The Gettys Talk Christmas, Family and Evangelical Growth in NYC
NEW YORK — "Joy-An Irish Christmas" with Keith & Kristyn Getty made its way to New York City's Carnegie Hall for it's fourth annual holiday tour, and The Christian Post caught up with Keith Getty to chat about the unforgettable night of music, congregational worship, and the meaning of Christmas for the Getty family.
The Gettys are world-renowned contemporary hymn writers whose songs are sung each year by more than one hundred million people. Their annual tour, "Joy-An Irish Christmas," is a lively celebration of the birth of Christ as told through an evening of traditional holiday carols, contemporary hymns, Irish folk music, bluegrass and step dancing.
The talented Getty couple ushered nearly 3,000 New Yorkers into worship with their Christmas Concert. The tour's music was all recently released in an album titled, Joy-An Irish Christmas Live. The album coincides with a DVD release as well.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
The following is a transcript of Keith's interview with The Christian Post following their Carnegie Hall performance, in which he discusses the meaning of Christmas, the changes he sees happening in New York City, and what's to expect from the Gettys in the future.
The Christian Post: What is the meaning of Christmas for the Getty family?
Keith Getty: The immediate thing we're looking forward to, is being home, as 25 events gets pretty tiring! But, Christmas for us is a celebration of Christ's birth. Pretty much how we do it in the show – celebration, parties and festivals with our friends and families, and carol services, where we sing the incredible story. Christmas music is far and away my favorite music.
CP: What is your advice for Christians to help keep the true spirit of Christmas as opposed to defending the holiday?
Getty: Christmas is a wonderful chance for us to celebrate Christ's birth through beautiful music, dance, art, storytelling, hospitality, color and generosity. The reason we have beautiful carols, nativity plays, art and movies and extraordinary generosity, is because for centuries, Christians have tried to do this as beautifully as possible; not because we force people who don't share our views to somehow want to celebrate this good news that they don't believe in anyway.
CP: During your concerts you always share that your band is made up of 8 families. What would you say is the importance of the family dynamic when on the road touring?
Getty: I would start by saying it's not all easy – lots of kids on the road is difficult for everyone, especially the administrative people. And of course, when there are disagreements between individuals, it immediately becomes a strain for the families. So we certainly couldn't do it without brilliant administrators, nannies and a certain spirit of generosity from the entire team.
I do think that the group as a whole is stronger for that family atmosphere – they tend to enjoy each other's company and life together instead of thinking of it just as a job. And you can see that spills onto the stage.
Most of all, I think it's just good for family. The tales of woe we hear about broken marriages in touring are so tragic; I never want my tour to be a stumbling block for other people's marriages.
