Reviewed by Trevor Kirk It'll be safe to say that Ireland is the happening place when it comes to worship music, with Mandate and FocusFesi the latest evidence of the move of the Spirit that's been propelling all sorts of people to get involved in not just praising the Lord, but actively seeking reconciliation. In the forefront of proceedings, Robin Mark, composer of several songs that have become Christian music anthems: "Lion Of Judah", "Revival", "Jesus, All For Jesus", "Days Of Elijah", are all here, but those of you with these in your collections already, fret not. On this live recording, they are all given the Celtic treatment; "Lion Of Judah", for example, has a whistle and bodhran interlude, extending it to a joyous six minutes, and "Revival" begins with an ambient soundscape, then after a vocal obbligato from Robin using prophetic Old Testament words, the beat kicks in after three minĀutes or so, and the familiar melody and words drive along for another seven minutes in a soaring anthem of joy. The old Cutting Edge/D? track "Shout To The North" is another highlight, along with "There Is No Other Name", which gets Uillean pipes, djembe and loads of passion, and "How Great Are You Lord", a beautifully simple worship song that deserves to be sung the length and breadth of Christendom. The Integrity expertise and production flair comĀbine with the sheer vocal quality and anointing of all concerned to turn out an album that has truly blessed me every time I've listened.
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. Interested in reviewing music? Find out
more here.
|