As young marrieds and co-worship leaders, that we can hear other people singing in the Bryan and Katie Torwalt have penned quite a church? Is this something you can catch on to few significant worship songs. “Holy Spirit” easily?” I think she’s always had a really great [Katie] No, unfortunately we never got to
(which won a Grammy), “I See Heaven”, and ear for that, and its helped shape our songs, meet him. I think Kingsway had been investing
“Emmanuel (God with Us Forever), are all songs and some of the choruses and bridges, just in Jesus Culture, the ministry that we’re a part
used in church worship worldwide. Their zeal finding those melodies to match the emotion of, for a while. But we were really new, we
for the pursuit of God is an encouragement for of the lyrics that we were writing. It’s definitely joined Jesus Culture the year before that, and
all worship leaders and church musicians. This something important to us, and that’s where that was our first record in 2011. But we were
interview took place at the Worship Together our heart for the local church began to form on really impacted, and obviously we listened to a
2020 gathering in Franklin, TN. a deeper level, when we were on staff at that lot of the music that Kingsway distributed and
in 2013, and if so, did he speak into your lives?
church leading with the same community and gave us access to. We are really grateful for all
[WM] It’s really good to meet you both, and discovering writing songs for our community of that material.
I thank you so much for this opportunity to and church, which turned into the broader get together. Something that I’ve noticed church, which has been so special for us.
[WM] Your new EP, Anticipation, is a beautiful
with your songs over the years is your strong collection of new songs. I love the cover
affinity for melody. You have a great gifting in photography. It’s a breath of fresh air and is
it, and melody is mentioned at least 53 times
in Scripture. I like the passage in 1 Chronicles
25:7 (BBE) which says, “And the number of
them, with their brothers who were trained and
expert in making melody to the Lord, was two
hundred and eighty-eight.” These people were
experts in making melody! Good melody allows
for songs to be sing-able and memorable. Tell
us about your perspective towards melody in
composing songs for the church.
[Bryan] Yeah, that’s such a great question!
We got married in 2009, and right before we
got married Katie got on staff at a local church
in Fresno, California, that her parents are a part
of. We got married and so I joined her. We were
the worship pastors of this small church, and
for the most part we were just doing acoustic or
sometimes with a very small team and leading
twice a week for the first couple years. That’s
really when we started to write songs for the
church, and specifically for our church. We
had the dream in our heart to record and all
of that stuff eventually, but more than anything
it was just for our church. At that point in time
“We talk about much reminiscent of Brian Cook’s Hidden
songwriting all the composition and color usage. Well done!
Villages of Britain book illustrations, both in
time, and we teach [Bryan + Katie] Thank you!
other songwriters [WM] Beyond the title, there is a theme of
and creatives that “anticipation” within the project. Anticipation
identity is not worship. I recently visited First Baptist Church of
based in what Charles Stanley for many years. What was
is something that many churches lack in their
Atlanta, as my family has been watching Pastor
you create. Your
identity is in God
astounding to me was the level of anticipation
in the congregation leading up to the start of
the Sunday morning service. What can you tell
us about anticipation within your own lives, the
weekly opportunities that you have at Jesus
and we get to
Culture, and the song itself?
create things from
that place of being
known and loved
and full of grace.”
we were both very new songwriters, and
[Katie] I think the title of the album is really
reflected in ourselves, and it really came
out of a season for us that looked like very
little anticipation, actually. The EP that we
released the previous fall had a lot to do with
“praising”, the title of that was Praise Before
my Breakthrough, and it kind of depicted a
somewhat insecure, but learning. I would say
season of walking through something more
at that point in time I had a little more of a gift [WM] I believe that your first project, Here difficult, and that even with the little faith that
for words, and Katie has always had a really on Earth, was released in 2011, through we have choosing to worship and choosing
strong sense of melody. Especially in the early Kingsway Music. One of the great champions to praise before we saw the full breakthrough.
songs, but even now, she is always the one of encouraging and capturing the heart of real But I wouldn’t fully describe it as anticipation
who is really particular in a really good way. worship was John Pac (Paculabo), at Kingsway. or expectation, but more of a choice. For
She’ll ask, “Is this sing-able? Is this something Were you able to meet John before his passing example, I know the circumstances of life
March 2020
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