(Photo : Keith & Kristyn Getty  )

 The special performance will feature traditional and modern Irish hymns, authentic Irish instruments, and Irish dancing.   Opening the festivities that evening will be the Contemporary Celtic band, RUNA. 

"After the privilege of being invited to perform at the Grand Ole Opry last year, we began to discuss the possibility of doing a concert at the Ryman," explains Keith Getty.  When Kristyn and I discovered that St. Patrick's Day was available we couldn't think of a more perfect day or location!"

"We are so excited to announce our first hymns concert in our hometown this coming St. Patrick's Day," continues Getty. "We hope that many of you can come along to this Sunday evening hymn-sing and perhaps bring friends, neighbors, fellow musicians, and church groups. We look forward to meeting many of you afterwards."

St. Patrick's at the Ryman will showcase the talents of virtuosic musicians from both sides of the Atlantic. Among them, from Ireland are guitarist Fionan de Barra (Broadway's Riverdance) and uilleann piper Patrick D'Arcy (Snow White and the Huntsman). From the states are guitarist Dave Cleveland (Miley Cyrus, Amy Grant) and bluegrass instrumentalist Jeff Taylor (Elvis Costello, The Chieftains, Time Jumpers).  A trio of fiddlers and two Irish dancers will join the ensemble, as the Gettys treat the audience to selections from their latest project, Hymns for the Christian Life.   The album was produced by Charlie Peacock (Civil Wars, Switchfoot) and Ed Cash (Chris Tomlin, Matthew West), and is highlighted by duet performances with Alison Krauss, Rick Skaggs, and Moya Breenan.   The project has received critical acclaim from such diverse publications as USA Today and Worship Leader Magazine.

About Keith & Kristyn Getty
The Gettys met in Belfast, Ireland when they began songwriting together.  They were married in 2004, and two years later they recorded their first project as a couple in the United Kingdom and Nashville, TN.  In 2007, they made the journey overseas to America and lived in Ohio for three years as they began their professional career, but found their permanent home in Nashville, July 2010.   In 2011, the Gettys welcomed a new addition to their family when their daughter, Eliza Joy, was born. 

The Gettys have released 4 albums and have garnered incredible success in 6 short years that include an acclaimed repertoire of 21st century hymns and one of the most impactful live performances.  The couple has appeared at Franklin Graham crusades, the GMA Dove Awards, The Third Lausanne Conference on World Evangelization, as well as feature performances at London's Royal Albert Hall, the legendary Grand Ole Opry, along with many other noted platforms.   One of Keith Getty's most popular compositions is In Christ Alone, co-written with Stuart Townend and released in 2001.  The song was well-received that year but continues to grow in popularity, remaining the #1 most-sung-hymn in the UK since 2006 (CCLI) and finding position among the top 20 such songs in the United States, Canada, and Australia. The Gettys recently completed their 18-city Joy-An Irish Christmas Tour including a sold-out finale performance at Nashville's Schermerhorn Symphony Center.