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ENTERTAINMENT
Michael W. Smith, others lend voices for donation
Kenova native and Christian recording artist Michael W. Smith.
Purchase this photoNASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Kenova native Michael W. Smith and 11 other Christian songwriters attended a retreat early this year, hoping to write 10 or 12 songs they could donate to charity.
They ended up with 22.
"We were a little surprised to say the least," Smith said recently of the five-day meeting in Scotland last January.
Starting last week, six of the songs were being given away at http://widget.nabbr.com/compassion--art.html. They can be downloaded for free, though a donation is requested.
The songs also will be featured on a 14-track disc, "CompassionArt: Creating Freedom from Poverty" that goes on sale in the U.S. on Jan. 27.
The other eight songs written at the retreat were set aside for the time being.
Some of the biggest names in contemporary Christian music are involved with the project, including Steven Curtis Chapman, Amy Grant, CeCe Winans, Chris Tomlin, Martin Smith, Israel Houghton, Kirk Franklin, tobyMac and Darlene Zschech.
All of the songs have been designated for charity, with any money they generate going to organizations that help the poor in the U.S. and abroad for as long as the songs are around.
A companion book, "The Art of Compassion," will be released with the U.S. launch of the album.
"Hopefully, these songs will be played for a long time," Smith said. "If one or two or four of these connect on the church level where people are singing them in church every Sunday, that's income as well."
Smith, who's done charity work with stars not generally associated with Christian music such as U2 lead singer Bono, also likes the way the project came together. With so many different artists agreeing to donate the proceeds from their songs to the poor, he said, the project could serve as a model for other musical genres.
"I can't wait to tell Bono about this thing. Why can't those guys do something like this in the world of rock and roll? I'd love to talk to Vince (Gill) or Alan Jackson and say 'Look what we did here.' I think it could become huge."
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