Stuart Townend - Personal Worship / Say The Word

Reviewed by Tony Cummings

Repackaging 1999's 'Personal Worship' and 1997's 'Say The Word' is an excellent idea, particularly for those who may have missed out on the 1997 gem. To my ears 'Say The Word' is still the songwriter/worship leader's finest album with Bryn Haworth's mandolin bringing a lilting folk feel to several of the songs while the Mal Pope solo "How Long" is still one of the finest songs ever written about revival. After the rich musical glories of this, some listeners may find 'Personal Worship' simply too understated. The stripped right down accompaniments give the album its intended intimate feel and no one can doubt the songsmith's ability to pen exceptional worship songs. But it's still 'Say The Word' which is the one I keep returning to.