Gospel recording artists Cece Winans and Kirk Franklin are among those who will contribute to ‘Compassion Art: Creating Freedom From Poverty’, a disc devoted to alleviating poverty. Joined by several inspirational recording stars including Israel Houghton and Steven Curtis Chapman, ‘Compassion Art’ is the brainchild of Martin Smith. “We went to an old house in Scotland, camped out for a week, and we came out with 20 songs,” says Martin Smith who, according to Billboard, spent more than a year organizing the January 2008 songwriter’s retreat where ‘Compassion Art’ was created. Martin Smith came up with the idea for CompassionArt after visiting India and seeing the deplorable conditions some children were living in. He and his wife, Anna, were particularly moved by the plight of a young girl named Farin, to whom “The Art of Compassion” is dedicated. “I actually tried bringing her home to England, and that did not work out,” says Smith, who founded an organization to help children in that region. “That is one of the projects that we are supporting — getting those children back on their feet again. It has been a real joy and has really changed my life.” CompassionArt will support 16 charities, among them Ray of Hope, which aids communities in Brazil; Stop the Traffik, a global campaign with the United Nations aimed at stopping human trafficking; and a charity benefiting the Watoto community in Uganda. The project’s first single, “So Great,” featuring Houghton, Michael W. Smith, Christy Nockels and the Lakewood Choir, was a top five Christian adult contemporary hit last year and was included on the “WOW Christian” hits compilation. Current single “King of Wonders” featuring Matt Redman, Tim Hughes and Joel Houston is currently climbing the charts. All sales and publishing royalties go to charity.For more information visit Christianbook.com.
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