Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

There was a time in the late '70s when I first became a Christian that nearly all worship music sounded like this syrupy mess. What you get on this independent album is a basic band with an almost in tune horn section and flutes, vocalists who are a mixture of a very straight and white warbling girly chorus and a male solo lead which wobbles here and there. The combined result can be best described as very twee. Historically, 'The Kingdom, The Power And The Glory' is an important album. As the back sleeve tells us, it was put together by "David Fellingham [who] is a professional musician and composer. Until recently he was head of the music department of a large Brighton comprehensive school but is now the associate minister of St Lukes Church in the Old Shoreham Road in Brighton. . . On The Way is a group of young musicians at St Lukes directed by David Fellingham." Dave was to go on to become the key worship leader at the highly influential Downs Bible Week, writer of such stirring anthems as "God Of Glory" and "At Your Feet We Fall", and a father figure to a new generation of worship leaders. But all of that was still ahead of him when he and his St Lukes singers and musicians went into Eastbourne's ICC Studios and with engineer Andy Kidd turned in this musical farrago. Any album recorded in 1977 is bound to now sound dated. But the production here sounds very rushed and the sound quality muggy. Although the songwriting encapsulates the thoughts and concerns of the emerging charismatic movement which was creating simpler "choruses" as a reaction against centuries of hymn singing this album remains a musical mess. Musical history is a fascinating subject. But as this album proves, sometimes it is better read about than listened to.

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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