Indelible Grace is an artist collective based in

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...

, that has led a movement to restore the historic practice of writing new melodies to old

hymn A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn'' ...

texts. The community of songwriters and musicians grew out of the

Reformed University Fellowship Reformed University Fellowship (RUF) is the campus ministry organization of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). RUF has experienced rapid growth in the 1990s; its income in 1995 was $200,000 and grew $24 million by 2012. Currently, RUF has ...

Belmont University Belmont University is a private Christian university in Nashville, Tennessee. Descended from Belmont Women's College, founded in 1890 by schoolteachers Ida Hood and Susan Heron, the institution was incorporated in 1951 as Belmont College. It be ...

, led by RUF campus minister Kevin Twit. Their first album was simply titled ''Indelible Grace'', taken from a line in the

Augustus Toplady Augustus Montague Toplady (4 November 174011 August 1778) was an Anglican cleric and hymn writer. He was a major Calvinist opponent of John Wesley. He is best remembered as the author of the hymn "Rock of Ages". Three of his other hymns – ...

hymn "A Debtor to Mercy Alone". They have also made all of the sheet music available online for free through the Indelible Grace Hymnbook. Key artists involved in the projects include

Sandra McCracken Sandra Marie McCracken Work ID: 886831052 ISWC: T9140398330 (born June 16, 1977) is an independent singer-songwriter. She currently resides in Nashville, Tennessee. Drawing from folk, gospel, and hymn traditions, her music often weaves together ...

, Matthew Smith, Emily Deloach, and Jeremy Casella. Other notable artists that have been featured on recordings include

Derek Webb Derek Walsh Webb (born May 27, 1974) is an American singer-songwriter who first entered the music industry as a member of the band Caedmon's Call, and later embarked on a successful solo career. As a member of the Houston, Texas-based Caedmon's C ...

Andrew Osenga Andrew Osenga is an American singer-songwriter and rock musician. He also writes, produces, engineers and plays guitar for other artists. Formerly the lead singer of The Normals, who broke up in 2003 for financial and family reasons, Osenga cur ...

(from The Normals),

Matthew Perryman Jones Matthew Perryman Jones (born 1973) is an American singer and songwriter. Career Jones began his music career in 1997, playing his first public performances at Eddie's Attic in Decatur, Georgia. In 2000, Jones issued his first solo release, ''N ...

, and

Dan Haseltine Daniel Paul Haseltine (born January 12, 1973) is an American singer best known as lead vocalist for Christian alternative folk rock group Jars of Clay. Haseltine has performed vocals, piano, accordion, percussion and melodica, while with Jars of ...

(from Jars of Clay). They hosted a hymn sing in 2010 for a sold-out crowd at the

Ryman Auditorium Ryman Auditorium (also known as Grand Ole Opry House and Union Gospel Tabernacle) is a 2,362-seat live-performance venue located at 116 Rep. John Lewis Way North, in Nashville, Tennessee. It is best known as the home of the ''Grand Ole Opry'' fr ...

in Nashville which was recorded and released as ''The Hymn Sing: Live in Nashville''.

Discography

* ''Indelible Grace'' (2000) * ''Pilgrim Days: Indelible Grace II'' (2001) * ''For All the Saints: Indelible Grace III'' (2003) * ''Beams of Heaven: Indelible Grace IV'' (2005) * ''Wake Thy Slumbering Children: Indelible Grace V'' (2007) * ''By Thy Mercy: Indelible Grace Acoustic'' (2009) * ''The Hymn Sing: Live in Nashville'' (2010) * ''Joy Beyond the Sorrow: Indelible Grace VI'' (2012) * ''Look to Jesus: Indelible Grace VII'' (2015)

References

* * * *

External links

* Music publications Musical groups established in 2000 Presbyterian Church in America {{Christian-music-stub