AnGeL Of MeRcY

WHAT IS COMPASSIONART?

CompassionArt is a charity that joins the dots between art and poverty. It raises money to help breathe life into the poorest communities, restoring hope and igniting justice.

It all started with a sense that music really ought to be able to sit well with justice. Yet in a world of album sales and royalty cheques, it can be hard to see how the two link up. So, a plan evolved; create a little music (and eventually, quite a bit more) and use all of the proceeds from album sales and royalty cheques to support those working among the world's poorest communities.

These thoughts came first to the heads and hearts of Martin and Anna Smith. Martin's years at the front of the stage with Delirious have given him a unique perspective; across every continent he has seen at first hand the potential that music has to connect. And he has seen poverty – the crushing sort, the type that chokes hope and suffocates life. And he has seen remarkable people doing remarkable things to break poverty's hold.

In January 2008 – after more than a year and a half of planning – Martin and Anna were joined by 11 other songwriters from the world of Christian music for a week of writing. Out of it came 22 songs, but something much more; a sense that there might be something in this – that compassion and art might just be a relationship worth investing in.

The Vision

Martin Smith, 2008:

Over the last few years I have had the privilege of travelling to some of the poorest parts of the world and seeing first hand the plight of humanity.

As a song writer and a person with a microphone I made a promise to try and do something about it. What better than to call on my friends and do something together. To be people that can make a change rather than just singing about it.

So the dream was born to gather some of the best-known writers in the gospel/Christian music scene and spend the week writing songs that could impact these issues on a long-term basis.

So after many phone calls, the team was assembled, Michael W. Smith, Darlene Zschech, Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, Tim Hughes, Paul Baloche, Israel Houghton, Graham Kendrick, Steven Curtis-Chapman, Andy Park, Stu Garrard, Martin Smith.

So, with so many songwriters gathering it felt like we needed a new structure to compliment and carry this dream. The usual way of doing things is for a publisher to own the songs and then distribute them to the writers. Although there's nothing wrong with this it felt like we needed a more radical approach to maximising all the income from these songs as the intention of the writers is to give every cent away. Also a lot of the publishers and managers were excited about being involved too and making a contribution.

So CompassionArt was born, a charity dedicated to seeing works of art generate income for the poorest of the poor. So these songs that will be written in Scotland in January will be owned by the charity meaning that every penny will come to it and the trust will own these copyrights forever. The publishers, the managers, the agents and the writers have waived all their rights to see something historic happen, the music business coming together for something great, something that is about something greater than any individual could achieve.

THE ALBUM

In January 2008 – after a year and a half of planning – Martin and Anna Smith were joined by 11 other songwriters for the first CompassionArt retreat. Next to a Scottish Loch a few hours north of Glasgow were these dozen writers who between them had written pretty much every song the church has been singing over the last decade.

A week later and the group emerged with a whole load of new songs that are bound to provide the soundtrack for the coming years; songs that answered the question 'what's faith got to do with poverty?'

Four weeks later and the writers were gathered in Abbey Road to record the best fifteen tracks from the retreat.

Five days later and they had the bones of an album.

In the months that followed Martin and fellow producers Les Moir and Matt Bronleewe added the flesh, drawing in yet more artists from the world of Christian music.

And as the music took shape so too did the plot; each of the twelve writers nominated a charity to which 1/24th of CompassionArt royalties will go to. The remaining 50 per cent of the funds raised will be distributed among projects that CompassionArt wants to give extra support – such as the Watoto community in Uganda. There, orphaned children are given food, shelter, education and a loving, caring home as they rebuild their lives. CompassionArt will provide funding for a series of music and arts centres that support the world-famous Watoto Children's Choir, as well as offering essential training for those wanting to pursue a future in the arts.

The involvement of the twelve writers; Michael W. Smith, Israel Houghton, Darlene Zschech, Matt Redman, Tim Hughes, Stu G, Chris Tomlin, Graham Kendrick, Stephen Curtis Chapman, Andy Park and Paul Baloche didn't just guarantee plenty of exposure. Their skills have combined to make an album that pushes, inspires and challenges in all the right places.

The story has covered so many pages already, yet in many ways it has yet to really begin. This first album – as well as the book that partners it – will generate income for years to come, giving compassion and art a more meaningful way of working together.

12 CompassionArt Songwriters

Paul Baloche, Steven Curtis Chapman, Stu G (Delirious?), Israel Houghton, Tim Hughes, Graham Kendrick, Andy Park, Matt Redman, Martin Smith (Delirious?), Michael W. Smith, Chris Tomlin, Darlene Zschech.