Reviewed by Trevor Kirk

This album, put together by musicians Mike Kirk and Jon Brmforth, was set out to correspond with the elements in a church service, so we get a call to worship, adoration prayer, offering and benediction, and a slot that corresponds to a sermon, lasting 14 and a half minutes (preachers please note), which is the place where the sleevenotes advise us to open a Bible at Hebrews 12 and meditate on the Scripture as the music unfolds. The music itself (totally instrumental, not a voice in earshot) is drawn from many song and hymn writers ancient and modern, from Isaac Watts and General William Booth to Brian Doerksen and Doug Horley, and there's plenty of familiar material ("Amazing Grace", "Purify My Heart", "All Heaven Declares", "We Want To See Jesus Lifted High", etc). As to the way that the music is presented, the generally nice 'n' easy piano arrangements with bass and percussion accompaniment conspire with the essentially inspirational mood to create a rather soporific effect, so it's best to be active rather than passive, use the lyrics printed in the CD sleeve and sing along to the music.

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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