The song is close to the songwriter’s heart. “In my personal worship time with the Lord, I sit at the piano and sing to the Lord,” shares Alvin. “During one of my worship times, I started singing and little did I know, God was giving me a song,” he says. That song was “Forever Worship You”, a moving worship song. The track is the first single released from the ensemble’s forthcoming sophomore offering. The CD, also titled Forever Worship You, is the first project from Alvin Campbell & Total Praise since 2005’s So Much More. Their debut, produced by the late Melvin Crispell, featured the songs of Campbell and the vocals of Tunesha Crispell and Monique Walker.
Shortly after the album’s release, the group’s leader experienced challenges and disappointments and stepped away from music ministry for a number of years. He took a self-imposed hiatus and chose to refocus to further understand his true calling. “In my conversations with God, I realized that I was pursuing a calling that the Lord did not have for me. God gave me the gift of music, but specifically He called me to be a songwriter. Once I decided to follow the God-given calling on my life, He began giving me new songs and a new perspective. This new project reflects that revelation and showcases songs with an understanding of my purpose,” Campbell shares. Now back on the scene, Alvin Campbell brings a new approach to his music.
“Since 2005, I have grown as a songwriter. In this new project the lyrics are deliberate; every word is intentional. As I have grown in Christ and the knowledge of God, I am more in tune with the Spirit. I have grown to the point where I can hear what He wants me to say through music,” he says.
Alvin Campbell has been in love with music for most of his life. Growing up in a family of singers, it wasn’t unusual for his grandmother (also his church’s minister of music) and the rest of his family to gather around the piano to sing songs. He took piano lessons and began cultivating his songwriting gift as well. He graduated from the University of the District of Columbia with a Bachelors of Music Degree with a concentration in Gospel music. Currently, he’s the minister of music at Little Rock Bibleway Church in Washington, DC. Campbell formed the 15-member ensemble, Total Praise, inspired by Richard Smallwood’s classic, in 1997. Their second CD is scheduled to release in June 2016. Connect with Alvin Campbell & Total Praise on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.