Reviewed by Trevor Kirk

First of all, let me set something straight. You, dear Cross Rhythms reader, must realize that there is an absolute eon of difference between music for kids and music by kids. Purveyors of the former (unless they're Cedarmont and their ilk) work hard to make cringe-free material; this album is the latter. "13 more best loved classics for children from Vineyard Music," says the cover, and these are good numbers from the likes of Cindy Rethmeier, Brian Doerksen, David Ruis, Eddie Espinosa, Terry Butler and Danny Daniels. However, most of these aren't songs for kids, they're for grown-ups, and perhaps the theology is over the heads of these Canadian Vineyard youngsters. It's not easy to turn in a convincing performance if you can't understand what it is you're singing about; I mean, how do kiddywinkers cope with 'Come and fill me with you, Holy Spirit', or 'Your blood is enough, your mercy complete, your work of atonement paid for my debts, making me holy'? Worst of all, Squeaky Kids Syndrome pervades all the songs and despite the quality of the material, the overall feel is disappointingly twee. Not as bad as some I've heard, but a long way short of the best

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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