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Steven
Curtis Chapman :
When Steven Curtis Chapman makes an album, it’s not just
a random selection of songs. It is a collection of stories,
of chapters from his life. The past few years have brought
joy and sorrow. Many times there have been more questions
than answers. Chapman has captured these tears and triumphs
on Declaration.The
songs chronicle Chapman’s journey in pursuit of a deeper
walk with God. He celebrates the joy of life in Christ in
“Declaration of Dependence,” “Jesus Is Life”
and “Live Out Loud.” He welcomes the trials of life
in “Bring It On” and yearns for more faith in “God
Follower” and “Magnificent Obsession.” The
difficult days have drawn Chapman closer to his Creator. Chapman
says, “The last couple of years the one prayer I’ve
prayed more than any is ‘Lord I believe, help my unbelief.’
Even kind of harkening back to the words of Job saying, even
if he slays me I’m still going to trust Him. In the last
season of life I’ve watched friends and people I love
and really care about walk through some painful things and
those things have really marked me. They’ve really challenged
my faith. Some of these things have left me without responses
other than saying I need to go back and just really make this
declaration of my faith, of what my faith is in. Is my faith
in my faith or is it really in the person of Jesus Christ,
in his truth and in His Word.” Musically, Declaration
builds on the signature Chapman sound that is so evident with
his Grammy Award-winning, million-selling album Speechless.
“It continues some of what I did with that recording
in terms of using some electronic elements, using some programming,
using some drum loops and samples.” Chapman also plays
lots of guitars on the album. “Actually walls of guitars,
guitars upon guitars, this is definitely a guitar record.”
Steven recorded the basic tracks live in the studio with his
own band; Will Denton on drums, Randy Pearce on electric guitar
and Chris Mosher on keyboards. Chapman and award winning producer
Brown Bannister also enlisted the help of legendary Los Angeles
musician Leland Sklar on bass.
Steven learned
that one of his early songs had been an inspiration to Mincay
and the believers in Ecuador. “I actually heard a recording
of him singing, chanting along with the man who is singing
this song of mine, ‘My Redeemer Is Faithful and True.’
I was so impacted by the book and now I’m finding out
I have a tiny part in this story and I’m getting to have
a front row seat on what God’s doing in all this.”
Steve Saint and Mincay came to Nashville and Steven spent
some time with them. “I had this idea and dream of actually
having Mincay sing with me on the album. That dream became
reality. God let that happen.” The sound of Mincay chanting
at the end of “No Greater Love” is bound to impact
many listeners. Declaration is Steven Curtis Chapman’s
12th album for Sparrow Records. Since his debut release, First
Hand in 1987, Chapman has sold 6 million albums including
five gold and two platinum discs. He has received 4 NARAS
Grammy Awards in the Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album category.
He is the most honored artist in the history of the Gospel
Music Association with 44 Dove Awards, including his 7th Male
Vocalist of the Year award in 2001. His 1999 Grammy Award
winning Speechless album made radio history with 7 singles
going to number 1. That brings his total number of chart toppers
to 36. Declaration is sure to add to the count.
Steven’s
ultimate goal with the album is that it will bring the listeners
closer to Christ. “This is my declaration, I’m staking
all on this, that Jesus, You are my life and I just need to
see Your face. And to say with Paul, I want to know Christ.
I want to know Christ in the midst of all this; I really want
to know Jesus.” Chapman continues, “I hope that
when people have heard all of these songs and danced at the
appropriate moments and cried at the appropriate moments and
all of those things, they can really walk away saying, ‘you
know, I have a clearer picture of the face of Christ.’
Then, it’s been worth every bit of the work that’s
gone into it.”
 _.:Steven
Curtis Chapman Official Site
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