'This is Our Story' – Young Artists Preserve a Musical Legacy, with Astonishing Results
"As prevalent as traditional faith music has been in America's culture, it has taken the work of two young artists to tell its story to the world at large." -- The Hymn Project --
Contact: Tasha Golden, PR, The Hymn Project, 859-426-8878
MEDIA ADVISORY, May 8 /Christian Newswire/ -- The Hymn Project is two thousand years of Christian tradition captured in 200 hymns on 7 full-length CDs, performed on solo piano, directly from a church hymnal. It is the first collection of its kind, offering an extensive, archival-quality collection of hymns suitable not only for individuals and churches, but also as a historical record and resource, with value in many non-religious contexts.
Before The Hymn Project, professionally recorded hymn music featured full orchestras or stylistic embellishments that failed to connect with the music's more common context in the public imagination: the small neighborhood church. The Hymn Project packaging features stunning photography from famed photographer Michael Wilson that captures the haunting beauty and heritage of these sacred spaces.
The simple and unpretentious musical style evokes similar memories: the preacher, the wooden pews, the white gravestones, the choir and their final "amen". This courageously simple approach takes a snapshot of a uniquely American religious tradition, and makes the collection both a treasured archive for churchgoers and a sought-after resource for historians.
Co-creator Laura Ruble, 31, describes the inspiration behind her project. "It's a legacy that’s fading," she says, "and people are scrambling to put their hands on it again. It's like they turned around and the hymns are gone. I don't mean just the older generation. I mean us; young people too. We're looking for roots, for something simple again."
Since its Fall '07 release, people of all ages have been drawn to The Hymn Project - moved by its inspiring artwork, its nostalgic, timeless sound, and the connection it provides to a religious heritage.
"These songs are woven into the history of America," says Justin Golden, 29, the other artist behind The Hymn Project. "And most of us have a story they tell us. Musically, religiously, it's where many of us came from."
Golden and Ruble agree that American churches aren't often encouraged to be proud of their heritage. "But," says Ruble, "our ancestors contributed something truly beautiful to the world;'s musical history. We want to capture that, to tell its story."
The Hymn Project is a story about American Christianity, about individuals and congregations, about countless funerals, weddings, and baptisms...
And about families: generations reciting the same familiar melodies, passing them down in a haunting, lovely oral tradition.
"This is Our Story." www.thehymnprojectCDs.com
The Hymn Project is ideally suited for the following:
- Accompaniment for church congregations
- Choir performances and/or rehearsal warm-ups
- Funerals and funeral homes
- Resource for military & civilian chaplains
- Nursing homes
- Retirement homes
- Hospital chapels
- Accompaniment for small groups & house churches
- Conference centers & camps
- Church libraries
- Accompaniment for performers in a variety of settings
- Special church events & dinners
- Weddings and wedding chapels
- Public & college libraries, as an archive of traditional faith music
- Meditation & relaxation
- Background music for a variety of settings
- A personal CD library
- A treasured gift for a friend, loved one, and/or music lover
