Reviewed by Pippa Rimmer

Pom-tiddly-pop-pom! The Celebration Choir in Sheffield sing their lungs out on some of Ira Sankey's songs down the ages. Produced by Christopher Norton, it's a traditional blend of carefully (but unimaginatively) arranged tunes we all know and love. They're all there - "Trust And Obey", "What A Friend", "Count Your Blessings", "Rock Of Ages". Each song has that concert-in-a-cathedral feel that anyone over the age of 60 will probably enjoy. There's a vocal richness that choirs are so good at producing, and the Celebration Choir give it some welly. But it's all a bit bland and, well, churchy. But if you like that kind of thing. "Oh Happy Day" and "Stand Up For Jesus" take the proceedings up a gear or two. Overall though, it's monotonous, old fashioned and dull. Like other albums in the Hymn Makers series the best thing about it is the fascinating CD notes giving a profile on Mr Sankey himself and his great work in the 19th century with evangelist Dwight Moody. But even there, you'd get more comprehensive info by getting back issues CR12 and 13 which profiled the great Victorian soloist and inventor of the phrase "gospel music".

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