Reviewed by Tom Lennie

This is a sampler CD with a twist. Not that it doesn’t fit correctly in the CD player (!), but rather it’s different from most other samplers in one important respect; it’s also a concept album. It’s intended as an aid to lent devotions, hopefully in conjunction with the companion Lent 2000 workbook. The producers hope the recording will also “open many useful discussions about the individual worship forms”. Indeed it ought to. There’s an interesting variety of musical styles here; mainly traditional and ranging from classic hymns, to excerpts from Taize chants, to pieces from The Wild Goose Worship Group. There’s a couple of Eastern Orthodox verses too, while uncharacteristically, yet somehow fittingly, Matt Redman and Graham Kendrick make one short offering each! While most selections are taken from existing recordings as cited, others were recorded specially for this project, though unfortunately musical credits are not noted for these items. There are 43 tracks in total, each lasting approx 90 seconds, and built around five consecutive themes of “beginnings”, “following”, “challenging”, “believing” and “dying”. Whilst it might have been better to have had fewer but lengthier tracks, the overall product works fairly well. Whether you observe Lent or not, and despite its bland sleeve design, this is an unusual and intriguing collection of reflective material. A refreshing change from some modern Christian sounds.

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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