Reviewed by Andrew Rolfe

Okay. So I'm in this business meeting at Integrity Music. The boss is going on about releasing a double CD of worship songs. The popular ones. My mind starts wandering. I close my eyes and suddenly I'm in a huge church building. Loads of folk singing. An ocean of them swaying, lifting arms. float over the top, observing, and come to a circular stage in the middle. Huge thing full of bands playing different songs. Strangely they all stand out clearly, each unique with a message and a mood, no big mush of bland music - 21 artists/bands, 23 of the most sung “contemporary worship songs” since that phrase was invented; guitars, keyboards, flutes, crashing band, calming choir, loud praise, meditational worship... "Eureka!" I cry and awake from my day dream. The meeting is suddenly silent, all eyes on me. "Er.…" Bleary-eyed I continue, "Well, I see it like this, we open with ‘Open The Eyes Of My Heart’, move on through ‘Praise God Through Whom All Blessings Flow’ and finish up with ‘Forever’ and that's just the first CD." "Which artists?" barks a colleague. I close my eyes and look down to the circular stage again, "Brian Doerkson, Noel Richards, Matt Redman, Martin Smith, sometimes Delirious? sometimes not...and others." Eyes open. The boss is beaming. "Sounds great! And I haven't even heard it yet!" I agree with him, and I have heard it. "And disc two?" "Okay, we begin with 'Come Now Is The Time To Worship', have a bit of 'Once Again' with Mr Redman, sample Darlene Zschech singing 'The Power Of Your Love' and finish off with a guy with another unpronounceable name - a rendition of 'O Come Let Us Adore Him' by Eoghan Heaslip." The boss has one last question. "Who's the target audience?" Before anyone can speak, it's me again, "Anyone and everyone, world-wide, who enjoys singing these kinds of living praise and inspirational worship songs in their church." The boss beams again. Meeting over. Time to contact the agents. I'll be first in the queue when this baby rolls off the production line.

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