Carrie Underwood And Vince Gill Perform “How Great Thou Art”

Songs can evoke joy, sorrow, hope or despair, sometimes bringing listeners to tears or sending a shiver down the spine. Country music can carry that raw emotional force particularly well, as Carrie Underwood and Vince Gill demonstrated with their rendition of “How Great Thou Art.”

The pair performed the hymn during the 2011 special ACM’s Girls’ Night Out: Superstar Women of Country. Underwood’s powerful lead vocal was joined by Gill’s harmonies and guitar work. Though they have performed together since, this remains their most beloved and enduring collaboration.

The audience stayed so quiet and absorbed during the song that the room seemed almost silent. The duet also appeared to be emotional for the performers, with the strength and beauty of Underwood’s singing matched by Gill’s striking harmonies.

Midway through the piece, Gill delivered a graceful guitar solo. That instrumental passage gave Underwood a break before she returned with sustained vocal power for the climactic conclusion and its final note.

Watch the full performance on page two