Reviewed by Andrew Reeve-Smith

Billy, a Dutchman living in South Wales, has quite a musical pedigree, undertaking numerous musical projects since becoming a Christian in 1979. His "passion is the re-telling of Biblical stories and singing Scripture-inspired songs." This package appears to be a concept album containing three CDs entitled 'Faith', 'Hope' and 'Love', and indeed seems to be a real labour of love. Each hour long CD contains 12-14 tracks; quite an epic! The packaging and booklet are excellent. Each song is introduced and explained in context to the relevant Scripture. This album is a window onto someone who appears to have a very effective artistic ministry. The vast majority of songs are beautifully crafted though, occasionally, Billy's voice can be laboured. The tracks here have a distinct musical bent to them, a bit like a hybrid of Lloyd-Webber and Adrian Snell. Indeed, Adrian has co-written some of the songs here. I am saying it would be best to see Billy's live performances to catch the songs in their natural context. For example, check out the epic nine minute long "When You're A King" about King David's adultery with Bathsheba, which is almost operatic; an amazing artistic creation. A rewarding experience.

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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