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School of Music alumna contributes to Dove Award Musical of the Year

Alley Horner directs the choir at a School of Music concert.

Alley Horner (’20) had just pulled into her driveway after a long day at work when she received a text notifying her that a song she wrote while a student at Liberty University had led to a Dove Award, the country’s top honor for Christian and Gospel Music.

“I just sat there and cried because I had no idea when I started writing songs that God was going to use me in this way,” Horner said. “It’s extremely humbling that He trusts me with the words that I write.”

Horner’s song, “Messiah Overcame,” recently became the theme song for the new LifeWay church Easter musical by the same name. The musical recently garnered Musical of The Year honors at the 2020 GMA Dove Awards on Oct. 30. (Listen to the winning song at LifeWay.com.)

The song was published by Red Tie Music, the digital music publishing arm of Liberty University’s School of Music, in combination with LifeWay Worship. Thomas Road Baptist Church instrumental director Jim Hammerly was one of the arrangers.

Fellow Dove Award winners Michael W. Smith and Al Denson, who partner with Liberty’s Michael W. Smith Center for Commercial Music, congratulated Horner on her recent success.

Horner is the director of worship at Pinewood Church in Florida.

“I want to personally congratulate our student Alley Horner on her big accomplishment of winning a Dove Award this year for songwriting,” said Michael W. Smith. “It brings me joy to see the industry success from Liberty students who are developing their careers in the Center for Commercial Music.”

“It is a reward to see the success of Liberty students in the music industry,” Al Denson added. “I want to congratulate Alley on winning a Dove Award for her song ‘Messiah Overcame.’ This reflects the relevant training and focus of the Michael W. Smith Center for Commercial Music in its dedication to developing students to step into successful careers.”

Horner first came to Liberty in 2005, but after one semester, she and her fiancé, Josh, decided to put school on hold so that they could marry and start a family. The high school sweethearts remained in the area for six years while she helped lead worship at Thomas Road Baptist Church. In 2011, they moved back to their home state of Florida with their two daughters so they could be closer to family. But Alley had always dreamed of completing her degree at Liberty, so they returned to Lynchburg in 2016.

“I had been a worship leader in Florida for two years and did not feel prepared,” she said. “I wanted to go back and study to show myself approved, so we came back up to Liberty.”

Alley Horner and her family

After resuming her studies in music and worship, Horner began to craft her songwriting ability.

“For most songs, I fight for the lyric and it’s hours of editing and trying to get it just right,” she said.

Ironically, it was her award-winning work that contradicted Horner’s typical timeframe for songwriting. While road tripping with her family to Florida for Easter the following year, she felt inspired to write something new.

“It was 2 a.m. and I was the only one awake in the car and was really wanting to write an Easter type of song,” she said.

As they drove through the night, Horner sang the future award-winning song quickly into her phone as a voice memo before writing the notes and lyrics out on paper the next day. When she returned to classes, she showed her School of Music professors, who helped her edit the piece before she sang it at her first songwriting showcase at Liberty in 2017.

One of her professors set up a meeting with Mike Harland, director of LifeWay Worship, who heard a recording of the song and was moved by it. A few months later, Horner joined the LifeWay team as a songwriter.

“All of us at the School of Music are so proud of Alley, not just for the success of this song and a Dove Award, but also for her determination and willingness to follow God’s leading even though returning to school to finish a degree was a difficult road,” said Interim Dean Stephen Müller. “It’s incredible to see how God honored her obedience. I think she is a great example for other students of how passion and hard work can connect for Kingdom purposes.”

After receiving her B.S. in Music and Worship in May, Horner and her family moved back to Florida where she is currently the director of worship for Pinewood Church and continues to write for LifeWay.

“I love writing for the Church. My focus hasn’t been trying to sell a lot of music or to be famous,” she said. “I love the local church and want to write lyrics with theological truth that point everyone’s attention to who God is.”

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