LONDON – Grammy and Dove Award winning Christian artist Rebecca St. James will embark this week on an international tour that will take her to 11 nations in Europe. Her first performance kicks off May 19 in Wales.
The next will be Britain’s top amusement park Alton Towers, where she will join renowned U.S. Christian artist Tait (former member of DC Talk), and other top U.K. bands for the "Ultimate Event," which is expected to draw a crowd in excess of 10,000 concert-goers. Other stops in the three-week tour include Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Norway, Moscow, and more.
The Australian native has consistently toured worldwide with a key emphasis on her global audience in general – and European audiences in particular.
"We've visited Europe quite often now and have a real enthusiasm for touring there,” she noted. “I grew up in Australia which hardly ever gets any international performances. I know what it's like to live in a country where you read magazines and see all these tour dates – and I remember as a kid getting all excited with ‘Oh ... when is this tour coming to us?' ... only to realize ‘Oh it's only in America!' Or ... ‘How cool is this band?' ... and again they were only touring in America! So I can relate to how so many young Christians feel in Europe.
“We have invested a lot of time in coming over to Europe – and I feel very passionate about the importance of continuing that. The audiences have proven to be very appreciative each time I've come over to tour – and now getting to come back and establish a bit more of a relationship with the people there is going to be wonderful."
On May 4, St. James performed at the White House for U.S. President George W. Bush as part of her role as national spokesperson for the U.S. observance of National Day Of Prayer. St. James termed the opportunity "a tremendous honor to get to meet President Bush and to represent the importance of God and prayer at such a high level."
In addition, St. James recently visited orphaned children in Rwanda for both on-the-ground ministry and filming of a television special for Compassion International; headlined Australia's biggest outdoor rock festival; hosted her own nationally broadcast one hour "Freedom" television special in the U.S.; co-hosted America's top Christian Awards telecast, the GMA Awards; and wrapped up a highly successful forty-day tour with fellow girl rockers, BarlowGirl.
Her latest album, If I Had One Chance To Tell You Something has been critically acclaimed for its' return to her ‘rock roots' – and a hearkening back to her groundbreaking 1996 God album which initially brought her into the national music spotlight. Much of the inspiration for the album, released by EMI/Forefront, was born in Europe where St. James came for a much-needed, month-long sabbatical in the fall of 2004. In Geneva at a Christian study center, St. James sought renewal and inspiration.
Courtney Lee
Christian Today Correspondent