JACKSON, Tenn. — Nov. 4, 2021 — Dedicated to writing music that is artistically excellent and theologically rich, Cody Curtis, assistant professor of composition and theory at Union University, and his wife, Melody, founded the musical group Psallos in 2012.
Since then, they have crafted musical compositions for various New Testament letters, including Psallos’ fifth album, “Philippians,” that released Oct. 21. Along with “Philippians,” the group has written and produced music set to the biblical letters of Romans, Hebrews and Jude.
“[My hope is to] give people musical experiences that teach them more about God and that facilitates worship and to do so in a way that is maybe unconventional at times,” Curtis said. “We try to preserve and communicate the overarching story in each album and to do it in a way that is musically interesting.”
From bluegrass to hip hop, “Philippians” features a variety of musical styles and compositions that best represent each set of Scripture. Curtis believes the fluidity and flexibility of musical style help communicate the author’s intentions for each passage of Scripture, serving both the biblical text and the listener.
Philippians being a “friendship letter,” Curtis wanted to portray the warmth and joy from Paul’s epistle to the Philippian church.
“There’s a familiarity in [Paul’s] words, so I thought, ‘Let’s bring in our friends, partnering in the gospel together to help do what Paul was initially doing in Philippians,’” Curtis said.
Collaborating with other musicians is important to Curtis and the Psallos mission, which is why Union University students and alumni are featured in every album Psallos has produced. Along with these students and alumni, “Philippians” features musical guests Andrew Peterson, Dennis Parker, Shai Linne and Taylor Leonhardt on their special “Psallos and friends” album.
“From our perspective, we can promote human flourishing and edification by taking people on these musical journeys — teaching them about God and giving them a fresh revelation of Scripture,” Curtis said. “We use music to help others feel and think about Scripture from a new point of view, and we hope it’s a sanctifying experience.”
To learn more about Psallos and to purchase “Philippians,” visit psallos.com.