The International Staff Songsters Of The Salvation Army - Freedom
STYLE: Hymnody RATING OUR PRODUCT CODE: 21944-12227 LABEL: Salvationist Publishing & Supp 24765 FORMAT: CD Album ITEMS: 1 RRP: £13.95
Reviewed by Doug Holland
The International Staff Songsters of the Salvation Army were formed in 1980 and they travel throughout the UK and indeed the world singing at and leading services and other religious events. Comprising entirely volunteers from the Army Corps nationwide they are no strangers to the recording studio, and their latest offering is a 17-track, 75-minute collection of choral interpretations of old and new worship songs. It is primarily the Songsters and a piano we hear, but gentle percussion and an electric bass are woven sensitively into a number of the tracks. After a steady start greater variation in tempo is evident in the second half of the collection, and it benefits from this. The album title derives from a line of one of the two John Rutter songs included, "Distant Land", and it is this type of meditational composition that the Songsters pull off best; the phrasing and language of some of the other works included simply does not seem, despite their best efforts, to translate into choir-speak (for instance, "Let Me Fly With You"). On the whole this is a CD for those times when we are in a fairly good place and we wish not to be moved (in either direction). Being pleasing without being electrifying and encouraging without in any way challenging, it is a good easy listen.
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Product Description
A compilation of music from The International Staff Songsters of the Salvation Army.
Including: Cantique de Jean Racine; Close to Me; Count Your Blessings; Distant Land; Here is Love; I Know a Fount; I Surrender All; I've Got Joy; In Jesus' Name; Let Christ be Lifted Up; Let Me Fly with You!; Praise to the Holiest; Singin' in the Heavenly Choir; Swing Low and more