Darlene Zschech: Celebrating 30 Years of “Shout to the Lord”
By: Joni Boyd
In 1993, Australian worship leader Darlene Zschech sat down to pen a song that was stirring in her spirit.
That song was later recorded and officially released in 1994, later becoming one of the top worship songs around the world.
Translated into many languages and sung in millions of churches weekly, ‘Shout to the Lord’ became an anthem for generations and is still loved today.
Darlene Zschech chatted about this special milestone and the release of her brand new project, ‘Testament’.
As excited as the rest of the world may be that ‘Shout to the Lord’ is turning 30, Darlene didn’t even realise the anniversary was coming up!
“It’s so interesting because I didn’t realise… I don’t kind of mark life like that, but it was actually my kids who were like, ‘Hey, Mum this is turning 30! You should do something to mark the moment,’” she said.
“It’s very humbling and it’s beautiful, but I just feel like such a small part of the story.”
For Darlene, the highlight is seeing people worshipping to music she has written.
“That’s the addictive thing, and hearing the stories of when God met someone in their worship, so yeah, that is completely addictive,” she said.
“I love that about the presence of God as we worship Him, that He reveals Himself and people get changed and transformed.”
Darlene’s new project ‘Testament’ is, she says, all because of her kids’ encouragement which, she says, she “would never have done it without”.
“It was really hard to boil it down to 30 [songs],” she said of the project which features 30 ‘thank you songs’ – some old favourites as well as a few fresh songs.
“But it’s been great, being fun back in the studio, bringing the old dinosaur out for another go round!” she said.
“It’s been really fun, I’ve loved every second of it.”
And of course, ‘Shout to the Lord’ features on ‘Testament’, but this recording is extra special.
“My Zoe Jewel is singing with me, makes me cry now,” Darlene said. “I call her the new, improved version – she’s just so free in worship, she’s amazing.”
The song is accompanied by the Australian Christian Orchestra, with Ryan Gilpin doing the arrangement.
“How do you do a song like that with something fresh?” she said. “But I feel like just, thank you, Jesus that we were able to do that.”
“I don’t even know how to share my heart around ‘Shout to the Lord’,” she said in a Facebook post. “I wrote it quickly.. while crying out to God about our future.., just saying that no matter what, we will follow Him.
“I was young in age and young in God, had two gorgeous little girls, and life was simple and blossoming. [‘Shout to the Lord’] changed things around us. But the things that really matter never changed and never will.
“That God is faithful and attentive to our prayers is one thing I know for sure.. that nothing compares to the promise I have in Jesus.”
Testament is, in Darlene’s words, “my testimony of God’s faithfulness over my lifetime,” she said and explains that it’s also a nod to the legal term, which means something can’t be undone.
“A testament of God’s faithfulness is like, you can revoke my theology, you can push in at anything about me, but you cannot have my testimony, because it is what it is and it’s like, ‘and they overcame by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony.’”
Article supplied with thanks to Hope Media.
Feature image: Supplied
About the Author: Joni Boyd is a writer, based in the Hawkesbury Region of NSW. She is passionate about the power of stories shared, to transform lives.
