Abundant Life Ministries - God Is Here

Reviewed by Tony Cummings

A full string orchestra (beautifully arranged by Keith Getty) herald an album which is no cheap-and-cheerful recorded-in-a-church effort but one of the most classily (and expensively) produced live praise CDs ever to emanate from Britain. The focal point in the whole exercise is, like its best selling predecessor ‘Divine Exchange’, the voice and compositions of Lara Martin and I’m delighted to report that this time there’s much less of an unoriginal aping of Darlene Zschech and Hillsongs and much more a fresh and invigorating explosion of worship from the lady and the other member of the Bradford church's worship team. The title track in particular, with its transcendent choir, is absolutely stunning and though some tracks, like the Mark Stevens-led “I Live To Worship” are rather spoilt by over-excitable congregational clapping, the live worship atmosphere truly translates to the CD. I purposely haven’t yet watched the tie-in DVD but as a quality worship CD this is stirring stuff.