Reviewed by Peter Dilley

With a CD review on the Cross Rhythms website already rating Joshua's Troop's third album at 10/10, is there anything about a DVD from the Chicago-based choir to make it a better choice than its audio counterpart? As already noted in that review, the music is "vocally and musically tight with enough soul power to rival any gospel band with twice their experience," and there's not much I'd want to add to that. If you're planning to use a system that accepts both formats, opportunities to watch as well as hear this energetic, 50-strong ensemble of 16-22 year-olds in action might be a bonus, but it's pretty marginal. There's a lack of height or tiered seating in the concert hall and the linear stage layout looks cramped - not the best starting point for a video shoot, and the resulting camera angles are often far from ideal. The band are tucked away out of sight, wide shots of the choir are partly obscured by the audience, and pot plants sometimes get in the way of the close-ups. And despite their obvious vocal talent, some choir members seem less than comfortable moving about as they sing, and others simply don't manage to keep up with the choreography. On balance therefore, my advice would be to save yourself a fiver and stick with the go-anywhere versatility of the CD.

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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