Reviews

MUSIC REVIEWS

Seasonal variety

A Festival of Christmas – featuring The St Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Kingsway Music, CD £9.99.
Heart of Worship – Christmas, Authentic Music, 2 CDs £14.99.
Ikos Christmas, Little Room Recordings (Integrity Music), CD £14.99.

As each Christmas comes around, a few more albums of carols and Christmas songs swell an already sizeable collection. Generally these CDs are one of three types – traditional choral arrangements of Christmas carols and classical works, instrumental/orchestral recordings, or attempts by various Christian artists (usually American) to rework their particular seasonal choices, sacred and secular, in a ‘new’ way.

A Festival Of Christmas sits very obviously in the second category – lavish orchestral medleys of 11 popular carols, plus the Overture and Pastoral from Handel’s Messiah, Sheep May Safely Graze by JS Bach and the Sinfonia from his Christmas Oratorio, all faultlessly performed by The St Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra. Such a recording would have been unthinkable a few years ago, but the world changes – in this case maybe for the better.

On Heart Of Worship – Christmas, the regular but faceless line-up of session musicians who appear elsewhere on the series now deliver a varied combination of modern and traditional carols (Angels From The Realms, O Come All Ye Faithful, The Virgin Mary Had A Baby Boy and many more), Christmas worship songs by Graham Kendrick (Like A Candle Flame, O Come And Join The Dance) and other seasonal favourites (Little Drummer Boy, Mary’s Boy Child, Breath Of Heaven), all in the regulation 30-song, double-CD format.

And like the other HOW albums, the production is capable, but hardly ground-breaking. All things considered though, it lives up to Heart Of Worship’s usual standards of being good value for quantity and quality.

Featuring the creative talents of guitarist/singer and songwriter Dave Clifton (Holy Trinity, Brompton), Ikos Christmas sets out to achieve something a little different. The arrangements combine choral elements from the Choirs of Peterborough Cathedral with a contemporary backing band (including ex-Iona drummer Terl Bryant and saxophonist Mike Haughton), vocal soloists (Dave Clifton, Jane Siberry and Lizzie Dean), and a string quartet.

Opener O Little Town Of Bethlehem was enough to get me very interested, and underpinning the centuries-old melody and harmonies of O Come, O Come Immanuel with a strong drum groove seemed truly inspired. An acoustic vibe puts a new angle on the start of Handel’s For Unto Us A Child Is Born, and a lullaby-like Infant Holy (maybe targeted at younger ears) works pretty well, but Away in A Manger is still a track I’d rather skip.

One thing never changes though – Silent Night is always featured!

Massive talent

Dream Out Loud by Mal Pope, MPH Records/OTR (Survivor Records), CD £14.99.

Many will recognise singer and songwriter, Mal Pope from his numerous appearances on BBC’s Songs Of Praise, but he has far more strings to his bow than that. Mal’s musical output encompasses a wide spectrum, from worship/devotional songs to ballads and social comment, and he even fronts a highly-acclaimed rock and roll band. And that’s on top of regular work as a radio/TV broadcaster.

Reading the sleeve notes for his latest project, it soon becomes clear that emotional low points do occur within all this, yet these in turn provide inspiration for Mal’s songwriting.

Born out of time shared with Dr Tony Campolo, opening track Breathe reflects on the “joy of silence ... in the presence of the Almighty” whilst One In A Million celebrates individuality. Stylistically, easy-going pop-rock number Your Words could almost be a George Harrison track, and the blues/rock of Couldn’t Love Me More reminded me strongly of 1970s classic I Can Help.

Mal’s vocal performances are impressive throughout, but on Mr Maybe attention shifts just a little towards potential R’n’B diva Amy (Mal’s daughter) in the background – excusable nepotism in the circumstances. If Amy has a fraction of her father’s talent, her prospects look good.

Potential classics

World Service by Delirious? Furious! Records, CD £12 (Special Packaging £15). Pre-order prices £10/£12 (before 15 December).

Are Delirious? a chart-hungry rock act? Or does their real strength lie in their origins as a Cutting-Edge worship team? Can their music straddle such distinctions for mass market audiences?

Audio Lessonover was targeted at the mainstream, but three retrospective worship-focused sets have followed since. World Service keeps to recent form/direction, and U2 influences, vocally and musically are a dominant flavour – just compare the opening riffs of Free and U2’s Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me.

Grace Like A River kicks off with some archetypal Delirious? ingredients – explosive guitar-driven intro, brooding verses and singalong chorus. On the mellower side are Majesty (Here I Am) (available as a free MP3.com download), Inside Outside, and Rain Down, which sounds much like a rewrite of Waiting For The Summer.

Echoing the spacious feel of Hands Of Kindness, I’d tip I Was Blind as a potential classic, whilst God In Heaven offers high-octane praise over a pounding Roxanne-like backing: “To God In heaven be the glory … Great things our Saviour he has done, greater things are yet to come.”

Having found a ‘kindred’ spirit to work the mixing desk, the sound is more ‘finished’ than previous collaborations with Chuck Zwicky. After a two-year wait, it should do!

Peter Dilley is a Connexions Personal Adviser working with the charity InterAct in Chelmsford

© Christian Family Network
is run by CPO, supported by
Care for the Family, Marriage Resource, Positive Parenting,
Care, Women Alive, Christian Herald and many others.


		MUSIC REVIEWS Seasonal variety A Festival of Christmas – featuring The St Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Kingsway Music, CD £9.99. Heart of Worship – Christmas, Authentic Music, 2 CDs £14.99. Ikos Christmas, Little Room Recordings (Integrity Music), CD £14.99. As each Christmas comes around, a few more albums of carols and Christmas songs swell an already sizeable collection. Generally these CDs are one of three types – traditional choral arrangements of Christmas carols and classical works, instrumental/orchestral recordings, or attempts by various Christian artists (usually American) to rework their particular seasonal choices, sacred and secular, in a ‘new’ way. A Festival Of Christmas sits very obviously in the second category – lavish orchestral medleys of 11 popular carols, plus the Overture and Pastoral from Handel’s Messiah, Sheep May Safely Graze by JS Bach and the Sinfonia from his Christmas Oratorio, all faultlessly performed by The St Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra. Such a recording would have been unthinkable a few years ago, but the world changes – in this case maybe for the better. On Heart Of Worship – Christmas, the regular but faceless line-up of session musicians who appear elsewhere on the series now deliver a varied combination of modern and traditional carols (Angels From The Realms, O Come All Ye Faithful, The Virgin Mary Had A Baby Boy and many more), Christmas worship songs by Graham Kendrick (Like A Candle Flame, O Come And Join The Dance) and other seasonal favourites (Little Drummer Boy, Mary’s Boy Child, Breath Of Heaven), all in the regulation 30-song, double-CD format. And like the other HOW albums, the production is capable, but hardly ground-breaking. All things considered though, it lives up to Heart Of Worship’s usual standards of being good value for quantity and quality. Featuring the creative talents of guitarist/singer and songwriter Dave Clifton (Holy Trinity, Brompton), Ikos Christmas sets out to achieve something a little different. The arrangements combine choral elements from the Choirs of Peterborough Cathedral with a contemporary backing band (including ex-Iona drummer Terl Bryant and saxophonist Mike Haughton), vocal soloists (Dave Clifton, Jane Siberry and Lizzie Dean), and a string quartet. Opener O Little Town Of Bethlehem was enough to get me very interested, and underpinning the centuries-old melody and harmonies of O Come, O Come Immanuel with a strong drum groove seemed truly inspired. An acoustic vibe puts a new angle on the start of Handel’s For Unto Us A Child Is Born, and a lullaby-like Infant Holy (maybe targeted at younger ears) works pretty well, but Away in A Manger is still a track I’d rather skip. One thing never changes though – Silent Night is always featured! Massive talent Dream Out Loud by Mal Pope, MPH Records/OTR (Survivor Records), CD £14.99. Many will recognise singer and songwriter, Mal Pope from his numerous appearances on BBC’s Songs Of Praise, but he has far more strings to his bow than that. Mal’s musical output encompasses a wide spectrum, from worship/devotional songs to ballads and social comment, and he even fronts a highly-acclaimed rock and roll band. And that’s on top of regular work as a radio/TV broadcaster. Reading the sleeve notes for his latest project, it soon becomes clear that emotional low points do occur within all this, yet these in turn provide inspiration for Mal’s songwriting. Born out of time shared with Dr Tony Campolo, opening track Breathe reflects on the “joy of silence ... in the presence of the Almighty” whilst One In A Million celebrates individuality. Stylistically, easy-going pop-rock number Your Words could almost be a George Harrison track, and the blues/rock of Couldn’t Love Me More reminded me strongly of 1970s classic I Can Help. Mal’s vocal performances are impressive throughout, but on Mr Maybe attention shifts just a little towards potential R’n’B diva Amy (Mal’s daughter) in the background – excusable nepotism in the circumstances. If Amy has a fraction of her father’s talent, her prospects look good. Potential classics World Service by Delirious? Furious! Records, CD £12 (Special Packaging £15). Pre-order prices £10/£12 (before 15 December). Are Delirious? a chart-hungry rock act? Or does their real strength lie in their origins as a Cutting-Edge worship team? Can their music straddle such distinctions for mass market audiences? Audio Lessonover was targeted at the mainstream, but three retrospective worship-focused sets have followed since. World Service keeps to recent form/direction, and U2 influences, vocally and musically are a dominant flavour – just compare the opening riffs of Free and U2’s Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me. Grace Like A River kicks off with some archetypal Delirious? ingredients – explosive guitar-driven intro, brooding verses and singalong chorus. On the mellower side are Majesty (Here I Am) (available as a free MP3.com download), Inside Outside, and Rain Down, which sounds much like a rewrite of Waiting For The Summer. Echoing the spacious feel of Hands Of Kindness, I’d tip I Was Blind as a potential classic, whilst God In Heaven offers high-octane praise over a pounding Roxanne-like backing: “To God In heaven be the glory … Great things our Saviour he has done, greater things are yet to come.” Having found a ‘kindred’ spirit to work the mixing desk, the sound is more ‘finished’ than previous collaborations with Chuck Zwicky. After a two-year wait, it should do! Peter Dilley is a Connexions Personal Adviser working with the charity InterAct in Chelmsford © Christian Family Network is run by CPO, supported by Care for the Family, Marriage Resource, Positive Parenting, Care, Women Alive, Christian Herald and many others.