Louder Than The Music

The multi-artist A New Heaven And A New Earth project is a full-length album slated to release Sept. 6 that celebrates the beauty of God's Creation and calls believers to be faithful stewards of the earth. It brings recording artists and conservationists together on common ground, each seeing the beauty of the other. More than an album, it’s a conversation.

Prior to the album release, four of the project’s artists, iconic singer/songwriter Phil Joel (Newsboys), awards winning singer / songwriter Jason Gray, Dove Awards-winning, No.1 Billboard-charting, Stellar Award-nominated Aaron Cole, and husband and wife duo, Don and Lori Chaffer of Waterdeep, will perform during a July 23 pre-launch concert being held at St. George’s Church. Additional artists featured on the project will join via video, including GRAMMY-nominated, Dove Award-winning Building 429 lead vocalist Jason Roy, recording artist, actress and producer MŌRIAH, and chart-topping recording artist and songwriter Micah Tyler. Free general admission tickets are available to the public at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-new-heaven-and-a-new-earth-concert-tickets-914722508647. The event begins at 6:30 pm ET and will be livestreamed internationally via www.calvarystgeorges.org.

There has never been a project like this, where well-known Christian musicians from various genres each wrote and recorded a song on how taking care of Creation is to glorify God. The artists felt called to the project, and each has a unique story to tell about why they joined and wrote their song.

To date, eight songs and two music videos, Joel’s “Arms Around the World” and MŌRIAH’s “You Mean the World,” have been released from the project representing a diverse set of rock, pop, hip hop, R&B, indie, folk/ Americana and more musical genres. Along with a sizzle reel and two short documentaries from Oslo, Norway and Rome, Italy, the project has also been featured by WSMV TV 4 (NBC Nashville), K-LOVE On Demand, Rapzilla, CCM, Catholic Faith Network, Shout! Outdoor Lifestyle Magazine and many other outlets internationally.

A New Heaven And A New Earth tracks already released include: Roy’s “It’s All Yours;” Joel’s “Arms Around The World;” MŌRIAH’s “You Mean The World;” Cole’s “Together;” Tyler’s “So Will I;” Waterdeep’s “Into the Unseen;” Gray’s “Awestruck (On My Way Home);” and Don Chaffer, Joel, Gray and Roy’s “Our Common Home.”

Church leaders from around the world welcomed “Our Common Home” with joy last fall, declaring, “These artists felt called to express how care for Creation glorifies God.” The note was signed by:

- His Eminence Cardinal Peter K.A. Turkson, The Pontifical Academy of Sciences, The Vatican
- His Eminence Elder Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon, Ecumenical Patriarchate
- The Most Reverend Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury
- The Most Reverend Michael Curry, Presiding Bishop & Primate, The Episcopal Church
- The Most Reverend Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit, Presiding Bishop, Church of Norway, former General Secretary of the World Council of Churches

The recording also has an intergenerational aspect as several of the artists’ children are integrally involved.