The proceeds from the donations received for the CompassionArt songs’ downloads will go directly to supporting the relief of suffering around the planet. Anyone with a blog, MySpace or other social network website is also welcome to embed the widget found at http://widget.nabbr.com/compassion_art.html into their own sites to share the songs and donation opportunity with their online visitors.

The songs, including the current radio single “King of Wonders” being heard on the K-LOVE Radio Network and other stations across the country, will also be featured on the 14-song charity album, CompassionArt: Creating Freedom From Poverty. The album, which includes a 50-minute DVD CompassionArt documentary, will be available at both physical and digital retail outlets everywhere beginning Jan. 27, 2009 in the US through EMI CMG. The recording also released last month in Europe and Scandinavia through Fierce!/Kingsway, Asia, Africa and South America through Integrity and Australia and New Zealand through Crossroads.

The 19 genre-defining songwriters/guest vocalists featured on the CompassionArt: Creating Freedom From Poverty recording include: (Songwriters) Paul Baloche, Steven Curtis Chapman, Stu G, Israel Houghton, Tim Hughes, Graham Kendrick, Andy Park, Matt Redman, Martin Smith, Michael W. Smith, Chris Tomlin and Darlene Zschech; and (Guest Vocalists) Kirk Franklin, Amy Grant, Joel Houston, Leeland Mooring, Christy Nockels, tobyMac and CeCe Winans. Together, they combine for: 101 million albums sold, 103 No. 1 songs, 32 GRAMMY Awards and 9 GRAMMY nominations this month alone, 202 Dove Awards, 18 Stellar Awards, 3 American Music Awards, and 116 CCLI Top 500 songs sung by millions in churches around the world.

Remarkably, all 19 of these artists have come together to help the poorest of the poor through the CompassionArt: Creating Freedom From Poverty songs. None of them will ever receive a dime for their efforts. And this is not just a one-time offering, but will be a forever offering for the life of the songs through CompassionArt. In addition to the songwriters and guest vocalists, the publishers, managers, record labels, copyright institutes and agents involved are donating their efforts on this project to CompassionArt.

“We started with 12 of the best-known Christian recording artists, who have come together to create an album and a book, with all proceeds and royalties going to break the hold of poverty on people’s lives around the world,” says CompassionArt founder and Delirious? frontman Martin Smith. “But we’re not stopping there; CompassionArt is evolving to connect, inspire and release compassion all over the world. You are an integral part of this process. Please join us in this next step by downloading and donating what you can for these songs.”

Four collective projects were chosen to receive 50% of the proceeds from these songs: Hand of Hope, offering relief and restoration for families caught up in Mumbai, India’s sex trade and food and education for children scraping survival on a rubbish dump in Phnom Penh, Cambodia (www.joycemeyer.org/OurMinistries/HandofHope); Stop The Traffik, a global movement against the trafficking of people that has more than 1,000 member organizations in 50 countries and a grassroots following of ordinary activists around the world (www.stopthetraffik.org); Ray of Hope, a team of people in remote parts of Brazil that meets the needs of children; food, education, support, advice, clothing, medical aid (www.rayofhopeamazon.com); and Watoto, a charity helping orphaned children to abused mothers, and helping to restore hope to people whose lives have been devastated by suffering, providing creative life centers, encouraging artistic education and plans for a better future for all (www.watoto.com).

The 12 projects being supported by the 12 CompassionArt songwriters receive the other 50% of the proceeds: For The Silent (forthesilent.org, Paul Baloche); Shaohannah’s Hope (www.shaohannahshope.org, Steven Curtis Chapman); Beanz Meanz Livez (www.beanzmeanzlivez.com, Stu G); Lakewood Missions (www.lakewoodmissions.org, Israel Houghton); Caring for Ex-Offenders and The Regeneration Trust (www.caringforexoffenders.org, Tim Hughes); Restoring the Sound (www.restoringthesound.com, Graham Kendrick); Compassion UK (www.compassionuk.org, Matt Redman); St Stephen’s (www.ststephenssociety.com, Andy Park); Links International (www.linksinternational.org.uk, Martin Smith); Living Hope Community Centre (www.livinghope.co.za, Michael W. Smith); Baby Watoto (www.watoto.com, Chris Tomlin); and Hope Rwanda (www.hoperwanda.org, Darlene Zschech).

CompassionArt, a charity based in Littlehampton, England, held a songwriters’ retreat in January 2008. The 12 songwriters worked together toward a common goal to write 10-12 songs for charity, but by the end of the retreat, had completed 22 new songs. The CompassionArt songwriters began recording the songs for the CompassionArt: Creating Freedom From Poverty album in February at the famous Abbey Road Studios in London, England, with later recording sessions in Nashville, New York and Los Angeles. Joining the songwriters and guest vocalists to work on the album were such acclaimed musicians, producers and engineers as Josiah Bell, Matt Bronleewe, Danny Duncan, Sam Gibson, Andy Hunt, Ted Jensen, Lakewood Choir, Dan Needham, Paul Moak, Jack Joseph Puig, The Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, Tommy Sims, Akil Thompson and the Watoto African Children’s Choir.

In addition to the recording and documentary, the 12 CompassionArt songwriters have written compelling, candid stories for a companion book, The Art of Compassion (FaithWords/Hachette Book Group, Hodder & Stoughton), releasing simultaneously with the album. This book tells firsthand accounts of extreme poverty around our planet as these songwriters move from ignorance and apathy through paralyzing awareness and end with a call to action, showing us the brutal cost of comfort in the Western world.

CompassionArt is not associated or affiliated with, or otherwise sponsored or endorsed by, Compassion International, Inc. Compassion® is a registered trademark of Compassion International, Inc.

More information on CompassionArt, including song clips, sheet music, news and more can be found at http://CompassionArt.tv.

 

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