Fair Trade Services and Chris Rice have teamed up once again for a new album, Untitled Hymn: A Collection of Hymns, releasing everywhere May 17th.
It has been more than a decade since Chris Rice has released new solo music - it was then that Rice released Peace Like A River: The Hymns Project and fans were clamoring for more. The record has been streamed over 72 million times to date, a number that continues to accumulate at rapid rates, with millions of streams being added each month. This new album, Untitled Hymn: A Collection of Hymns, is a brand new collection and celebration of the sound theology and sweet poetry of these classic songs of faith.
"Great hymns have been my life-long reminders of the deep foundations of truth," shares Chris Rice. "I still often wake up in the middle of the night with a hymn I learned in childhood, suddenly singing in my head. It is a privilege to add my voice to these songs, and bring even more attention to their life-changing words for new generations of listeners."
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Welcome Back Chris Rice| Posted May 17, 2019
Chris Rice returned to the music scene after twelve years in January with Songs We Wrote On Tuesdays, a collaborative duo side project he completed with Andrew Ripp. Untitled Hymn: A Collection of Hymns is Rice’s long-awaited follow-up to his 2006 best-seller Peace Like a River: The Hymns Project. That record has been streamed an incredible more than 72 million times to date. Similar to that album, Untitled Hymn is very simple musically, with Rice’s voice usually accompanied by piano, acoustic guitar and light backing vocals. The album, which was produced by Ken Lewis, features a new recording of his classic “Untitled Hymn (Come to Jesus)”, eleven other hymns and one new song “Too Much I Love”. I absolutely loved this new recording.
Here are a few comments about each song: What A Friend We Have In Jesus - This hymn was written by Joseph Scriven (words) and Charles Crozat Converse (music) in 1855. The song features acoustic guitar and some backing vocals. Amazing Grace – This hymn was written by John Newton. In 1779, together with the poet William Cowper, Newton published 280 of his hymns in the popular Olney Hymns. "Amazing Grace" was part of the collection. The song features piano, light organ and cello. Untitled Hymn (Come To Jesus) – This song was written by Chris Rice, and originally appeared on Rice’s 2003 album Run the Earth, Watch the Sky. It features piano, light strings, acoustic guitar and backing vocals. O For A Thousand Tongues – This hymn was written by Charles Wesley (words) and Carl Gottholf Glaser (music). Wesley wrote the words in 1740. Rice includes a new refrain “And I had a thousand tongues, still I could never sing enough”. The song features acoustic guitar, backing vocals and strings. A highlight. When I Survey The Wondrous Cross – This hymn was written by Isaac Watts and published in Hymns and Spiritual Songs in 1707. The song features piano and strings, and new timing in the chorus. This Is My Father's World – This hymn was written by Maltbie Davenport Babcock. Soon after his death in 1901, his wife released a collection of Babcock's poems entitled Thoughts for Every-Day Living that contained the poem "My Father's World." The music is from Franklin Shepherd, who adopted an English folk song. The song features acoustic guitar, piano, light strings and backing vocals. There Is A Fountain - This hymn was written by William Cowper, most likely in 1771. The song features piano and a backing choir. A highlight. Leaning On The Everlasting Arms – This hymn was written in 1887 by Anthony J. Showalter and Elisha Hoffman (words) and Showalter (music). The song features acoustic guitar, a bluegrass fiddle, and backing vocals. Hallelujah, What A Savior – This hymn was written by Philip P. Bliss in 1875. The song features acoustic guitar, piano, backing vocals, and ends with a children’s choir. Were You There – This hymn is an African American spiritual that was first published in William Barton’s 1899 Old Plantation Hymns. The song features piano, light organ and backing choir. Fairest Lord Jesus – This writer and history of this hymn is debated. The song features acoustic guitar and backing vocals. Too Much I Love – This beautiful new song was written by Rice. The song started as one of the poems in his book Widen: A Collection of Poems. It features piano and light organ. The song is about his love for God’s wonderful creation, “Too much I love this world You made”, but it points to more “she echoes better places.”
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