Reviewed by Stephen Luff

Bart made a promise to make an album of hymns to his grandmother; the result was the 2005 album 'Hymned No1'. This followup released in 2008 contains well known hymns given a eclectic musical wallpaper which despite the diversity on show here, gels very well. The opener, "Stand Up For Jesus", is a great mix of bluegrass and Jazz, while "What A day That Will Be" and "I Saw The Light" have a new country feel. Bart's voice shines on the acoustic "Jesus Cares For Me" and the more traditional (starting with an keyboard but quickly joined with a fiddle!) "Brethren We Have Met To Worship". The album also has contributions from Vince Gill and Anthony Evans Jr amongst others and top production from Brown Bannister (Amy Grant, Steven Curtis Chapman and Bart's previous release). This great album breathes new life into classic hymns and demonstrates again why Bart is now considered one of the best vocalists on the current CCM scene.

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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