FrontRowCtr was happy to travel to San Antonio to attend THE STORY Tour Musical Performance for it’s second year into production. The Freeman Coliseum was to host the tour’s final 2012 performance in their 14-stop (in 16 days!) nationwide tour which began in Louisville, KY. This pre-Christmas concert is the perfect way to get you into the Christmas spirit and you may consider attending as a family tradition.
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PHOTO GALLERY
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Performers and Music
As The Story tells, Dove award-winning artist Nichole Nordeman and Dove Award-winning producer Bernie Herms teamed up to give those same timeless stories a modern musical voice. With everyone from Amy Grant, Brandon Heath, Mac Powell, and Chris Tomlin to Francesca Battistelli, Bart Millard, Natalie Grant, and Mandisa taking part, (Music Inspired By) The Story features 18 songs and 24 artists in all. The songs & lyrics are unique in that they are all written in the first person, letting the audience get inside each character’s head as they are performed.
Slightly changing things up from the 2011 performance, this year’s The Story Tour featured a full choir and orchestra with Casting Crown’s Mark Hall, Jeremy Camp, Natalie Grant, Matthew West, Nichole Nordeman, Selah, Rawsrvnt and renowned author and pastor, Randy Frazee. The music and songs inspired by the The Story Tour is world class from the best known Christian musical artists. These songs take the timeless stories from the Bible and translates them into God’s Story of love and hope. You can purchase the video DVD or music CD on-line. We received the DVD free with World Vision sponsorship and it is fantastic. Throughout each musical number during the performance, videos are shown on the back screen and the DVD hosts the 18 songs along with those videos. This cinematic experience choreographed to music truly is fantastic.
Nichole Nordeman, singer and songwriter, says: “Stories that we haven’t told or read for a long time are still relevant and they don’t need to be relegated to Sunday School or watered down for a kid. And they don’t need to be polished and tidied up and wrapped up in a bow. Some of these stories are hard, but that’s what happened to God’s people and that’s the path they walked. I hope that this encourages people to get back in the Word and dig a little deeper to see what God has waiting for them and how it can help write their story.”
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Amy Grant Shares: “I just think it’s amazing when Ruth says well I have nothing, but I will throw all of my nothing in with your basket. And life absolutely changed for both of them for the better. It took a lot of risk, it took humbling themselves. Hopefully the song wets your appetite and makes you go read the story.”
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Natalie did not disappoint and her performance was phenomenal. “We don’t sing songs about the stories, we take on the voice of the character, and I think that makes it so much more relatable. For me, it was Mary Magdalene who we know was the first witness to see Jesus alive. To be able to kind of put yourself in her shoes, really there would be no other words except for “Master, you’re alive! You’re alive! You’re alive!”
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Mark Hall says “God promised Abraham that he was going to be the father of many nations and they were going to have a son and he thought “You’ve got to be kidding, I’m an old guy. How is this even possible?” There was a period of time before it actually happened that they were waiting. And I think we’ve all found ourselves in that place before and that’s what I love about this song- it really captures our humanness.”
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Brandon Heath, although not in the 2012 performance, says “This is my story, I mean it really is! I can own this! This is a song I wish I would have written.”
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Francesca Battistelli gave a memorable performance in the 2011 Story Tour. She was absent from this year’s line-up and we hope to see her again in the future. She says: “I have a little boy he’s 9 and half months, but he was probably 5 or 6 months the first time I heard this song. And I was just blown away, tears streaming down my face, because it’s such a gorgeous picture of what Mary must have been feeling.”
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List of Songs Included in DVD and CD:
- I AM (CREATION) – Overture
- GOOD (ADAM & EVE) – Matthew West & Leigh Nash
- WHO BUT YOU (ABRAHAM & SARAH) – Mark Hall & Megan Garrett
- BEND (JOSEPH) – Brandon Heath
- IT MUST BE YOU (MOSES) – Bart Millard
- BRING US HOME (JOSHUA) – Michael Tait, Blanca Callahan, & Lecrae
- I’M WITH YOU (RUTH & NAOMI) – Nichole Nordeman & Amy Grant
- YOUR HEART (DAVID) – Chris Tomlin
- NO COMPROMISE (DANIEL) – Peter Furler
- BORN FOR THIS (ESTHER) – Mandisa
- BROKEN PRAISE (JOB) – Todd Smith
- BE BORN IN ME (MARY) – Francesca Battistelli
- WHEN LOVE SEES YOU (JESUS) – Mac Powell
- HOW LOVE WINS (THIEF) – Steven Curtis Chapman
- ALIVE (MARY MAGDALENE) – Natalie Grant
- EMPTY (DISCIPLES) – Dan Haseltine & Matt Hammitt
- MOVE IN ME (PAUL) – Jeremy Camp
- THE GREAT DAY (SECOND COMING) – Michael W. Smith & Darlene Zschech
World Vision and The Story
The partnership between The Story Tour and World Vision continues this year with the hope that the audience will be inspired to sponsor and change the life of a child in need. Portions of the proceeds from the sales of The Story music CD benefits the ministry of World Vision. FrontRowCtr took that step this year and we cannot wait to be a part of our new 3-year old friend Masole’s life.
For more information, see World Vision. For information on the 2013 The Story Tour dates, they will be posted next year here.