Reviewed by Trevor Kirk

Stauros is the word in New Testament Greek for the cross, and the Stauros Foundation was founded in 1980 as a help group to assist people who are, or whose family members are, involved in any sort of addiction, be it alcohol, drugs or gambling. The participants (I hesitate to say singers, because, after a spoken introduction by Stauros director Arthur Williams, six of the 12 tracks on this album are spoken testimony rather than songs) are from all parts of the UK, as well as Ireland and the USA, and all have been assisted by Stauros in the last 20 years. The style is rather old-fashioned, harking back to country gospel "songs and solos" music, although as befits an Irish product, there are one or two Celtic echoes here and there. By and large, however, whilst the album's a worthy tool to promote the work of the Foundation, people who might want to buy it for the music would be disappointed that there's not much of it and what there is, is pretty ordinary. Those wanting to assist Stauros might prefer to investigate the direct approach.

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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