Sandi Patty is the iconic voice
She is known for many Christian classics
If there was ever an iconic female vocalist in Christian music, it would be Sandi Patty.
Patty, who first burst on the music scene after singing at the rededication of the Statue of Liberty in 1986, has been known for such Christian classics as ‘Via Dolorosa’, ‘We Shall Behold Him’ and ‘I’ve Just Seen Jesus’.
With her most recent project, ‘Forever Grateful,’ Sandi Patty has also announced her final tour. Cluing up in 2017, the Forever Grateful Tour is an opportunity to “slow down and help introduce my kids, and see what this next season looks like…. I’ll always feel like I have something to say. I’ll always be saying it through music. I just won’t hit the road like in years past.”
The singer, who has long been known for her powerful soprano voice, is glad to say she is “back to doing it old school,”. “I’ve been working with Greg Nelson.
Michael W. Smith….I’ve been doing some writing, working with Cindy Morgan and Nichole Nordeman, who are helping me craft some things.” In “Forever Grateful”, Patty delivers the powerhouse vocals her fans are accustomed to, along with the instrumentation to bring life to the mix of old and new tunes the artist features on this release.
“Forever Grateful” opens with “Anthem of Praise”, a triumphant song of worship. Continuing the project is “Love in Any Language,” one of Patty’s iconic songs from her 1986 album, Morning Like This. “In the In Between” is a moving song that speaks of God’s faithfulness in the regular, day-to-day living that we all experience.
While I wouldn’t have said I knew Sandi Patty’s music, I quickly amended that as I listened to this album. The “Praise Medley” was full of tracks I had heard over the years - “Let There Be Praise,” for example. “Love Will Be Our Home” was another song that struck a chord in my memory and Patty’s rendition of “Farther Along” was absolutely lovely.
Beyond touring, Patty currently teaches at Mid-America Christian University in Oklahoma City, Okla., which she plans to continue when she retires.
“I’m able to help formulate and also be one of the professors of a Music Arts and Leadership degree. I get to do the teaching online and it’s fabulous. When this is all said and done in the next year and a half, I’d love to be able to go into a church for the weekend and really spend time with the musicians and the worship team and talk about the culture of worship.”
As much as she looks forward to the end of touring, she says, “It’s bittersweet. You’re excited about the growth and excited about new beginnings, but then you reflect and are grateful for the years that have come before.”
Patty has been a staple of Christian music over the past 30 years and, while Forever Grateful might signal the end of the touring part of her career, I am certain she will continue to influence the genre of which she is an integral part. Tracey Evison, a musician and educator on P.E.I., writes this column for The Guardian every second Saturday. She can be contacted by email at trevorandtracey@ pei.sympatico.ca.