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| Founder: | Dale & David Garratt |
| Distributor: | New Sound Publishing Limited[1] |
| Genre: | Contemporary worship music, contemporary Christian music |
| Country: | New Zealand |
| Location: | Auckland |
Scripture in Song is a Christian music recording and publishing brand that was created in 1968 by married couple Dale and David Garratt of Auckland, New Zealand, when they released their first album of the same name, when neither could read or play music. Aiming to better incorporate Biblical scripture into contemporary worship music, the Garratts went on to produce a series of albums and song books of Bible verses set to soft rock, and became leading musicians and songwriters internationally in the Charismatic movement in the 1970s and 80s.[2]
In 53 years, Scripture in Song produced 41 records (with thirteen achieving gold or platinum status), sold over three million song books, and is credited for creating an "entire genre of contemporary Christian music".[3] [4]
Dale Mary Adeline Garratt (Ngāpuhi, Te Aupōuri) was raised in Mount Eden, Auckland. David Reginald Garratt was raised in Dunedin as an Open Brethren. They met at a Youth For Christ NZ concert in Wellington in 1962.
After releasing their 1968 Scripture in Song EP album, a children's song book and album, and their first full-length LP record, in 1972, the Garratts released their Scripture in Song double album Prepare Ye The Way. It the brand's biggest hit, selling hundreds of thousands of albums globally, including 88,000 copies sold in New Zealand, certifying it platinum.
The Garratts registered their recording company, Scripture in Song Recordings Limited, in 1973.[5]
In 1974, the Garratts held outdoor events at racetracks in Palmerston North and Tauranga. About 3,000 people at each event were led by the Garratts in singing worship songs, which were recorded live and released as the Scripture in Song album Praise the Name of Jesus (A Live Expression of Worship in the Outdoors).[6] The album reached number one on the gospel charts in the United Kingdom. Christian songwriter Stephen Bell-Booth who played piano on the album said "David and Dale were revolutionary. They started a movement; it was a worldwide phenomenon, led by the Garratts from their base in Auckland. They were absolute pioneers."
When asked about being pioneers of a new style of worship music around the world, David gave credit to the Holy Spirit rather than his own ability: "It was interesting that the Holy Spirit did begin something that spread a long way. I’m not saying that it spread because of us at all, but it actually did begin something in New Zealand and God really did something with us as non-musicians that was somewhat unique because we just felt, right back at that stage, that He was wanting songs that are sung to Him and He was wanting us to encourage His people to worship and to learn His Word."[7]
The Garratts toured the US and Europe for 10 months in 1982. In 1984, they awarded the International Dove Award by the Nashville Gospel Music Association for lifetime achievement.[8]
In 1993, Scripture in Song celebrated 25 years with the four-day Oct One event at the ASB Arena in Auckland, including guests Kevin Prosch, Steve Grace and Geoff Bullock.
The Garratts went on to become leading figures in the global school of ethnodoxology, a discipline which helps indigenous cultures understand and express Christian doctrine in their own musical forms.[9]
The Garratts sold the Scripture in Song music catalogue to a US publisher. From 1998 to 2005, they lost most of the money from the sale, and one of their two children, Rachel, died of cancer at age 31. In 2002, their company, Scripture in Song Recordings Limited, was removed by the New Zealand Companies Office.
In 2018 the Garratts celebrated 50 years of the Scripture in Song brand. In 2019 they released I Exalt Thee, an album of re-recorded and produced songs from the previous 50 years.
Dale Garratt is acknowledged as one of the best-selling Māori composers. In 2023, NZ Herald Senior Writer Steve Braunias wrote, "there’s a case to be made that Dale Garratt is actually among the very best female singers in New Zealand music history." Dale has authored three books, The Pleasure of your company in 1984, The Profile of the Pioneer: Mentors to a Future Generation in 1993, and Please Help Yourself: Living, Loving, Learning & Preparing the Table in 2019.[10] [11] [12]
In the 2024 New Zealand New Year Honours, both Dale and David Garratt were appointed Companions of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to Christian music production.[13] In 2024, the New Zealand Herald wrote, "Their songs are used in virtually every Protestant church and they are recognised nationally and internationally as pioneering worship leaders and modellers of congregational singing, particularly for their contextual application of biblical texts and current musical trends."[14]
In January 2024, Scripture in Song had 58,967 monthly listeners on Spotify.
Albums produced by Scripture in Song include:[15] [16]
Song books produced by Scripture in Song include: