Reviewed by Lins Honeyman

Andrew Kisumba, the senior pastor at Birmingham's Cedar Church, has an obvious heart for music and this packed offering pulls together tracks made at his current church as well as music from his previous posting at Huddersfield Christian Fellowship. Whilst all songs have been written by Kisumba, it appears that quite a number of uncredited folks are involved and this leads to an impressively big sound - sometimes enhanced by horn or string sections - with the kind of high end production values we have come to expect from Cedar releases being in evidence throughout. Culled from previous singles and EPs, numbers like "Take It To The Cross" and "Love Is The Heart Of Christmas Time" linger long in the memory whilst the upbeat "Your Life Lifts Me Up" and the anthemic "Flame" from the Huddersfield days also stand out. Cedar's newest offerings "Christmas Hope And Glory" (based on Elgar's most hummable tune) and the forward-looking "Love Is Good (Horizon 2020)" are also included on this hugely enjoyable shop window for the work of the talented Mr Kisumba and his friends.

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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