Reviewed by Matt Crossman

Worship music at its best lifts you from your little bubble, places you in the story of God and raises your eyes to see more than you could previously. In the late '90s Vineyard UK released a series of worship collections which did exactly that - with songs from the well established (Brian "Come Now Is The Time" Doerksen) and up and coming songwriters which seemed to capture something of what was going on in the movement at the time. Hindsight is a wonderful gift, but it was easy to see from this look back the sheer potential from the likes of Brenton Brown ("Lord Reign In Me" and "Holy") and Vicky Beeching ("Above All Else" and "Awesome God"), both of whom having been nurtured in the UK have gone solo in the States, releasing two of the most anticipated solo worship projects of recent years. As you would expect of a 'best of' album, all the real Vineyard UK classics are present and accounted for. It's easy to see why songs such as the eponymous "Be The Centre" have stood the test of time - the songwriters profiled here had a gift of finding something true yet deep about God which seemed to resonate with thousands of others. With the writers' high value on excellence musically, and the digitally re-mastered production, this album is luscious and deep in its overall sound, making it more engaging and polished than the original records. The only song which undergoes a significant rework is "Humble King" which has a re-written second verse and a Salvation Army brass band arrangement transforming it into something resembling a modern carol. The disc also comes with some enhanced CD features offering chord sheets and piano music. This is a great resource for someone who is looking for an introduction to Vineyard UK.

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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