Musical Influence of The Gettys

Beyond husband and wife, Keith and Kristyn Getty are one of the most successful song writing duos in the Christian music industry, best known for the introduction of "modern hymns" into the praise and worship scene. Born in Lisburn, Northern Ireland, Keith began his musical career at the age of eleven, learning to play the classical guitar before turning his attention to the flute. He studied advanced music at Durham University prior to the Cranford Summer School of Music and Tanglewood Music Center, completing his education studying under Irish flautist Sir James Galway. Also coming from Northern Ireland, Keith's wife Kristyn began singing in her family's church as a teenager, studying English Literature at Queen's University of Belfast. Before her collaboration writing with Keith, Kristyn had written a children's musical for the African Children's Choir, along with a volume of children's songs, Songs that Jesus Said. With their diverse education and musical experience, Keith and Kristyn combine their talents to create original, world-renowned pieces that flawlessly blend the  traditional with contemporary, building an acclaimed repertoire of 21^st century hymns.

Included in a handful of their prominent creations, In Christ Alone is undoubtedly the most well-known piece of the Getty's work, recorded by numerous artists in the past decade and sung in churches around the world. Their music has been shared at the GMA Dove Awards, Franklin Graham Crusades, and The Third Lausanne Conference on World Evangelization, along with the Getty's featured performance at London's Royal Albert Hall and most recently, their St. Patty's day performance at the legendary Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee.

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Their most recent album, Hymns for the Christian Life, is influenced by their new hometown of Nashville, Tennessee, as well as their native Irish roots, combining the characteristics of American bluegrass with traditional Irish folk music style to create a sound they've coined as "greengrass". Multiple noteworthy collaborations are featured on the album, including recordings by Allison Krauss, bluegrass icon Ricky Skaggs, and Clannad's Moya Brennan, one of Ireland's most renowned artists. The experiences and struggles being faced at the time of writing are also significant in the Getty's musical creations, shaping the character of the album and constantly transforming the style and tone of their music. Just as moving to Nashville played a role in molding their most recent album, the birth of their daughter Eliza had an equal impact, the Getty's using their talents to respond to the life-changing role of parenthood.

The style and character of their music has developed greatly since the start of Keith and Kristyn's musical careers in Ireland, yet their hopes for the work they do remain the same. In writing modern hymns, the Getty's aim to spread their faith in Christianity along with creating a timeless musical style that can be sung for generations to come. The community of the church is heavily on their minds when writing, wanting at the very least, to be able to bring everyone together musically. With the world renowned In Christ Alone being consistently sung for the past decade, and with countless more to come, it is safe to say the Getty's are accomplishing their goals.