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Everlasting God ASCAP/PRS Award 2007
Kingsway and Survivor are excited to announce that the song Everlasting God, published by Thankyou Music, received an award at the ASCAP awards ceremony in London on 15th October 2008. The song written by Brenton Brown and Ken Riley was honoured as one of the most performed songs in the USA, during 2007, across all genres. This is the first time that a Christian song has been recognised at this major music awards ceremony.
left to right: Roger Greenaway (Senior Vice President International ASCAP),
Les Moir (Label Manager Survivor), Ken Riley (Songwriter),
Sean Devine (Vice President of Membership ASCAP UK/Europe)
Photo by Sylvan Mason www.sylvanmason.com
Here’s what Ken Riley, one of the writers, had to say about the awards ceremony:
‘It was great to see God get some glory in that room as our DVD played and I walked onto the stage - there were a lot of intrigued people. To be honoured alongside Paul McCartney, U2, Kooks, Rolling Stones etc is an unforgettable experience and I thank God and my singing and songwriting brothers and sisters who've all broken ground and played their part in what is hopefully just the first of many similar achievements for our whole movement. I thank Brenton whose story was the catalyst for the song and, of course, my yfriday buddies and all at Thankyou Music and Survivor.’
...and a word from Les Moir (Label Manager, Survivor):
"Close to 30 years ago, I was part of a tour with John Pantry, called ‘Jesus On The Airwaves’, which showed the desire to hear and see Christian songs played on the radio. So, to step on to a highly respected music industry stage, with songwriter Ken Riley, and pick up an award for a song called ‘Everlasting God’, being one of the most played songs on American Radio in 2007, was a dream come true.
It was great to see Sir George Martin (producer of the Beatles) on the front table and to mix with and meet the UK's music industry elite.
It felt like a significant evening where the door was opened for many more 'Godsongs' (as Eugene Peterson calls them) to be heard on the radio.
God...let Your Kingdom come."
The story behind the song (as written by Brenton Brown):
“The song ‘Everlasting God’ was ‘born’ about eight years ago (2000). The worship teams from our church left Oxford for a retreat in the heart of Wales late on a Friday evening. I thought it would be a quick journey but close to four hours later, way past midnight, we arrived at our lodgings. It was dark and cold and most of us just wanted to head for bed after a long week and the endless journey. Before we did though, we all sat down for a little prayer. We’d brought along percussion and hand drums and as we started to pray we gradually began to pick up the various instruments and play. I grabbed a guitar and not long later the words and melody of the verse came out – ‘strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord’. It took four years to finish the song but basically things continued as they’d started. A few years later Ken Riley, a friend from Newcastle, came to visit Jude and I and added a great bridge to the song. At that stage both Jude and I had been diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and the scriptures in the verse and bridge took on a significance I never dreamed I’d have to understand. The chorus of the song reveals the ‘punch line’ of Isaiah 40 – God is everlasting, unfailing, unflagging. There is no limit to his strength and energy. More than that, this powerful, always-strong God has compassion and mercy on those who call on Him. He lifts us up when we are weak...an enormously comforting and sometimes challenging truth that we have been able to hold on to.”
Watch a video of Brenton Brown singing the song
at the Mission:Worship Conference 2006
Visit the store to download sheet music,
guitar chords and mp3
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