Reviews

MUSIC

This week, Peter Dilley looks at the latest kids praise albums, and there's a free bedtime story for younger children on offer online

Lord Of The Dance, Happy Mouse Records (Kingsway Music), CD £4.99/Cassette £2.99
Jesus Loves Me This I Know, Happy Mouse Records (Kingsway Music), CD £4.99
Box Of Delights – A Selection Of Timeless Favourites - Captain Alan and the Captain’s Crew, ICC, 2 CD Set, £10.99/Cassettes £7.99
ICC Kids Collection – 20 Great New Songs For Kids, ICC, CD £7.99

Whether it’s for keeping the little ones happy in the car, or as a worship resource for school, church or Sunday school, collections of children’s songs are always in demand, and I would certainly recommend picking one or two from this latest batch of budget-priced CDs and cassettes.

Those looking for a selection of enduring favourites for 5 to 11-year-olds won’t go far wrong with Lord Of The Dance. Using CCLI data, Kingsway have pulled together 14 of the most popular songs in UK schools and churches – One More Step, Colours Of Day, Blessed Be The Name, you know the kind of thing. Besides vocalist Daniel Shields, Bob McKay (saxophone) and Simon Crombie (keyboards), producer and multi-instrumentalist Mike Newbon also involved 2,500 children from five schools in the recording. They all made a pretty good job of it, but DIY vocals are possible too, with backing tracks for all songs provided on the same CD.

For the pre-school age group, Jesus Loves Me This I Know is a more suitable choice. Frank McConnell (vocals/acoustic guitar) offers plenty of encouragement for children to join in with actions, singing, even with extra verses, right through the 21 songs here – My God Is So Big, Thank You Lord, If I Were A Butterfly and plenty more of that ilk.

Captain Alan Price has written and recorded over 100 songs, and 30 of the best have been selected for Box Of Delights. Junior-age children are the target audience for the Church Army evangelist, and if they (or you) wish to let their hair down, various forms of active participation are possible: rugby chants, snatches of the Hallelujah Chorus and hymn singing liven up We’re Going To Praise The Lord; no explanation is needed for The Christian Conga and Holy Hokey; or you can sing along punk-style on I’m Enthusiastic.

Recent songs by Dave Cooke, Dave Godfrey, Steve and Kay Morgan-Gurr, Jenny Legg and Captain Alan Price are amongst the highlights on the ICC Kids Collection. As it incorporates material from last year’s Spring Harvest Kids Praise and Little Kids Praise albums, Rocky Kids 2, Captain Alan’s Keep On Growing and Jenny Legg’s Sing Lullabies, this may require more of a ‘pick and choose’ approach, than ‘one size fits all’, but with 20 tracks there should at least be something for all children’s age groups and most tastes.

Peter Dilley is a bass guitarist and co-ordinator/mentor for a support scheme for young people with learning disabilities with the charity InterAct

Free Michael Rosen bedtime story online

Michael Rosen, the award-winning children's author, is the latest writer to have a story featured on Bedtime Stories On-Line, hosted on www.e-parents.org, the National Family and Parenting Institute's website for parents.

Rosen's story, With One Push, is available for the whole of February.

Every week, a new story for young children goes up on the site, which parents can download in colour or black and white or simply read with their children off the screen. Check it out at: http://www.e-parents.org/data/story/index.html

© 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 This week, Peter Dilley looks at the latest kids praise albums, and there's a free bedtime story for younger children on offer online Lord Of The Dance, Happy Mouse Records (Kingsway Music), CD £4.99/Cassette £2.99 Jesus Loves Me This I Know, Happy Mouse Records (Kingsway Music), CD £4.99 Box Of Delights – A Selection Of Timeless Favourites - Captain Alan and the Captain’s Crew, ICC, 2 CD Set, £10.99/Cassettes £7.99 ICC Kids Collection – 20 Great New Songs For Kids, ICC, CD £7.99 Whether it’s for keeping the little ones happy in the car, or as a worship resource for school, church or Sunday school, collections of children’s songs are always in demand, and I would certainly recommend picking one or two from this latest batch of budget-priced CDs and cassettes. Those looking for a selection of enduring favourites for 5 to 11-year-olds won’t go far wrong with Lord Of The Dance. Using CCLI data, Kingsway have pulled together 14 of the most popular songs in UK schools and churches – One More Step, Colours Of Day, Blessed Be The Name, you know the kind of thing. Besides vocalist Daniel Shields, Bob McKay (saxophone) and Simon Crombie (keyboards), producer and multi-instrumentalist Mike Newbon also involved 2,500 children from five schools in the recording. They all made a pretty good job of it, but DIY vocals are possible too, with backing tracks for all songs provided on the same CD. For the pre-school age group, Jesus Loves Me This I Know is a more suitable choice. Frank McConnell (vocals/acoustic guitar) offers plenty of encouragement for children to join in with actions, singing, even with extra verses, right through the 21 songs here – My God Is So Big, Thank You Lord, If I Were A Butterfly and plenty more of that ilk. Captain Alan Price has written and recorded over 100 songs, and 30 of the best have been selected for Box Of Delights. Junior-age children are the target audience for the Church Army evangelist, and if they (or you) wish to let their hair down, various forms of active participation are possible: rugby chants, snatches of the Hallelujah Chorus and hymn singing liven up We’re Going To Praise The Lord; no explanation is needed for The Christian Conga and Holy Hokey; or you can sing along punk-style on I’m Enthusiastic. Recent songs by Dave Cooke, Dave Godfrey, Steve and Kay Morgan-Gurr, Jenny Legg and Captain Alan Price are amongst the highlights on the ICC Kids Collection. As it incorporates material from last year’s Spring Harvest Kids Praise and Little Kids Praise albums, Rocky Kids 2, Captain Alan’s Keep On Growing and Jenny Legg’s Sing Lullabies, this may require more of a ‘pick and choose’ approach, than ‘one size fits all’, but with 20 tracks there should at least be something for all children’s age groups and most tastes. Peter Dilley is a bass guitarist and co-ordinator/mentor for a support scheme for young people with learning disabilities with the charity InterAct Free Michael Rosen bedtime story online Michael Rosen, the award-winning children's author, is the latest writer to have a story featured on Bedtime Stories On-Line, hosted on www.e-parents.org, the National Family and Parenting Institute's website for parents. Rosen's story, With One Push, is available for the whole of February. Every week, a new story for young children goes up on the site, which parents can download in colour or black and white or simply read with their children off the screen. Check it out at: http://www.e-parents.org/data/story/index.html © 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.