Reviewed by Matthew Cordle

Lois Barker hails from Wales and works as a nurse. She states on the CD insert that God first gave her a song at the age of 18, but it wasn't until she graduated, started work and settled in a church in Newport that he really started giving her songs regularly, beginning what has obviously been a very exciting time for her. Lois has here recorded herself singing 25 of these songs, with a simple digital piano accompaniment and very occasional keyboard strings. The first thing that comes across is how intensely personal, how Psalm-like the songs are, the majority of the writing being as a one-to-one with Jesus, reminding me of the intimacy of some of Liz Fitzgibbon's songs. The second thing is that the songs are eminently singable, by soloist or congregation. Highlights are the uplifting song of praise, "My God", the joyful forward-looking declaration of "My whole life will be complete when I see Jesus", the comforting contemplation of "Rest In You" and the wistful longing of "Oh God I long to see your face. . .you are beautiful." The benefit of the simple arrangements is that other artists could easily learn a song and create their own arrangement (with permission from Lois, of course!), so it would be helpful to have access to lead sheets. One frustration is that there are occasional piano mistakes. . .surely it wouldn't have been difficult to re-do these? I would also suggest that 25 songs are too much to take in at once, especially as in terms of mood many are at a similar reflective level. It would have been better to trim down to a single CD and save the rest for a second CD. However, Lois has been gifted with the ability to write profound, beautiful songs, and not only that, she has been doubly blessed with such a sweet-sounding voice with which to sing her songs. Definitely worth checking out if you like contemplative worship.

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.

Interested in reviewing music? Find out more here.