Sandi Patty
Genre: Contemporary
Official Web Site
Sandi Patty Bibliography: (click on each album cover to view tracks and Sandi Patty lyrics)
Sandi Patty Biography Yesterday came and went. Like a vapor, it disappeared. But you left something behind yesterday. A piece of yourself, a piece of the legacy you're building. Today, you'll create another piece of it. And tomorrow. And all the tomorrows after that.
For SANDI PATTY-a 2004 Gospel Music Hall of Fame inductee with 39 Dove Awards, five Grammy Awards, three RIAA-certified platinum and five gold recordings-Hymns of Faith... Songs of Inspiration very well may be her recording legacy, the one album in 25 years that will impact multiple generations and stand the ultimate test of time. Certainly, this is the album Sandi Patty was born to make.
Featuring the City of Prague Philharmonic orchestra, Hymns of Faith... Songs of Inspiration is a stunning 2-CD collection of timeless hymns, treasured inspirational classics and powerful patriotic anthems, delivered as only this premier vocalist can.
The opportunity to record such treasures, to preserve and celebrate the legacy these songs have been for Christians all over the world, was simply irresistible, Sandi says. "I grew up in the church. My dad was a minister of music; my mother was the church pianist. My two younger brothers and I had to sit on the front row, right in front of the piano so my mom could keep an eye on us. These hymns I learned as a child have become a part of my heritage, and certainly a part of our Christian heritage, so I wanted to celebrate those."
And what a cause for celebration it is! Produced by David Hamilton and with orchestrations by Hamilton and David Clydesdale, Hymns of Faith... Songs of Inspiration is Sandi Patty at her all-time best. The most challenging part was narrowing the list down to 22 songs.
From distinctively worshipful hymns like "How Great Thou Art" and "Fairest Lord Jesus" and "Near to the Heart of God/Sweet Hour of Prayer" to more narrative story-hymns such as "In the Garden," "It Is Well With My Soul" and "His Eye Is On The Sparrow," Hymns of Faith... Songs of Inspiration is filled with the anthemic bursts of grandeur and intimate moments of prayerful reflection.
"The more I learn about the stories behind these hymns, the more I appreciate the writers and what they went through," Sandi says. "They may have lived in a different time than all of us, but they had a story and they had a journey. And just like the writers of today, they have stories to tell, too. These great hymns are their stories, and we're blessed to have them still."
There were many powerful moments in the studio that are forever captured in this moving collection. For example, while recording "His Eye Is On the Sparrow," Sandi was overwhelmed by the lyrics as if singing it for the very first time. "When I came to the chorus, 'I sing because I'm happy, I sing because I'm free...' tears came to my eyes because, you know, there were many years that I was singing but I wasn't really happy and there were many years I was singing that I wasn't really free, wasn't really where I needed to be with God. And so when I recorded that hymn, I knew that I could sing it truthfully. I really am happy, and I am truly free.... It was just a sweet moment for me."
Longtime fans and newcomers alike will be mesmerized by a brand new recording of "We Shall Behold Him," a signature Sandi Patty classic that dates back to 1991. Initially hesitant to re-record the song, the majestic David Hamilton arrangement convinced Sandi that the emotional power of the song could be captured again. "When I was singing it in the studio," Sandi says, "I had to stop for a minute. Because you know, I hadn't sung that song in almost 15 years, and a lot of life has been lived in those 15 years. And as I sang it, I was just overcome by God's grace and goodness in my life. After the mess I'd made several years ago, I was still getting the chance to sing 'We Shall Behold Him' and not only had he made the song new to me, He has made me new."
Other highlights of Hymns of Faith... Songs of Inspiration include:
"The Prayer," a modern pop song written by David Foster that has captured the imagination of the world. Previously recorded by Celine Dion and Josh Groban, "The Prayer" is the wedding song of the new millennium, a majestic ballad featuring Sandi and her husband, vocalist Don Peslis.
New worship classics "Shout to the Lord" and "Holy Ground," modern day standards that Sandi says "are going to live for a very long time."
And three patriotic standards Sandi Patty has been known for since her stunning rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner" at the rededication of the Statue of Liberty back in 1986. "America the Beautiful' and "God Bless America" are also included. "With all that's happening in the world, and certainly here within the U.S., there's a keener sense of patriotism these days," Sandi says. "So it made sense to revisit these wonderful songs of freedom."
Hymns of Faith... Songs of Inspiration is the kind of album an artist makes, not because she doesn't have new songs to sing, but because she wants to leave something definitive and timeless behind. It's Sandi's way of giving back to the Church, an authentic collection of irreplaceable songs that have inspired generations past, preserved and enhanced for generations to come. Hymns of Faith... Songs of Inspiration is a gift in return for all the Church has given her.
"I am so honored when somebody will invite me to come sing at his or her church. I get choked up when I talk about it. I don't take it for granted like I used to. I'm just so humbled and grateful that they want me to come, with all my battle scars, to share with their congregation. We all need encouragement and we all need to pass down what has been given to us. And so if I can encourage people in their journey with Christ, if I can challenge them to draw closer to the Lord, that is what I want my music to do. That's why I'm still here."
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