Reviewed by Tim Holden

I have to confess to not wanting to open the shrink wrap on this DVD when it arrived - I have a great dislike of "reality TV" shows like X Factor and Fame Academy and particularly the American versions of them. While there is a short section of the TV show here - an interview with the winner Brian Smith - the majority of the DVD is footage of the concert given after the competition was completed and designed to showcase the talents of all of the contestants. There is a nice variety of styles, from the straight gospel of "Your Grace Is Amazing" to the rocky "God Of Wonders" - arranged almost exactly as the Rebecca St James version! The voices from such contestants as Kimberly lowery, Kristina Higgins and Joshua Woods are all good, with Brian's standing out with a very commercial sound, and the house band are slick and competent as one would expect. If you can ignore the commercialisation of worship songs and the occasional feeling that the cover versions are little more than Christian karaoke, you might want to investigate.

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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