Twila Paris / Star Song

Beyond A Dream

Sometimes I feel like a pale reflection/ Living in the blessing they passed down/ Some of them have held me/ Some never knew my name/ But the secret has been found...

Pondering the remarkable legacy of her ancestors, Twila Paris penned those words to "Seventy Years Ago," one of 11 new songs on her latest Star Song album, Beyond A Dream.

But there's nothing pale about her contribution to modern church. Winner of the Gospel Music Association's 1993 and 1994 Dove Award for Female Vocalist of the Year, Twila's accomplishments over the last 15 years are many, including 13 albums, 14 number one radio singles, and numerous accolades for songwriting and performing. Having written or co-written every song on all of her recordings, it's no wonder Twila is held in high esteem by both her fans and her peers.

Known for years as "the modern-day hymnwriter," Twila has been compared to the legendary Fanny Crosby for her powerful contributions to contemporary hymnody. Songs like "We Will Glorify," "Lamb of God," "How Beautiful," and "Faithful Men" have been recognized as significant by virtue of their inclusion in millions of hymnals in churches around the world. But Twila's musical boundaries extend far beyond her role as a praise and worship leader in the church, as evidenced by the energy and eclecticism of albums like 1991's Cry For The Desert and her latest , Beyond A Dream.

As the song "Seventy Years Ago" recounts, Twila's family history is replete with commitment to ministry. Her great-grandparents traveled throughout the countryside of Arkansas and Oklahoma as itinerant preachers, holding outdoor revival meetings and planting churches. As a young girl, Twila's grandmother wrote songs that were printed and distributed for use at evangelistic meetings, a fact Twila uncovered while at a recent family gathering. And Twila's father, Oren Paris, who runs the Youth With A Mission near Twila's Arkansas home, is also an accomplished musician and songwriter. (Twila's uncle, Loren Cunningham, founded the YWAM organization.)

Produced by Brown Bannister and Paul Mills, Beyond A Dream is Twila's most aggressive album to date, from both a musical and lyrical standpoint. The driving anthem "God Is In Control" assures Christians of their security in the midst of confusion. "I Will Worship" with its Celtic cadences and Appalachian undertones, pays musical homage to Twila's spiritual, ethnic and geographical roots. In "Neither Will I," she sings a tender ode to the mercy of God extended to those who fail us. "Visitor From Heaven" gently exhorts believers to take a firm stand for the gospel while caring for those who oppose God's way.

"This album is very current. It talks about how to face what's going on in the world, not from the point of me being some sort of an authority, but from the struggles that I'm going through and writing as I go through them. It was also the biggest stretch for me so far, artistically. Brown and Paul had me singing like I've never sung before."

That's something that longtime Twila fans will appreciate. It's also likely to bring in a whole new crop of fans who may have Twila in a box as an almost angelic "praise and worship" artist. True, her concerts are known as worship events, "like being in church" as well as at a performance. But her profound influence as a leader in the body of Christ sometimes overshadows Twila's infectious personality. "She's so much fun," says a close friend. "She loves to laugh, especially at herself." At home in blue jeans and hiking boots, Twila enjoys a good time as well as anyone. On the road with the Young Messiah Tour last year, Twila had a ball with busmates Sandi Patti, Kathy Troccoli and Cindy Morgan - a trip full of riotous laughter and practical jokes, intimate sharing and heartfelt prayer.

Underscoring her commitment to helping Christians grow in their understanding of worship, Twila collaborated with theologian Robert Webber to write a book on public worship, In This Sanctuary (Star Song Publishing Group). She has also joined forces with the venerable radio program, The Chapel of The Air, for an ambitious project called the 1994 Worship Celebration, We Will Glorify: Becoming People of Worship in Church and Home. In more than 70 conferences nationwide, video and printed materials featuring Twila's songs will be used to involve believer in a richer experience of worship through music.

1994 promises to be a busy year for Twila. In addition to taking part in the Young Messiah Tour (with which she was a featured performer with an ensemble cast of the Young Messiah at The White House on December 19) and performing in dozens of cities on her own Beyond A Dream Tour, she will also serve as spokesperson for the 300-plus Parable Group stores. 1993 was busy as well - including Young Messiah Tour, her tour with Wayne Watson, and the writing, planning, and recording of Beyond A Dream.

But all the activity comes on the heels of a sabbatical which lasted nearly a year, during which time Twila and her husband, Jack Wright, took a rest from touring and recording. "The Lord has been doing a lot of restoration physically, emotionally and spiritually ... It's like the verse about the Lord giving to the beloved in his sleep ... waking up restored. Sometimes it's good when you've been doing this for a long time, to take a break and catch your breath."

Clearly, Twila is serious about her calling as a musical minister, and despite the accolades, she is careful to acknowledge the source of her remarkable gifts. "It's not to be taken lightly ... Jack's used the analogy of the Ark of the Covenant - not touching it, but carrying it on our shoulders. We sing about the Atonement, but it cost the Lord something to give us that. We can have fun with the music; that's okay. But on another level, that respect should always be there - concern for the message, and concern for those to whom we would deliver the message."

That kind of concern comes form within Twila's soul, fed by the deep well of godliness that is her heritage. Keenly aware of the importance of the past in guiding the present and shaping the future, Twila Paris understands the leadership role her godly ancestors played in her own life. In today's church, Twila is sowing the seeds of her own legacy for all those who have been and will be drawn closer to Christ through her leadership.

I want to give this to my children/ And when I am very old/ I hope there still will be/ A story worth the telling/ Of seventy years ago ...

Discography

The Time Is Now

Beyond A Dream

Early Works-Twila Paris

Knowin' You're Around - Special

Warrior Child / Keepin Eyes

Heart That Knows You

KIngdom Seekers

Same Girl

For Every Heart

It's The Thought

Cry For The Desert

Sanctuary

Fan Club Information