The Porter's Gate, a creative movement aimed at reimagining and recreating worship that welcomes, reflects and impacts both community and the Church, announces the release of its first collection of all new modern hymns, The Porter's Gate Volume 1: Work Songs. Set for digital release globally Oct. 6 with The Fuel Music distribution, the live worship album features over a dozen artists, including Audrey Assad, Josh Garrels, David Gungor, Liz Vice and Urban Doxology.
Recorded in part during the live, 3-day Porter's Gate Conference held in New York City at St. Bartholomew's Church and Church of Sweden in June of 2017, The Porter's Gate Volume 1: Work Songs was produced by Isaac Wardell and includes 13 modern hymns centered on affirming vocation as an integral part of a life of worship. The joy, energy and reverence of this project is also captured on video by Mason Jar Music, known for their work with Bela Fleck, Feist, YoYo Ma and others. A video trailer for the project can be seen here.
"Music provides an opportunity to extend hospitality and build bridges with our neighbors," says Wardell, founder of The Porter's Gate, Bifrost Arts and director of worship arts at Trinity Presbyterian in Charlottesville, VA. "We aim to love and serve our neighbors by creating music that is beautiful, truth-filled and inspiring."
"Our neighbors are asking real questions: 'How do we live together in peace, how do we find identity and meaning in our lives, how can we make a difference in our world and how do we value human life' -- vocation is central to these questions," continues Wardell. "Millennials are especially concerned with their sense of work and its meaningfulness, so we set out to write songs that address some of these questions, to give people a voice and a way to connect with each other in song."
Toward that end, Wardell assembled a first-rate collective of singer/songwriters, musicians and worship pastors to create new songs rooted in unity and understanding. Joining the recording artists mentioned above at the Porter's Gate Conference for the making of Work Songs were Sarah Hart (Grammy nominated for "Better Than A Hallelujah"), Andy Crouch (editorial director for The Christian Vision Project at Christianity Today International), Stuart Townend (writer of "In Christ Alone," "How Deep The Father's Love For Us"), Will Reagan (United Pursuit) and others. Additionally, the project features Aaron Keyes (10,000 Fathers School, Atlanta, GA), Joy Ike (Philadelphia, PA, Nigeria), Madison Cunningham (Calvary Chapel, LA), Latifah Alattas (Moda Spira, Lafayette, CO), Paul Zach (Portico Church, Charlottesville, VA) and more.
Together they collaborated on songs like "Little Things With Great Love," "Christ Has No Body Now But Yours," "Establish the Work of Our Hands" and "Every Mother, Every Father." Spiritually organic and stylistically a melting pot, every track on Work Songs affirms the importance of serving God by serving others.
"The spirit of collaboration, musically and with all our different perspectives, has been so life-giving and enjoyable," says singer/songwriter Audrey Assad. "The people [on this project] are world class talented, making a live record with no overdubbing, and they sound so incredible and bring so much joy and heart to it. I've been inspired by watching musicians who love their craft, being part of something bigger than our own careers."
