Tessera - You'll Never Walk Alone

Published Friday 15th January 2021
Tessera - You'll Never Walk Alone
Tessera - You'll Never Walk Alone

STYLE: Gospel
RATING 6 6 6 6 6 6
OUR PRODUCT CODE: 163812-27722
LABEL: AVE AVED810213
FORMAT: CD Album
ITEMS: 1

Reviewed by Lins Honeyman

Over a decade ago, British Seventh Day Adventist vocal quartet Tessera appeared for the first time on BBC's Songs Of Praise. In 2012 they captured studio versions of the numbers they performed on the Beeb's flagship religious programme whilst offering up a collection of other songs as arranged by musical director and baritone Ken Burton. 'You'll Never Walk Alone' clearly impressed the Songs Of Praise producers as you'll still see the guys miming one of these songs years on. This album kicks off with a workmanlike reading of the quasi-spiritual Rogers & Hammerstein title track followed by well-worn hymns and choruses such as "Abide With Me" and "Make Me A Channel Of Your Peace". Mostly backed by some gentle piano and an unobtrusive string section, the group display beautiful harmonies throughout and though a tad bland gospel oldies like Thomas Dorsey's "Precious Lord" and the traditional "Mary Don't You Weep" work well enough even though these aren't the best versions you're likely to have heard. A couple of Christmas tunes ("Go Tell It On The Mountain" and "Mary Did You Know?") are included in an attempt to make this an album for all seasons. But it's hard to shift the feeling that this undeniably talented foursome were holding back when they were recording this project. We can but hope that when lockdown is over Tessera will record a more adventurous 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.

Interested in reviewing music? Find out more here.

Be the first to comment on this article

We welcome your opinions but libellous and abusive comments are not allowed.












We are committed to protecting your privacy. By clicking 'Send comment' you consent to Cross Rhythms storing and processing your personal data. For more information about how we care for your data please see our privacy policy.

NAVIGATION
CONNECT WITH CROSS RHYTHMS
SIGNUP

Connect with Cross Rhythms by signing up to our email mailing list

A Step Change...
Cross Rhythms Media Training Centre
DISCOGRAPHY
ARTIST PROFILES
Artists & DJs A-Z
# A B C D E F G H I J K L M
N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z #
Or keyword search

 

PRAYER ROOMS
Intercession Room
Care for other people and shake heaven in our Intercession Room