Reviewed by Nigel Harris

You have to keep reminding yourself that this choir hails from Lausanne, Switzerland as you listen because the vocals are flawless US gospel in style and intonation throughout. The very French names of the 37 singers listed in the CD liner are the only hint that these guys are not singing in their native tongue! Reviewing this, the choir's second album, which was released as long ago as 2003, I realised I had unearthed a hidden gem. The inventive worship arrangements by Samuel Jonckheere showcase the immense talent of this classy Swiss ensemble. Stylistically, the tracks are generally upbeat and span a whole range of contemporary styles. "Anybody Wanna Pray" is a funky hip-hop groove while "Awesome God/He Reigns" segues a high energy Latin arrangement of Rich Mullins' classic chorus with Kirk Franklin's big gospel number. A number of tracks cleverly combine such apparently diverse songs. "Worship The Lord" opens with a crackly simulated AM radio intro which transforms into a brisk choir arrangement and ends with a funky version of Handel's "Halleluia" chorus. Later on the choir moves into a more traditional gospel style with "Shined On Me", which they seamlessly blend with "Some Glad Morning" ("Some glad morning/When this life is over/I'll fly away"). The track that had me puzzled was "Up Where We Belong" - yes, the old Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warne hit - except Jonckheere has subtly changed the lyrics to "Lord lift us up where we belong" and shoehorned in a few other lyrical changes. Does it work? As a song it sounds great, especially the soloists Helene Vaney and Jean Michelot, but lyrically I'm not convinced. However, that's my only gripe here, and overall this is an outstanding album.

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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