Irish singer-songwriters Keith and Kristyn Getty returned to the campus of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary for their Christ-centered concert “Sing! An Irish Christmas.” The Gettys were joined by Matt Boswell and Southwestern A Cappella on the first stop of their 15-stop concert tour.
The couple included a newer song in their repertoire called “Scarlet Thread” which they said after the concert is a “new song” that they have “started in the last few months.” Classic Christmas carols in the first half of the program included “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen,” “Silent Night” and “Joy to the World.” Songs also included instrumental versions of “Sleigh Ride,” “Come Ye Sinners/Sinnerman” and “Wexford Carol.” Other favorites throughout the evening were “O Come, O Come Emmanuel,” “Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus,” “In the Bleak Midwinter,” “O Come All Ye Faithful,” “In Christ Alone” and “Go Tell It on the Mountain.”
RELATED: Check out another story on the Gettys here.
New songs introduced
The couple pointed to several new songs introduced for this year’s tour that were particularly meaningful to them, including “Scarlet Thread,” “Wayfaring Stranger” and “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence.”
Keith also referenced his opportunity to try new food like elk, antelope and bison while visiting Fort Worth, Texas, so that he could be a “true Texan.” Attendees also were entertained with Irish step dancing by one of the violinists as well as traditional Irish sounds of music that rang through the night.
After the intermission, Southwestern A Cappella, a 17-member vocal ensemble comprised of graduate students at Southwestern Seminary, performed three songs for the crowd.
Matt Boswell, singer-songwriter and lead pastor at The Trails Church in Prosper, Texas, performed a new Christmas hymn he co-wrote with Matt Papa, artist-in-residence at Marco Presbyterian Church in Marco Island, Florida. The hymn, “In the Fullness of Time,” provides a comprehensive view of Christ’s first coming, and looks toward His second coming. The song also incorporated a Christmas rendition of the hymn “Holy, Holy, Holy.”
‘Lobby jam’
Following the concert, members of the Getty band hosted a “lobby jam” in the lobby of MacGorman Chapel where Keith told the audience that “Texans will become Irish for the night” by singing Irish folk songs together.
Many churches and groups attended the concert together and some churches even used the event as a way to bless their worship team members. For Alan Yarbrough, worship pastor at First Baptist Church Justin, Texas, he used the time to give back to those who “sacrifice their own worship time with their families” on a weekly basis.
“This concert gave us the opportunity to sing and worship together,” Yarbrough said. “We were all blown away by the musicianship of the Gettys and most importantly, our affections were stirred for Jesus as we enter into this Advent season.”
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by James Dugger and originally published by Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
