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Chris Tomlin Releases "See the Morning" Sept. 26

  2006-08-11
 

Nashville, TN – Millions of people around the world are singing the songs of Chris Tomlin every week at collegiate gatherings, worship services, concert settings and as they sing along with radio. On Sept. 26, the sixstepsrecords/Sparrow Records’ lead-worshiper and GMA Artist of the Year offers brand new anthems with his fourth studio project, See the Morning, the much-anticipated follow-up to Tomlin’s Gold-selling Arriving.

As Arriving continues to be a Top 10 best seller at retail even nearly two years after its release, Tomlin aims for See the Morning, produced by Ed Cash, to be a “record of hope.”

“There is something about the morning that awakens the God who never sleeps nor slumbers; something about the dawn that causes our God to ‘arise’ all through our history,” says Tomlin. “In the scriptures, we find that God loves the morning. He loves meeting His people and displaying His glory and greatness in the morning. No matter how dark it gets, the morning will come. And the morning often brings freshness, hope and clarity.”

For See the Morning, Tomlin road-tested many of the songs before thousands at concerts and collegiate gatherings like Passion 06. The record’s first radio single, “Made To Worship,” is one of those songs. Producer Cash, who encouraged Tomlin to record what became his first No. 1 radio hit, “Indescribable,” also brought Tomlin the chorus that he and Stephen Sharp had written for “Made To Worship.” Tomlin finished writing the song and audiences nationwide are responding as it rapidly ascends the charts, already becoming an R&R top 15 radio hit.

The album also includes “Glorious,” a studio version of the live song heard on Passion: Everything Glorious, a collaboration with Matt Redman and rendition of the 1860 song by Robert Lowry entitled “How Can I Keep From Singing,” and the Isaiah 40 inspired, Brenton Brown song, “Everlasting God,” which is already a staple chorus at Austin Stone Community Church (co-founded by Tomlin). The aggressive side of See the Morning comes through on “Let God Arise,” which is based on Psalm 68 and inspired by a message Tomlin heard from Pastor Jim Cymbala (Brooklyn Tabernacle) at a conference.

Closing the album is “Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone),” a new rendition of the classic hymn. After researching the song, Tomlin discovered that the famous last verse was actually written 100 years after John Newton wrote the hymn. Tomlin also discovered an original verse to the song that we no longer sing, but is as relevant today as when it was written. So, Chris took that original verse and, together with Passion founder/director Louie Giglio, co-wrote a new bridge featured on See The Morning:

My chains are gone/I’ve been set free/My God, my Savior has ransomed me. And like a flood His mercy reigns/Unending love, Amazing grace

Tomlin was named Artist of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year at the 37th Annual GMA Music Awards this year. Receiving five Dove trophies, Tomlin also closed the award show with his Dove Award-winning Song of the Year, “How Great Is Our God,” from his current, RIAA Certified Gold-selling album, Arriving. Tomlin received his first Dove Award in 2005 for Worship Album of the Year for Arriving.Tomlin has written 17 Top CCLI songs sung by millions around the world every week as people gather to worship, including “Forever,” “How Great Is Our God,” “Holy Is The Lord” and “We Fall Down.”