More Than a Song
By Christa A. Banister, Senior Music Editor, GospelMusicChannel.com
Littlehampton, England–
Like anything that’s really worth pursuing, the rather ambitious idea behind Compassionart almost seemed too big to actually work.
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But Delirious frontman Martin Smith and his wife Anna weren’t about to let logistics stop them. After all, they were on a mission – a mission to help the poorest of the poor in the way they knew best: through music.
So for the better part of a year and a half, Martin and Anna got in touch with some of industry’s top artists including: Michael W. Smith, Steven Curtis Chapman, Chris Tomlin, Darlene Zschech Matt Redman, Tim Hughes, Israel Houghton, Graham Kendrick, Paul Baloche, Andy Park and Delirious bandmate Stu G and asked them to participate in the first Compassionart retreat in Perthshire, Scotland. Over the course of a week, they’d pair up and write songs with 100% of the proceeds going to the charities of their collective choosing.
Wait a minute.
How were all these artists going to be able to clear their busy schedules? And would less than a week’s time together be enough time to produce something worth hearing, considering these artists have only worked together in limited capacities in the past? There were so many unanswered questions.
But where there’s God’s will, there’s always a way, something that Martin and Anna were reminded of again as all the details began coming together. Not only did the artists commit to the effort, but they were excited. And slowly but surely the red tape that’s involved legally and contractually with endeavors like these was ironed out.
Then before Martin and Anna knew it, the hours and hours of tireless planning came to fruition as the artists began arriving at the picturesque House of Cantle, nestled in the quaint Scottish community of Perthshire.
In what Martin described as a truly “pinch myself” moment, the artists got acquainted and went to work on a slew of new worship songs. And while pairing well-respected artists together could lead to some gossip-worthy diva moments, that was hardly the case with Compassionart. With the endgame always in the forefront of their minds, the ideas flowed freely.
“I think we probably all came in feeling a little insecure, wondering if we were each bringing enough ideas to really contribute,” Chapman shares. “The idea was to come with ideas so we can really hit the ground running. But immediately there was a sense of community and purpose that really took over. This lack of agenda, except for what was on the heart of God, really changed everything.”
Also keeping humility in check were daily critique sessions. After a day’s worth of writing and arranging, all the artists gathered in a room to play the fruit of their respective labors. When a group finished playing its latest creation, the rest of the group offered its two cents.
While one might assume they’d take it easy on each other out of fear of how he/she might be perceived, the commentary was surprisingly candid and constructive. And as lyrics were tweaked and keys were changed, one creative expression of worship after the next began to emerge. And before long, there were 22 in all, which surpassed even the wildest of expectations.
But a wealth of songwriting wasn’t the only significant moment. Whether it was a time of corporate worship and devotions each morning or the delicious food and conversations enjoyed together during meals, a sense of true community made Compassionart a truly unforgettable experience.
“The highlight of my week has the pervasive sense of community. There’s love in the house,” Michael W. Smith says. “I was always optimistic that it was going to be a great time together, but I have to tell you, I couldn’t be more pleased. We’re all getting along so well, it’s been sort of a love feast.”
But the success of the week didn’t end in Scotland. In February, several of the artists, including Tomlin who couldn’t join them in Scotland because of illness, reconvened at London’s famed Abbey Road studio to record the songs of Compassionart.
Additionally, Michael W. Smith, who has called the recent Compassionart retreat “one of the most significant weeks of his life,” and 2008 GRAMMY winner, Israel Houghton, have already recorded the song, So Great. The song will become the first from the Compassionart retreat to be released to the public in April and on the popular WOW Hits 1 brand and was debuted live on Gospel Music Channel during the Dove Awards last week.
“There are two amazing forces that exist in the world: Compassion for those in need and Art that helps us see beyond ourselves,” says Martin. “What could happen if you brought the two together? What could happen if you gathered some of the top songwriters in our scene to bring their art to the table for the sole reason of raising money for the poorest of the poor? Well I can tell you, it was amazing! So Great is taken from the forthcoming Compassionart record and I hope it gives you a taste of what’s to come.”
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About the Writer
After graduating with a B.S. in Journalism from North Central University in 1998, Christa Banister moved to Nashville, Tenn. and eventually started working at CCM Magazine/Salem Publishing in various editorial capacities (including managing editor) for five and a half years. After that, she launched her own freelance writing company and writes for numerous clients including CCM Magazine, Crosswalk.com (she review movies for them each week), Christian Single, Christianity Today, Threads Media, Songs4Worship.com, BurnLounge, PassAlong.com and helped kickstart the first Christian music blog for MTV. She also writes bios for professional recording artists and authors and penned her first two fiction novels for NavPress in 2007.
