Reviewed by Laura Ewers

A strikingly packaged tribute to the greatest evangelist of our age. Commendably Gaither-generated with widely experienced singers and songwriters in train, the two volumes are attractive CD and video offerings for those who appreciate quality gospel song hymnology set in professional yet spontaneous settings. Each winsomely displays most likeable vocal stylings and deliveries. Vol 1 offers 18 songs from a well known repertoire of 'light and shade' themes and tempos performed in multi-style manner ranging from the trad to the contemporary. Performances reveal sharp-brained tunesmiths and versatile performers who know their trade very well from Dr Graham's longtime inspirational balladeer George Beverly Shea to the country of Ricky Skaggs, the MOR pop of Ray Boltz and plenty of Southern Gospel harmony from the Homecoming Friends. Uniting decades from the '30s to the millennium including various styles of musicianship, Bev Shea and Cliff Barrows have soldiered on to produce some great stuff even in old age. This is historic product worth checking out, full of descriptive and anointed poetry that urge the listener to scour each verse and smile at the realism of the testimonies. Billy Graham Missions are familiar backdrop scenarios bringing a sense of integrity. Few of the easy listening songs are new to me and all some are worthy of continued wide exposure.

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