50 Choruses & Hymns

Description

50 Choruses & Hymns is a 3CD Box featuring selected tracks recorded by various British and American worship artists, released in the UK on Kingsway Music in 2011.

PROMO

Spread across three CDs, this innovative compilation brings with it a new approach to worship collections. With the first disc offering studio versions of classic choruses, the second moves on to cover live album versions of other foundational worship songs. The final CD turns to the hymns, all recorded at live events and brimming with passion and power. Great songs are included on every disc, from «Abba Father» and «Come On And Celebrate» to «We Wanna See Jesus Lifted High» and «All Hail The Lamb» and «Here Is Love», «Great Is Thy Faithfulness» and «O The Deep, Deep Love of Jesus».

I suspect this compilation, like many similar ones, will be of most use to praise and worship leaders as they try to source new material – there is a treasure trove here of over 45 songs across the three CDs, though quite a few will be in the leaders’ collections already. As a listening experience it’s probably too much, at least at one sitting, more of a dip in and out experience. There are many familiar performers like Graham Kendrick, Robin Mark, Derri Daugherty, Dave Bilbrough and Chris Bowater, who have also written many of the songs. Each CD starts with a strong track, eg, Darlene Zshech’s fine anthem «Shout To The Lord», sung by the Encounter Worship Band, kicks off CD one, the roots flavoured «How Wonderful» by Dave Bilbrough launches CD two and CD three starts with «To God Be The Glory» penned by 19th Century writers Fanny J Crosby and William H Doane, and sung by Stuart Townend. There is some variety of style but not a huge lot – the early part of disc two scores best on this front, but I was particularly taken by two tracks on CD three – the traditional «Be Thou My Vision» by Robin Mark and «Blessed Assurance» sung by Robert Critchley. However I had to wait for the very last track for my favourite song of the whole collection – «All The Ways My Saviour Leads Me», a Fanny J Crosby prayer set to music by the late Rich Mullins and sung by David Lyle Morris. [Brendan O’Regan, Cross Rhythms, January 2012]

> Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/album/3CadugzK9NLPWI3xxUAor7)

3CD tracklist:

Disc One

1-01. Encounter Worship Band – Shout to the Lord
1-02. Graham Kendrick – Shine Jesus Shine
1-03. Sarah Sadler – I Am a New Creation
1-04. Encounter Worship Band – The Power of Your Love
1-05. Derri Daugherty – Light Up the Fire
1-06. Chris Bowater – Faithful God
1-07. Noel Richards – By Your Side
1-08. Graham Kendrick – God Is Great
1-09. Derri Daugherty – We Want to See Jesus Lifted High
1-10. Encounter Worship Band – Faithful One
1-11. Encounter Worship Band – Ancient of Days
1-12. Susan Ashton – Come On and Celebrate
1-13. Graham Kendrick – Let the Flame Burn Brighter
1-14. Steve Garrett – Jesus Is the Name We Honour
1-15. Chris Bowater – He Who Dwells in the Shelter of the Most High
1-16. Steve Garrett – Abba Father

Disc Two

2-01. Noel Richards – To Be in Your Presence
2-02. Dave Bilbrough – How Wonderful
2-03. Chris Bowater – The Lord Has Chosen Zion/The Lord Has Led Forth His People With Joy
2-04. Stoneleigh Band – Show Your Power
2-05. Dave Bilbrough – Our God Is Great
2-06. Stoneleigh Band – Wonderful Grace
2-07. Robin Mark – All Hail the Lamb
2-08. Dave Bilbrough – An Army of Ordinary People
2-09. Chris Bowater – Under the Shadow of Your Wings/Better Is One Day
2-10. Stuart Townend – Give Thanks With a Grateful Heart
2-11. Robin Mark – For Your Faithfulness
2-12. Dave Bilbrough – Sound the Trumpet
2-13. Stuart Townend – What a Faithful God
2-14. Stoneleigh Band – Let Your Living Water Flow
2-15. Stoneleigh Band – The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord
2-16. Robin Mark – All Heaven Declares

Disc Three

3-01. Stuart Townend – Lord I Lift Your Name On High/O Come Let Us Adore Him
3-02. Stuart Townend – To God Be the Glory
3-03. Encounter Worship Band – Here Is Love
3-04. Robin Mark – Be Thou My Vision
3-05. Robert Critchley – Blessed Assurance
3-06. Lou Fellingham – Before the Throne of God Above
3-07. Robin Mark – I Stand Amazed in the Presence
3-08. Stuart Townend – Praise to the Lord
3-09. Matt Redman – What a Wonderful Saviour
3-10. Robin Mark – I Will Sing the Wondrous Story
3-11. Encounter Worship Band – Great Is Thy Faithfulness
3-12. Robert Critchley – On Christ the Solid Rock
3-13. Robin Mark – How Great Thou Art
3-14. Stuart Townend – And Can It Be
3-15. Robert Critchley – All Hail the Power of Jesus Name
3-16. Encounter Worship Band – O the Deep Deep Love of Jesus
3-17. Robin Mark – Crown Him With Many Crowns
3-18. David Lyle Morris – All the Way My Saviour Leads Me