From a testimony by Tim Lim.
Tim Lim, a singer-songwriter based in Subang, has released a worship song recently. The song, “Glory to You”, was originally written by Charles Pudin in Bahasa Malaysia, and won Malaysian Gospel Music’s UnHeard 1 (a song search competition) in 2023. The idea of translating this song was discussed between Charles and Tim close to a year ago.
Glory to You
Tim shared about what inspired him to translate the song into English and what the collaborative process was like;
“I first heard Charles’s song last year when it was selected for the finals of MGM (Malaysian Gospel Music) Unheard 1, a songwriting competition. I personally thought it was a powerful song because it is rare to hear fast/praise locally-written worship songs, and I felt his song had a great potential to reach many. In fact, his song eventually won the competition.
“Because we were attending the same church, Faith Christian Centre (in Sunway), we had known each other for some time and even worked together on many different occasions during the weekends. During a fellowship on one of these weekends, we discussed the idea of bringing this song to be heard by many. The English translation was one of the ideas we had of achieving this. I worked on translating the song and then did a simple demo for him to listen to. That was the start. From there, we continued to rehearse and refine the translation.”
Fast forward, the song was released on 7th November this year. Tim expressed that he felt that the release of this song at the end of 2024 is particularly timely, as it’s a perfect song to reflect back on the year and give thanks to God for all the opportunities and blessings that he had experienced, especially in the world of music.
“I am extremely thankful that I was able to release 4 songs this year. The first 3 songs were more towards contemporary songs and one of them even made it to the top on Rakita Lokalah chart. The release of “Glory to You” was timely in the way that it helps to close the 2024 chapter by honouring God for His blessings in my song releases and also, other parts of my life, such as my family, ministry and personal life. Indeed, all glory goes to God.”
This song also reflects his Gospel-music roots, which is something that he grew up with and inspired him to where he is today. “Growing up in a church environment, Gospel music certainly has a strong influence on me, in terms of the songs that I want to write and how the message is being told through the songs. Besides growing up to the influence of Hillsong United, Planetshakers, Tim Hughes and Chris Tomlin, I am also influenced by the music of Switchfoot, Lifehouse, and U2 who were unashamed to credit their music influence to their faith.”
“With Christmas coming up, there is a two-fold timeliness to the release of this single, that goes into a universal relevance. Christmas is a reminder that the Good News has come to us! In a world that is full of troubles and worries, Good News is like a light that shines into the darkness, to remind us that all of us have hope.
“As the angels proclaim “Glory to God in the highest”, it’s also a reminder that everything that we have here is to bring honour and glory to Him. In the same way, “Glory to You” reminds us of God’s glory that came to us.”
Much credit goes to Charles Pudin for the music arrangement and the original composition. “I discussed with him about the thoughts he had when he was writing the original composition,” Tim shared. “From this, I got to understand those thoughts and his heart for the original song. While Charles gave me the liberty to write the English lyrics so it fits the melody, I tried my best to capture the heart of the songs while not losing the message.
“I was very encouraged by Charles’s input and encouragement, and I took inspiration from thinking about how the “giants” like Hillsong and others out there got their songs translated without losing its essence. Doing this for a song that impacted me greatly was a powerful inspiration that shaped my approach to this song.”
There were some challenges along the way but it was a memorable journey. “Charles and I actually started to record the vocals at the end of January this year, before Charles moved back to Kota Kinabalu for his work. That meant any followup on the production after that had to be done “remotely”. A lot of discussions at the later stage of production were online. Knowing that Charles may need time, we didn’t really set a deadline so that he wouldn’t feel the pressure of mixing and releasing it. Though remote, we were able to work closely together. It was a truly memorable collaborative effort. Looking back, I am amazed by God’s faithfulness along this journey and the timeliness of the song’s release.”
Beyond the song, Tim expressed his hopes for the local music scene. “My hope is that the music will lift their spirits wherever they are. Also, I hope this song will encourage everyone to listen to local music as there is good stuff out there.”
You can hear the original song (in BM) here :-
We pray and hope this song will be a blessing to many.
Please share & stream the song at this link :- https://bfan.link/glory-to-you
𝐋𝐘𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐒
VERSE
As far as the east is from the west
You have washed away our sins
By Your mercy and Your grace
By the precious blood of Jesus Christ
All of our lives have been redeemed
You’re the Saviour of our soul
PRE-CHORUS
We have been set free by the power of His blood
Let us praise His name forevermore
CHORUS
Let us all rejoice and sing
Jesus Christ is our King
Let everything that has breath praise His Holy name
Every tribe and tongue declare
You are the King of kings
Every glory, honour and p’wer belongs to You, Jesus
BRIDGE : Glory to You, mighty God
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Credit List
Singer : Tim Lim, Mixsimus J.
Author : Tim Lim, Charles Pudin
Arranger : Charles Pudin
Composer : Tim Lim, Charles Pudin
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ABOUT TIM LIM
Coming from the rustic town of Ipoh, Tim has released two albums, a few EPs and singles over the years, with hope that his music is able to create some positive vibe in the local music scene. Tim uses music to express his reflection on life journey, as a learning experience where we can see our strengths and weaknesses.
Tim draws inspirations from singer-songwriters like Jason Mraz, Ed Sheeran, Lewis Capaldi, Jon Foreman and groups like Backstreet Boys, Switchfoot, Lifehouse and The Calling.
Connect with Tim at :- https://linktr.ee/timlim12
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