CityAlight is the music ministry of St Paul's Castle Hill, an Anglican church in the suburbs of Sydney, Australia. Active since 2014, it writes songs with Scripture-rich lyrics and simple melodies that congregations can sing, such as Only a Holy God, Yet Not I but Through Christ in Me and Christ Is Mine Forevermore.
CityAlight is a music ministry of St Paul's Castle Hill, a church in the Anglican Diocese of Sydney. It has no fixed lineup: its members are whoever is available when a request comes in, and none of them works full time in music. Songs are written together, like a local church writing first for its own people, with Scripture-rich lyrics and simple melodies that even small churches can sing. Rich Thompson is one of its founders and songwriters. Lyrics and chord charts are free to use.
The repertoire has grown through the albums Yours Alone (2015), Only a Holy God (2016, recorded live at St Paul's) and There Is One Gospel (2022). Yet Not I but Through Christ in Me, released in 2018, took twelve weeks of writing and rewriting. CityAlight has also sung with Keith and Kristyn Getty, notably at their Sing! conference in the United States, where it took the main stage: It Was Finished Upon That Cross was presented there in 2021, then Only a Holy God in 2022. It also teamed up with Sandra McCracken on In the Valley (Bless the Lord).
- Origin
- Castle Hill (Sydney), Australia
- Style
- Modern hymns, congregational worship
- Active since
- 2014
- Good to know
- Music ministry of the Anglican church St Paul's Castle Hill, with no fixed lineup
How did CityAlight get started?
CityAlight began at St Paul's Castle Hill, an Anglican church in the suburbs of Sydney, where the worship team sees itself as a local church writing first for its own people. Songs are written together, starting from a central theme given to the writers, and the work is slow: Yet Not I but Through Christ in Me took twelve weeks and many rewrites. The albums Yours Alone (2015), then Only a Holy God (2016), laid the foundations of the repertoire.
The EP Yet Not I (2018) and then the eleven-track album There Is One Gospel (2022) widened its audience. In 2023, CityAlight recorded a live version of Christ Is Mine Forevermore with Keith and Kristyn Getty and Sandra McCracken. Invited to the Sing! Global conference in the United States, in front of about 10,000 people, it took the main stage there.
What makes CityAlight unique?
Its identity rests on a double requirement: lyrics rooted in Scripture and deliberately simple melodies, meant to be sung by the whole congregation rather than watched from the stage. The band admits that simple melodies are often the hardest to write. It makes lyrics and chords free to use, has no full-time musicians and translates its repertoire: a Chinese version of Yet Not I but Through Christ in Me in 2024, then in 2026 the EP 家 (Home), recorded in Singapore with Mandarin translations.
Where to start discovering CityAlight?
Start with the four songs below, which cover the core of its repertoire: Only a Holy God, Yet Not I but Through Christ in Me, Christ Is Mine Forevermore and It Was Finished Upon That Cross. Then continue with the album Only a Holy God, followed by There Is One Gospel (Live).
songs
Only A Holy God
The title song of the 2016 album, recorded live at St Paul's Castle Hill.
Yet Not I But Through Christ In Me
Released in 2018, this song took twelve weeks to write, according to the band.
Christ Is Mine Forevermore
Written by Jonny Robinson and Rich Thompson, it appears on the album Only a Holy God and was taken up again in 2023 with Keith and Kristyn Getty and Sandra McCracken.
It Was Finished Upon That Cross
Released in 2021, written by Jonny Robinson, Rich Thompson and Nigel Hendroff.
Discography
- 2026家 (Home)· Live EP with Mandarin translations
- 2024Rise My Soul (Live)· EP
- 2023Simple Songs for Young and Old· EP
- 2022There Is One Gospel (Live)
- 2018Yet Not I· EP
- 2016Only a Holy God
- 2015Yours Alone
Read also
Frequently asked questions
Who is CityAlight?
CityAlight is the music ministry of St Paul's Castle Hill, an Anglican church in the suburbs of Sydney, Australia. Active since 2014, it writes worship songs with Scripture-rich lyrics and simple melodies.
Is CityAlight a Christian band?
Yes. It belongs to a church in the Anglican Diocese of Sydney and writes its songs for Christians to sing together in services, including in small churches.
What are CityAlight's best known songs?
Only a Holy God, Yet Not I but Through Christ in Me and Christ Is Mine Forevermore are among its best known songs, along with It Was Finished Upon That Cross, released in 2021.
What is CityAlight's latest album?
Its latest full album is There Is One Gospel (Live), released in 2022. It has since put out EPs: Simple Songs for Young and Old (2023), Rise My Soul (2024) and 家 (Home) in 2026.
Can churches use CityAlight's songs?
The band's official website offers lyrics and chord charts for free use, designed for churches of every size. For usage rights in services, check with the licensing body in your country.
Where can you listen to CityAlight?
Its music is available on the main streaming platforms and on its official YouTube channel, where the band posts its videos and live recordings.