Reviewed by Doug Holland

Hope City Church, Sheffield was planted in 1991 by Dave and Jenny Gilpin, and since then it has grown rapidly and to considerable size (sister churches in other parts of England, and plans for expansion into Europe and Africa). This is the first music album from the church and it is predominantly the work of Ryan Gilpin (17 years of age at the time of writing). The album title is the clue to the content style, and sure enough an atmospheric piano sound leads the listener through 10 meditational tracks that, via a tempo that rarely gets above walking pace and a range that is undemanding, lead the willing worshipper into close and reflective intimacy with God. Production is (presumably deliberately) massively understated compared to much worship we hear nowadays, and this is to its advantage. Harmonies are few and far between, but again this adds to the effect (the simplicity) rather than detracts in any way. It is difficult to assess quite how good Gilpin's voice is from this collection because of the unchallenging nature of the material here, but for sure it is well suited to this collection. This is as good as pretty much anything you will find for a quiet time with God.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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