About the Author

Even as defining as his platinum pop and worship albums have become, there is yet another musical side to Michael W. Smith that is as passionate and creative. Ask the multiple GRAMMY Award winner, whose songs have changed so many peoples’ lives, to discuss his favorite film scores, and something changes within him. Like a sports fan rattling off player stats, he runs through a list of movies and the composers who made them come alive; testifying to the innate spiritual power of wordless music alone.“I got hooked by watching Raiders of the Lost Ark in the theater like twenty-eight times,” he remembers. “I’d never heard a soundtrack like that—so epic. I became a serious fan of John Williams, who also did Star Wars, Saving Private Ryan and Harry Potter. I could hum something from everything he’s done. I also really like Hans Zimmer (The Lion King), James Newton Howard (The Fugitive) and Ennio Morricone (The Mission).”More than any other mainstream Christian artist, Michael has certainly broadened his own genre’s listening ear. Between 1999’s compelling This Is Your Time record and 2001’s much needed Worship set (released on September 11), he made the instrumental effort, Freedom, which has sold more than 500,000 copies. It’s also the project many fans want more of and ask about most often: When are you going to make another one?The answer is now. Glory, Smith’s twenty-third career album, feeds the enthusiasm its predecessor stirred and soundly exceeds expectations. A sweeping cinematic statement rich in melodies, emotional range, and musical twists, it was born at a piano in Tennessee then completed with a 71-piece symphony orchestra in England at AIR Studios, where soundtracks for Pirates of the Caribbean and The Chronicles of Narnia were also done.In keeping with the very nature of Glory, Smitty lets the new music speak for itself, by and large remaining open to a listener’s personal interpretation of each grand selection.“People said Freedom had something about it that made them feel good, that it was a spiritual experience,” he says. “I don’t know if I could explain all that. I just know I went down into a deeper place writing those songs, and it has happened again with Glory.”Smith believes words aren’t always necessary to convey meaning. Sometimes expressions of praise are better stated through other means.“To mention another great movie, there’s a famous quote from Chariots of Fire that I could never forget, because it truly resonated in my heart,” he explains. “The film’s hero Eric Liddell says of his relationship with God, ‘When I run I feel His pleasure.’ And when I play the piano I feel God’s pleasure; it’s just what I’m made to do. We all have gifts, and we all have our story, and this is just my gift.”And it’s a gift that Michael W. Smith enthusias

Read Next Recommendation