As someone who has been involved in worship leading forever - well, being in worship bands for twenty five years and actually leading for the last eighteen - I am often on the lookout for good new resources.Being in a small church, sometimes it is easy to miss "the latest thing", and to be satisfied with older things - things I know well, things I can do falling off the proverbial.
And then you come across gold.
Chris Tomlin's brand new CD, Hello Love, not even out in the UK yet, is one of those golden moments. I am writing this as I listen to it for the first time. I bought it yesterday in the Virgin Megastore at Downtown Disney, Orlando. They had two versions - I got the one with an extra disc, with chord charts and extra bits for worship leaders. I'm so glad - I love every song, and want to learn them all, imbibe them all, make them a part of my worship vocabulary.
Musically it is phenomenal. Song after song is well-crafted, with great pace and shape and melody. Lyrically it keeps arresting my attention, making me stop and think and pray and shed a tear of joy, with a simple profundity.
When you get chance - add it to your collection. I think this is right up there with my favourite worship albums, collections of songs that have blessed me and changed me. I am looking forwards to our congregation learning many of these songs.
Thank you Lord, for faithful servants blessing your church with such gifts as these.
2 comments:
Thanks for the recommendation. Wi;; check it out.
But just out of interest, what do you consider as: "my favourite worship albums, collections of songs that have blessed me and changed me"...?
Come on, give us a top ten. ;o)
Good question, and one I was expecting someone to ask - I should have known it was the King of Lists who would get in there first...
Not a top ten, but a random sample:
Tim Hughes - 'When Silence Falls'. The later 'Holding Nothing Back' is unquestionably a better album, but somehow WSF meant more at the time, and lived with me more completely, seeping into my heart and soul. It was in the car for a whole year.
Lincoln Brewster - 'Live to Worship'. Again, the 'All to You' live album is phenomenal, but the LTW has a mixture of songs, and a power of arrangements that sweep me off my feet. "Lord I Lift Your Name" and "Power of Your Love" were never like this, and his own songs ("Psalm 91" - breathtaking) are beautiful.
Passion Band - 'How Great Is our God' - just to show that live albums can be fantastic. Event CDs not just as souvenirs, but as genuine worship material. My introduction to the title song, and to several others, and wonderful.
Delirious - Two choices. 'Cutting Edge 3', from before they were Delirious. Anthemic worship. Stadium worship. Some of the best songs, brilliantly captured. And 'King of Fools', because for all the joy of "Deeper", the hope of "History Maker", the emotion of "White Ribbon Day", it's the simplicity of "August 30" that gets me. Every time.
Now you know I love 'Attitude' from St Mike's Aberystwyth, 'Groove 96' from the Groove Heroes, and 'Every Breath' from a certain Big Band, right?
But let me leave you with a curve ball. 'Hallowed Ground' by Cloud, the HTB band in 1982. Folky, at times semi-classical, Phil Lawson Johnston leading with a real mixture of voices and instruments around him. Still one of the most powerful worship CDs out there; I don't think it's available anymore - but if you find it, treasure it.
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