Tony Cummings reports on the latest release of Grammy-winning singer/songwriter MATT REDMAN

Matt Redman

On 31st January one of Britain's most popular worship songwriters and a multi-Grammy Award winner, Matt Redman, will be releasing his 'Let There Be Wonder' album. It's his first for Integrity Music.

Starting off with more than 50 songs, along with album producers Jacob Sooter and Joshua Silverberg, Redman gradually narrowed it down to the 12 songs featured on the project. Most of the songs were collaborations with well-known songwriters and friends such as Sooter and Silverberg, Phil Wickham, Hillsong's Joel Houston, Jason Ingram, Pat Barrett, Corey Voss, Andi Rozier (Vertical Church Band), Jon Guerra and Brandon Lake, who also appears on the project along with Evan Craft.

About 'Let There Be Wonder' Redman said, "One theme that shone through so strongly on this record was the name and character and story of Jesus. I think there's a need in our society and in Church to absolutely name him, to not just speak generically about who God is but to put a name on him and to declare it and to say it - to sing the name of Jesus."

The album was recorded in front of more than 1,000 people at Free Chapel in Orange County, California. Redman continued, "'Let There Be Wonder' encapsulates a lot of what has been in my heart when it comes to worship in these last few years. Worship songs will never be able to paint the full picture of God's glory, but it's so important that we aim high and give our best effort to conveying him as fully as we can. When we do this, it's much more honouring to God, and it's much more helpful for us. My hope and prayer for this new record is that we'd find ourselves caught up in the life-giving worship of the true and living God. Let there be wonder!"

A single from the project, "The Same Jesus", has already received considerable airplay. Said Redman, "I love that when we worship him in the here and now, we're worshipping the same Jesus who spoke creation into being, the same Jesus who walked the earth, who went to the Cross, who rose up from the dead, and is coming back again. We're caught up in his eternal story and it's a beautiful thing that we get to worship him as the God of yesterday, today and forever -- the One who was and is and is to come."

2020 will be a busy one for the worship man as he's set to appear at numerous shows, conferences and services in the US and around the world. A headlining tour is also slated for late spring.