Joining With The Angels (reissue) by John Nuttall

Reviewed by Tom Lennie

'Joining With The Angels' is a re-release of a very fine recording first issued several years ago by veteran UK musician/school headmaster John Nuttall. We're not told the reason for the re-issue, though it does come minus the original opening track, "Come Let Us Worship Our God", which our CR reviewer felt was an unnecessary departure from the rest of the album. The new opening song is the title cut - a fine piece of mid-tempo worship, yet also one of the most upbeat songs on this otherwise gently-flowing and at times meditational recording (the other exception is "Sovereign God", which builds in intensity and carries a tasty guitar break). The brooding "Overshadow Me" is something of a Celtic meditation, being a simple prayer-address to the Holy Spirit. Here and elsewhere I felt a similarity in style and tone to the acoustic format of Manchester's John De Jong (now operating a charity in the Czech Republic), only to find in the credit notes that De Jong is a significant influence, and the two are great friends. This soft, delicate mood well suits Nutall's tender vocals, and is especially poignant on the piano-guided "Fairest Lord Jesus", a fresh, thoughtful song which includes a refrain from the hymn of the same name. Several other tracks act as refuges of spiritual security and rest, such as the simple "You Are My Fortress", based as it is on Psalm 91; similarly "Come To Me" and "I Find Peace", which song is rendered by Andy Green, who also acts as arranger and producer for the set. This is a beautiful, sensitively created album, with fine lyrical and musical variety. Music that truly ministers to the soul.