Reviewed by Lins Honeyman

Tying in with the success of the recent BBC 1 talent contest, this release features tracks from the top six choirs in the competition. Unfortunately, as with most television talent shows, minimal risk is taken with the artists mainly performing straight cover versions of time-honoured songs, resisting the urge to experiment with the incredible potential for versatility that the choir format has. Tracks such as the City Of Bath Male Choir's version of "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" and collective renditions of Elton John's "I'm Still Standing" and Queen's "One Vision" amount to little more than choir karaoke whilst eventual winners Only Men Aloud! check in with the distinctly average "All By Myself" and the Bobby Darin interpretation of "Don't Rain On My Parade". Nonetheless, there are some high points - Sense Of Sound's intriguing a cappella version of Justin Timberlake's "Cry Me A River" for instance - and gospel outfits like the ACM Gospel Choir and Revelation steal the show with high octane performances of the hymn "Joyful Joyful" and the disco classic "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now" respectively. A enjoyable enough listen if you followed the series but hardly an essential purchase.

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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