Stuart Townend & Robin Mark - Not By Might: The Best Of The Mandate

Reviewed by Ewan Jones

When it comes to these 'Best of' worship CDs and '1000 Greatest Worship Songs Ever Vol 23', I fight the temptation to approach them with an air of cynicism - when they land on the doormat I cringe at the prospect of listening to four hours of re-issued music. However, the enthusiasm and charming Irish lilt of Robin Mark ("Men Of Faith", "These Are The Days Of Elijah") shines through on disc one, the songwriting craft of Stuart Townend ("In Christ Alone", "O To See The Dawn") is clearly evident on disc two, and the rousing hymns on disc three reach some inspiring moments. The recording quality is great, the songs come across well because so many of them are led by the guys who wrote them, and there is something rousing about hearing hymns belted out by a few thousand men. Problems? Mark and Townend are both accomplished worship leaders and songwriters but on some of these versions it can sound a bit like their batteries are running down. This, alongside the usual caveat that all of these songs have been released on previous Mandate CDs, is the only occasional frustration. If you're interested in The Mandate movement, this package could be for you.