-to-receive-obe-award-involved-in-world-of-contemporary-church-music |access-date=2023-07-24 |website=gospelmusic.org |language=en}}

Getty and his wife also own and operate their own record label, touring and song publishing company known as Getty Music. The organization hosts an annual church music conference called Sing! in Nashville, TN, attended by over 7,000 people.{{Cite web |last=Alcindor |first=Nicole |last2=Reporter |first2=C. P. |date=2022-09-13 |title=Thousands attend Getty Music conference to rediscover how worship cultivates devotion for Christ |url=https://www.christianpost.com/news/thousands-attend-getty-music-conference-in-nashville.html |access-date=2023-07-24 |website=The Christian Post |language=en-US}} The couple also co-founded a charitable non-profit, the Getty Music Foundation, to implement global educational initiatives.

Getty was born in Lisburn, Northern Ireland, to Helen Getty (née Irwin) and John Getty. He is the eldest of four children.

Getty began making music at age 11, learning to play the classical guitar; at 12 years old he began playing the flute. During school, Getty was influenced by classical music, Irish music, and church music of all kinds. As a young adult, he studied music at St Chad's College, Durham University, graduating with his Bachelor of Arts in 1995.{{cite web|url=https://www.dunelm.org.uk/news/queens-birthday-honours-2017|title=The Queen's Birthday Honours 2017|website=Durham University Alumni|access-date=27 June 2019}} As a student, Getty completed special conducting opportunities at the Canford Summer School of Music and the Tanglewood Music Center in Massachusetts. Getty participated in a summer master class under Irish flautist Sir James Galway.{{Cite web|url=http://www.gettymusic.com/about.aspx|title=Gettymusic – Online music resources for the church|date=26 August 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090826145150/http://www.gettymusic.com/about.aspx|access-date=15 December 2020|archive-date=26 August 2009}}

Kristyn met Keith Getty in 2002 after being introduced by Kristyn's uncle, John Lennox. Kristyn was attending a nearby university and asked Getty for some musical advice. After dating for two years, the couple married on 16 June 2004. The couple have four children.

Getty and his wife live between Portstewart, Northern Ireland and Nashville, Tennessee with their four daughters.

{{Main|Keith and Kristyn Getty}}

Keith and his wife Kristyn write and release hymns together, in addition to performing around the world. They have also co-authored a book on congregational worship called Sing! {{Cite web|url=https://gospelmusic.org/news/hymn-writer-keith-getty-marks-first-individual-to-receive-obe-award-involved-in-world-of-contemporary-church-music|title=Hymn Writer Keith Getty Marks First Individual to Receive OBE Award Involved in World of Contemporary Church Music|access-date=30 May 2025}}

Keith and Kristyn together have written and produced a number of children's worship albums.{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}

• 2005: Songs That Jesus Said, a collection of songs for children
• 2016: Getty Kids Hymnal: In Christ Alone
• 2017: Getty Kids Hymnal: For the Cause
• 2018: Getty Kids Hymnal: Family Hymn Sing
• 2019: Getty Kids Hymnal: Family Carol Sing
• 2020: Evensong: Hymns and Lullabies at the Close of Day

Evensong: Hymns and Lullabies at the Close of Day went to Billboard number 1 in 2020.{{Cite magazine|title=Kid Albums Chart|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/kids-albums/2020-09-19|access-date=7 June 2021|magazine=Billboard}}

In addition to his work with his wife as Keith & Kristyn Getty, Getty has also orchestrated or produced music for a number of other projects. These include orchestrations for Michael W. Smith's 2004 Healing Rain album, McDonald's television commercials, and Silvascreen label movie soundtrack recordings Music from the Lord of the Rings Trilogy{{cite web | url=http://musicfromthemovies.com/review.asp?ID=3349 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040704002004/http://musicfromthemovies.com/review.asp?ID=3349 | archive-date=4 July 2004 | title=Lord of the Rings Trilogy, the - Music from the Movies }} and Once upon a Time: The Essential Ennio Morricone.{{cite web | url=http://www.emusic.com/album/City-of-Prague-Philharmonic-Orchestra-Once-Upon-A-Time-The-Essential-Ennio-Morricone-F-MP3-Download/10892156.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080921212647/http://www.emusic.com/album/City-of-Prague-Philharmonic-Orchestra-Once-Upon-A-Time-The-Essential-Ennio-Morricone-F-MP3-Download/10892156.html | archive-date=21 September 2008 | title=EMusic }} He wrote and produced the music for the 1998 C. S. Lewis International Centenary Celebrations.{{Cite web |date=1999-09-22 |title=C S Lewis Centenary Group - C S Lewis News - August 1998 |url=http://dnausers.d-n-a.net/cslewis/news16.html |access-date=2023-02-27 |archive-date=22 September 1999 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990922010818/http://dnausers.d-n-a.net/cslewis/news16.html |url-status=bot: unknown }}

{{Main|In Christ Alone (song)}}

In 2001, Stuart Townend and Getty wrote the song "In Christ Alone" with the purpose of creating a modern hymn that would explain the life of Christ.{{Cite web|url=https://www.worshiptogether.com/|title=Worship Together | New Worship Songs Music and Resources|website=Worshiptogether.com|access-date=3 July 2020}} They released it on the Kingsway album New Irish Hymns, featuring vocalists Máire Brennan, Margaret Becker, and Joanne Hogg. The song gained popularity, and by 2005 it was named by a BBC Songs of Praise survey as the ninth best loved hymn of all time, and in their 2010 survey was named second best hymn of all time.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006ttc5|title=BBC One – Songs of Praise|website=BBC|access-date=3 July 2020}} The British Hymn Society nominated "In Christ Alone" as one of the top five hymns of all time, and BBC One's "Songs of Praise" nominated "In Christ Alone" as a top 10 hymn in 2012.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006ttc5|title=BBC One – Songs of Praise|website=BBC|access-date=3 July 2020}}

Since CCLI began tracking the weekly Top 100 songs from their license reporting in 2017, "In Christ Alone" has not once fallen from the list, {{Cite web|url=https://songselect.ccli.com/ccli-top-100|title=CCLI SongSelect Top 100|access-date=30 May 2025}} and more of Getty's compositions appear in CCLI’s Top 500 Songs in the UK than those of any other songwriter. {{Cite web|url=https://www.gettymusic.com/about-us|title=Getty Music - About Us|access-date=30 May 2025}}

Keith Getty received the O.B.E. (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) from Queen Elizabeth II, becoming the first church musician of the modern era to be given the award for contribution to music and hymn writing.{{London Gazette|issue=61962|supp=y|page=B11|date=17 June 2017}}

Getty has received honorary doctorates from Lancaster Bible College and Dallas Baptist University, and he has been awarded the Freedom of the City of Lisburn.{{Cite web|title=Council Agrees to Confer Two Freedoms of the City|url=https://www.lisburncastlereagh.gov.uk/news/council-agrees-to-confer-two-freedoms-of-the-city|access-date=7 June 2021|website=www.lisburncastlereagh.gov.uk|language=en}}

He is Honorary President and founder of the New Irish Arts,{{Cite web|url=https://www.newirisharts.com/|title=New Irish Arts|website=Newirisharts.com|access-date=3 July 2020}} and Keith and Kristyn were both named fellows in 2019 of The Royal School of Church Music.{{Cite web|date=21 August 2019|title=RSCM Honorary Awards – 2019|url=https://www.rscm.org.uk/rscm-honorary-awards-2019/|access-date=7 June 2021|website=RSCM|language=en-US}}

The album North Coast Sessions received a Dove award in 2019 for Inspirational Album of the Year.

A number of Getty Music Albums have been nominated for a Dove Award:{{Cite web|title=Dove Awards: Inspirational Album :: CMnexus|url=http://cmnexus.org/awards/Dove_Awards/Inspirational_Album|access-date=7 June 2021|website=cmnexus.org}}{{Cite journal|date=January 2005|title=Dove Tail|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1179/bqu.2005.41.1.003|journal=Baptist Quarterly|volume=41|issue=1|pages=57|doi=10.1179/bqu.2005.41.1.003|s2cid=218661580|issn=0005-576X}}

• The album, "Awaken the Dawn" was nominated for Inspirational Album of the year 2008.
• The album "Hymns for the Christian Life" was also nominated for a Dove award in 2013.
• Getty Kids Hymnal-For the Cause – Children's Music Album of the Year (2018)
• Getty Kids Hymnal-Family Carol Sing – Children's Music Album of the Year (2020)
• His Mercy Is More (the Hymnal of Matt Boswell and Matt Papa) – Inspirational Album of the Year (2020)
• Elizabeth (with Ellie Holcomb) – Roots/Americana Song of the Year (2020)

Evensong, Kristyn's album of hymns and lullabies to help people through the COVID-19 pandemic hit number one on USA Billboard Children's Album Charts.{{Cite web|date=28 September 2020|title=Getty's New EVENSONG Album #1 On BillBoard Charts|url=https://www.classicaldifference.com/gettys-new-evensong-album-1-on-billboard-charts/|access-date=7 June 2021|website=The Classical Difference|language=en-US}}

The couple has also appeared on national television (CBS, PBS, BBC), most notably on Public Television (PBS) in 2015 to 45 + million homes with their Christmas Music special, Joy—An Irish Christmas,{{Cite news|title=Hitting the right notes: Hymn writer Keith Getty on why it took him some time to woo wife Kristyn|language=en-GB|work=belfasttelegraph|url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/life/weekend/hitting-the-right-notes-hymn-writer-keith-getty-on-why-it-took-him-some-time-to-woo-wife-kristyn-37196805.html|access-date=7 June 2021|issn=0307-1235}} in 2021 for BBC Northern Ireland "At home with the Gettys"{{Cite web|title=BBC One – At Home with the Gettys|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000tv5n|access-date=7 June 2021|website=BBC|language=en-GB}} and a TBN in 2019 special filmed live at the world famous Grand Ole Opry House.{{Cite news|title=Northern Ireland couple to host global Christian music event in Nashville|language=en-GB|work=belfasttelegraph|url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/world-news/northern-ireland-couple-to-host-global-christian-music-event-in-nashville-39486573.html|access-date=7 June 2021|issn=0307-1235}}

In 2017, the hymn writers performed for US Vice President Mike Pence and his wife Second Lady Karen Pence at the Vice President's residence.{{Cite news|title=Washington event for Northern Ireland hymn-writing couple|language=en-GB|work=belfasttelegraph|url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/entertainment/music/washington-event-for-northern-ireland-hymn-writing-couple-38808244.html|access-date=7 June 2021|issn=0307-1235}} In addition the couple have performed for President George W. Bush, the United Nations, South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak, the Enthronement of the Archbishop of Canterbury and for former UK Prime Minister Theresa May.{{Cite web|title=PM attends as record numbers at National Prayer Breakfast – Inspire Magazine|url=https://www.inspiremagazine.org.uk/stories/view?articleid=2857|access-date=7 June 2021|website=www.inspiremagazine.org.uk|archive-date=5 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210605002745/https://www.inspiremagazine.org.uk/stories/view?articleid=2857|url-status=dead}}

•           2002: Tapestry Keith Getty and Kristyn Lennox (Getty)

•           2003: New Irish Hymns 2 (with Margaret Becker and Joanne Hogg)

•           2004: New Irish Hymns 3: Incarnation (with Margaret Becker and Joanne Hogg)

•           2005: New Irish Hymns 4 (with Margaret Becker and Joanne Hogg)

•           2005: Songs That Jesus Said; a collection of songs for children

•           2007: In Christ Alone

• New Irish Hymns (album series)

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.gettymusic.com/ Official Getty Music Website]
• [http://www.gettymusic.com/tourChristmas.aspx Joy – An Irish Christmas Tour Homepage] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160119170352/http://gettymusic.com/tourChristmas.aspx |date=19 January 2016 }}
• [https://archive.today/20080302012521/http://www.reformedworship.org/magazine/article.cfm?article_id=1762&id=83 Advent and Christmas Songs by Keith Getty, in Reformed Worship]
• [http://www.calvin.edu/worship/stories/getty.php Article from Calvin College] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090312055145/http://www.calvin.edu/worship/stories/getty.php |date=12 March 2009 }}
• [http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/february/30.52.html "Singable Doctrine", an interview with the Gettys by Stan Guthrie:]
• [http://www.christianitytoday.com/music/reviews/2007/inchristalone.html Review of In Christ Alone album in Christianity Today by Andree Farias]
• [http://www.christianitytoday.com/tc/2007/005/7.17.html "The Story Behind the Song 'In Christ Alone'" article in Christianity Today by Linda Owen]
• [http://www.sbts.edu/resources/files/2009/10/icw-topicalindexjuly1091.pdf Southern Baptist Theological Seminary topical index of Getty/Townend hymns]

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Category:1974 births

Category:Living people

Category:20th-century Calvinist and Reformed Christians

Category:20th-century evangelicals

Category:20th-century folk musicians from Northern Ireland

Category:20th-century male singers from Northern Ireland

Category:21st-century Calvinist and Reformed Christians

Category:21st-century evangelicals

Category:21st-century folk musicians from Northern Ireland

Category:21st-century male singers from Northern Ireland

Category:Alumni of St Chad's College, Durham

Category:British performers of Christian music

Category:Christian hymnwriters from Northern Ireland

Category:Evangelicals from Northern Ireland

Category:Male folk singers from Northern Ireland

Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire

Category:People educated at Friends' School, Lisburn

Category:Performers of contemporary worship music