All Souls Orchestra, Passing The Baton Choir - Billy Graham: Passing The Baton
STYLE: Hymnody RATING OUR PRODUCT CODE: 12465-1608 LABEL: Authentic 8203532 FORMAT: CD Album ITEMS: 1 RELEASE DATE: 2004-11-05 RRP: £0.99
Reviewed by Tony Cummings
Billy Graham may well be the greatest evangelist of the 20th century but only the most blinkered of supporters would claim Billy had made a major contribution to the world of music. As re-issues of '50s and '60s Crusade recordings have demonstrated, the work of Cliff Barrows and George Beverly Shea has dated hugely and many of the songs/hymns used at those groundbreaking Crusades that still retain their ability to stir the soul in fact come from an earlier era of hymnody and, anyway, only retain a loose connection with the good doctor. Still, thanks to the always dependable All Souls Orchestra conducted by Noel Tredinnick, this musical momento is not without some interest. This live album has all the usual suspects - "Just As I Am", "I'd Rather Have Jesus", "At The River" - arranged with theatrical flourish while guest Jonathan Veira is in fine voice. Can't say I appreciate a lumpen and, to me, wholly inappropriate "The King And I Overture" but the anthemic rendition of "How Great Thou Art" undoubtedly moved the throng packed into the Royal Albert Hall to pay tribute to the iconic evangelist.
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Posted by Dan Ricketts in Exeter @ 20:59 on Nov 9 2006
I was in the choir for this recording and as the reviewer
said, the rendition of How Great thou Art was truly moving
and I was almost moved to tears seeing 5000 people of
literally all ages (my mum was in the choir for this concert
and as a young girl for the Harringey crusade!!) worshipping
the Lord. A great album of classic hymns.
I was in the choir for this recording and as the reviewer said, the rendition of How Great thou Art was truly moving and I was almost moved to tears seeing 5000 people of literally all ages (my mum was in the choir for this concert and as a young girl for the Harringey crusade!!) worshipping the Lord. A great album of classic hymns.