Fri 26 Jan 2024 by Tola Mbakwe
A brand new version of ‘How great thou art’ has been released by 16 of the world’s biggest worship artists to raise money for humanitarian relief in Eastern Europe due to the war in Ukraine.
The new release, entitled ‘How great thou art ’until that day’’ features Matt Redman, Chris Tomlin, Matt Maher and Bethel Music, and celebrates 75 years since the hymn was translated from Russian into English, after it was written in Ukraine.
Missionary Stuart Hine was inspired to translate the song due to the faith of Ukrainian refugees he’d ministered to in 1940s Russia.
Matt Maher, who features on the track told Premier: “He [Hine] was so moved by the testimony of these people who he had years earlier gone to be missionary to spread the gospel to, that he wrote his verses in English. So there’s so much of the story in this song that’s intrinsically linked to the Church in Ukraine.”
Matt Redman and Mitch Wong wrote an extra final verse in the song which focuses on hope in a “warring world”.
“In the lyrics, we wanted to acknowledge the ‘broken, warring world’ we live in, but also to sing with hope and faith over that,” Matt Redman said in a statement.
“Worship isn’t meant to have an escapist mentality, where we ignore what’s going on around us in this fragile, fallen world. Instead, we can engage with these things, pray for, and acknowledge God’s ultimate kingdom rule and reign in the midst of them.”
The new song has been gifted to the Stuart Hine Trust so that mission organisation benefits from the royalties. Proceeds from the new version will be used for humanitarian aid and rebuilding efforts in Ukraine.
You can watch the music video here.
