Grammy Award winning Rebecca St. James, whose song "Lion," appears on the EMI CD release of music inspired by the major motion picture debut this week of The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe, will be a focal point tonight in the film's premiere for Nashville's music industry.

St. James will co-host a live, one hour nationally syndicated radio broadcast, to be aired coast to coast Thursday, December 8th, from 8-9 PM Central. The special being produced by Renaissance Communications, is set to broadcast onsite immediately following the film's red carpet theater premiere in Nashville. The invitation -only industry preview in Nashville is being held one day prior to the film's unveiling in theaters nationally by Walt Disney Pictures/Walden Media. With a production budget in excess of $100 million, the film is expected to be one of the largest grossing motion pictures on the list of Christmas '05 holiday releases.

Rebecca's participation in the Chronicles Of Narnia music project, released by EMI, led to her meeting last month with Douglas Gresham (above with St. James) stepson of Narnia's creator, C.S. Lewis, and himself a major creative force behind bringing the world of Narnia to film. She termed the meeting, "a tremendous personal thrill," and added:

"I was immediately passionate about being a part of the music project simply because I've been so personally inspired by the Narnia adventures--both in reading C.S. Lewis as a child and now as an adult. I'm really gripped by the power and the symbolism of the Christian message in the story. In thinking about what to write for music, my inspiration was Aslan--the character of the lion as seen through the eyes of one of the children---Lucy. When we were in the studio, we tried to craft the music to fit the atmosphere of the movie--I felt it need to be an epic song--and I am so pleased it's gotten such a positive response with audiences."

Tomorrow night's event is expected to draw heavily from the Nashville music community. A number of Christian artists--as well as mainstream artists, media and industry VIPS will be in attendance.

Four major Christian radio networks--KLOVE, WAY-FM, Salem Music Network, and HIS Radio Network, covering over 400 markets collectively, will originate their afternoon/evening drive programming from the live premiere in Nashville, being anchored for radio by Rebecca St. James and radio veteran, Wayne Shepherd. More than 75 stations will carry the entire broadcast live. Beliefnet will offer internet coverage with artist interviews being archived for web availability the following week.

The internationally syndicated radio program Soul 2 Soul, heard on 650 outlets in more than 30 countries, as well as 650 US radio outlets will both report on the evening's celebration of the film as well as offer artist interviews for listeners. The Weekend 22 and The Weekend Top 25 Countdown heard in more than 175 markets will offer listeners coverage and exclusive artist interviews from the Narnia premiere as well.

Following her co-hosting of the Narnia radio special, St. James, whose own much anticipated new solo CD project from EMI, If I Had One Chance To Tell You Something, launched November 22nd, will depart the US for Christmas in her native Australia.


Press Release