Allison Lynn and Gerald Flemming perform a fusion of folk, pop, country, hymns and worship music under the name Infinitely More. Photo: Contributed
Allison Lynn and Gerald Flemming say they have a ministerial calling: to share their faith through music. The couple, who perform under the name Infinitely More, are embarking on their eighth annual tour of Canada’s East Coast from April to June.
Flemming, a guitarist and songwriter, and Lynn, a vocalist, moved to Nashville, Tenn., shortly after getting married in 2006 to pursue their own music careers: Lynn as a gospel musician and Flemming as a pop and country music songwriter. During their solo concerts and songwriter’s nights, each would bring the other onstage to join in a few songs, and the audience loved it. “We lived there for three years, and after a couple of years, it was like, “Maybe God’s trying to tell us something. Maybe we should make music together,’ ” says Lynn. “It kind of grew really organically, and by the time we came back to Toronto…we were a duo.”
Now based out of St. Catharine’s, Ont., the couple’s musical dreams have evolved into a full-time ministry. Their original songs, written mostly by Flemming, draw from folk, pop and country musical styles, with worshipful lyrics. They also love to adapt traditional hymns in their contemporary style, and to put music to the words of the Psalms.
This year’s tour will be their eighth of the East Coast. What began years ago as a two-week trip that would end with visiting family in Newfoundland has become a two-month trek with concerts in churches and venues in every eastern province.
The couple have family ties in the east; Flemming’s family is from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, and Lynn was raised in Newfoundland. Her father, the Rev. Hollis Hiscock, served as a parish minister in Newfoundland. (He is now editor of the Niagara Anglican, the newspaper of the diocese of Niagara.)
One of the highlights of their tour is playing for ecumenical audiences, in churches of all denominations. “We get to see the whole family of God,” says Lynn.
Touring is a powerful experience for the duo. “We’re on the doorstep of different churches, different people’s lives, and we kind of see how their lives coalesce with their faith, and the challenges and the struggles, the victory and the triumphs. People are very generous in inviting us into those moments,” says Flemming. They also usually are billeted by the churches they play in, giving them an opportunity for “excellent stories and excellent food.”
This year, they will also be playing in a 600-seat theatre in Riverview, N.B., the town where Flemming’s parents grew up. “It’s kind of neat to bring what we’re doing into that setting,” says Lynn, noting that they are the only Christian act in the venue’s lineup this year.
The tour coincides with the release of their latest CD, The Beauty of the One. Produced by Andrew Horrocks of AME Recording Studio, three-time Gospel Music Association Producer of the Year, the CD features an impressive range of collaborations. The song “My Soul is Spoken For” was co-written by Flemming and Grammy-nominee Sue Smith, and features vocals by Anglican singer-songwriter and Juno Award-nominee Drew Brown. The CD also features guest performances by acclaimed Canadian Christian recording artists Ali Matthews, Kevin Pauls and Hiram Joseph, who sings on the gospel-inflected “God’s Mighty Name Saves Us.”
“I dare anybody to listen to that song and not want to clap or tap your feet,” says Flemming.
The band has received 10 national music award nominations, including five nominations for the Gospel Music Association of Canada Covenant Awards. The pair also recently released their first radio single, “Watch the Sunrise.”
Tour schedules and CDs can be found on Infinitely More’s website, and fans can get updates on the couple’s travels by following their Facebook page.