Picture this: It’s 1885 in Mönsterås, Sweden. A Swedish poet and elected official named Carl Boberg is walking home from his church service near Kronobäck, as the church bells can still be heard chiming through the town. Out of nowhere a storm ruptures the skies with dramatic lightning. Then, just as quickly as it forms, the storm passes.
This dramatic moment makes a profound impression on Boberg who, inspired by this experience, proceeds to write the poem “O Store Gud” (O great God), which eventually gets translated into English and in time, becomes the English language hymn “How Great Thou Art”.
It’s a humble beginning for a song, which to this day is sung by Christians the world over.
One very notable version is by a talented young girl by the name of Anna Faith Howell.
Just 8-years-old when the Chester County Pennsylvania girl performed the song, she dazzles the audience with her surprisingly powerful voice. She’s young, she’s talented, and she obviously has a star inside of her just waiting to get out. She has been singing up a gospel storm over the last few years, and arguably her performance of How Great Thou Art is a shining moment.
When she first takes to the stage, she seems like she may be a little bit nervous.
As she begins to sing, she rocks back at first and you wonder if she’s more nervous than she’s letting on. These thoughts quickly dissipate though as when she begins to sing, it’s the voice of an angel that you can hear.
Whether or not you like religious music, you can’t deny that this girl has incredible talent already.
While gospel music may not be to everybody’s taste, the audience clearly respond positively to Anna Faith Howell’s talents. It’s clear that they’re behind not only her song, but its message too. I’m sure that Boberg himself would be there in this audience waving around a lit lighter with his eyes closed.
She sings with such intensity that it’s hard not to appreciate her passionate vocals.
Anna seems to really feel each word as she sings them. It’s mind-blowing how mature her voice is as she belts the hymn with expert vocal control. She’s already a formidable performer and it’s clear that she will have a bright future ahead of her.
As Anna Faith Howell reaches the rising finish of the song, her already powerful voice raises those of the audience.
Her adoring fans scream in rapturous applause. I’m sure every audience member is planning how to get an autograph early so that one day when this impressive young singer hits the big time, they’ll have a priceless piece of memorabilia.
It may just be the bright stage lighting, but Anna is glowing in more ways than just visibly. Seeing such a talented young singer display such unbridled talent at such a young age can really be a humbling experience. We can only hope that some Hollywood executive will see this video and propel this inevitable star to where she belongs.
Watch the full video below to enjoy Anna’s amazingly passionate performance!
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