The music of Nathan Clark George

I became acquainted with the music of Nathan Clark George during the PCA's General Assembly in Memphis this year. Nathan played and led in worship during two of the worship services. I was immediately impressed with his ability to avoid coming off as a "solo" when he played for worship. Several of my fellow pastors, of varying worship style convictions, commented on how excellent his selections were and how they fit very well with the worship service.

In late June my family vacationed at Horn Creek (Westcliffe, Co) family camp. The first Sunday morning we were there I saw Nathan tuning his guitar in preparation for the morning worship service. I recognized him, but couldn't remember why. Then it hit me that he had played at General Assembly. What a delight to know he would be leading our daily worship times. He did a wonderful job and also treated us to several of his original songs. We quickly bought all four of his Cd's and started listening to them right there at camp. I also had some time to fellowship with him and was even more impressed with God's work and direction in his life (and the life of his family). Nathan is the son of a PCA pastor and is himself licensed to preach in the PCA. I have to admit, I can sometimes be hard to please when it comes to music styles for worship, yet Nathan's skill, style, and demeanor won me over.

As for Nathan's music, I strongly urge you to check his sites here and here. Sample his music. There is a link to buy his Cd's. I am telling you, you will blessed by Nathan's music.

He currently has four Cd's out and has received quite a bit of widespread recognition winning the independent musician award two years in a row. Describing his style and genre is somewhat difficult as he truly does have an original sound. If I were pressed to compare him, I would say his vocals remind me of Michael Card. He is a skilled classical guitarist and so brings great originality to many well-known songs and hymns. His rendition of "Not what my Hands Have Done" is an example of such. He differs from Card lyrically in two ways that I can note- first, he is very personal regarding his own failures and questions. The whole of his music always points the listener to the cross, yet doesn't shy away from voicing genuine, human feelings about life and our sinfulness. He has a song that wonders out loud about what he would have done if he were in the Garden of Gethsemane with Jesus. One of my favorite songs by Nathan is "Don't I Know". Every father has to listen to this song. It addresses our need to really evaluate how we approach our children and how we let them approach us. A second difference from Card is the way he writes songs according to Scripture, specifically Old Testament passages. Michael Card is excellent with his use of Scripture, no doubt, I just happen to think Nathan has taken it to a new, more holistic level. First off, Nathan has several songs based on Psalms, nine I believe. Additionally, Nathan has written exceptional songs based on passages in Isaiah, Habakkuk, Colossians, and Galatians. My favorite song of all is "Rise in the Darkness", a challenging song about living the gospel before men based on Isaiah 58.

As for musical style, I would personally classify Nathan as Classical Folk. Again, he is hard to categorize, so I really urge you to have a listen to his music and judge for yourself. I am certain his thoughtful lyrics, skilled playing, and gifted vocals will be a blessing to your walk with Christ.

Finally, and with great excitement, I am pleased to inform you that Nathan will be presenting two concerts at Redeemer in the upcoming months! First, Nathan will present an acoustical set at Redeemer Sunday evening, September 23 (at 6PM). He'll also play during communion that morning. Second, Nathan will return with a small band (a mandolin player and a violinist) to present a Christmas concert Sunday evening, December 16 (also at 6PM). By all means, come out and join us for this blessed time with Nathan.