Reviewed by Steven Whitehead

I decided against classifying this as "Hymnody" because, in my hymnbook at least, the important aspects of hymns are the words and the corporate singing. The Scandinavian vocal group Vox Ecclesiae featured on this release sing very well and often acappella but they are usually allowed just one verse or a refrain before the Prague Symphony Orchestra come crashing in. Paul Terracini, who both arranges and conducts, allows the well-loved melodies to shine but, to my ears, comes rather too close to pastiche in some cases. Hymn-lovers may enjoy trying to remember the words of the second verses before they look them up in the CD booklet; music-lovers may like to guess which composers influenced the arrangements. The singing and playing are both of the highest standard and the 14 hymns presented are truly great, ranging from Luther's "A Mighty Fortress" to "Tell Out, My Soul" by Walter Greatorex and Timothy Dudley-Smith. In style we move from Lowry's revivalist "Shall We Gather At The River" to the more formal "Dear Lord And Father Of Mankind" by Parry. If you enjoy traditional hymns you will almost certainly find some of your favourites here. Whether you enjoy what has done to them is open to discussion.

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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