CASTING CROWNS PERFORMS IN NORTH KOREA
AT FESTIVAL PROMOTING PEACE AND UNITY

Only U.S. Band Invited to Play 25th Annual Friendship Art Festival

(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) April 19, 2007 – Atlanta-based, GRAMMY Award-winning band Casting Crowns received a rare invitation to participate in North Korea’s 25th Annual April Spring Friendship Art Festival in Pyongyang, D.P.R.K last week. Casting Crowns played three standing-room-only shows April 11-13 at the high-profile event which emphasizes artistic exchange and the promotion of peace and goodwill within the country.

Performers from around the world were invited to the festival with Casting Crowns being the only native U.S. band to attend. Global Resource Services (G.R.S.), a U.S. based humanitarian organization, has worked in North Korea for the past ten years, and cooperated with the organizing committee of the Friendship Art Festival to facilitate the band’s participation.

The band incorporated a few Korean favorites in its live show including the popular song “White Dove, Fly High” which is recognized as an anthem for peace. The band’s rendition of the song was warmly received by the full-capacity crowd. The Vice Chairman of the festival personally shared his gratitude to Casting Crowns for their participation and especially for the beautiful performance of the peace song. He further expressed his hope that groups like G.R.S., Casting Crowns and the people of the D.P.R.K. can work together to bring unity and peace.

For more on Casting Crowns, visit www.castingcrowns.com, and for more information about Global Resource Services, please visit www.grsworld.org.

Over its three-year career, Casting Crowns has been honored with a GRAMMY Award, two American Music Awards nods and 10 Gospel Music Awards including Group of the Year for the second consecutive year in 2006. Casting Crowns has been the most played artist on all Christian radio formats combined, with six consecutive No.1 radio hits, and the group has sold more than 2.5 million albums to date. Lead singer and songwriter Mark Hall has been a student pastor for 16 years and currently serves on staff at Eagle’s Landing First Baptist Church in Atlanta.

Beach Street Records, an imprint of Reunion Records and Provident Label Group, was launched by Mark Miller, founder and frontman of the multi-platinum country music act, Sawyer Brown. SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT’s Provident Music Group is one of the world’s leading Christian music companies. Provident Music Group operates under the umbrella of Sony BMG Nashville

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