Reviewed by Dave Brassington

Changes are always inevitable in any music group that continues for any length of time, but whilst there is no official mention, this recording does seem to me to be a sort of welcome to our new line-up before an invited audience comprising of many of Bill and Gloria Gaither's close musical friends and acquaintances. It was recorded/filmed in 2015 in a barn near Nashville owned by the popular country music duo, Rory and Joey, who appear at times but don't perform. What is a complete mystery to me is the knowledge that at the time Joey was dealing with cervical cancer. No mention is made of the illness and this lovely lady looked well, not long having given birth to Indiana. Very sadly she died in March this year from this awful illness. Was this event recorded in their barn as a demonstration of support for this lovely family? Having seen many different combinations of the Gaither Vocal Band over many years, I must say the new line-up is really very strong, as newcomers Adam Crabb and the diminutive African American Todd Suttles join Bill, the wonderful David Phelps and Wes Hampton. There is a very powerful opener, "Resurrection", and "When Fear Comes Knocking" is very thought provoking. Todd Suttles then takes centre stage with the Thomas Dorsey classic "Peace In The Valley". This simply wowed me as it remains my all-time favourite gospel piece. Todd's version is simply superb! The Isaacs perform a fantastic and very moving version of another classic, "I Know Who Holds Tomorrow", their soft country/bluegrass style aided by some introductory comments from Bill that "it had been a bad year for them" due to the loss of their grandmother and the tragic death of Sonya's second child. The title track sung by Adam Crabb is a very strong piece, "Building Bridges" by Charlotte Ritchie, accompanied by Becky & Sonya Isaacs is wonderful, before the Goodman Revival provide a very rousing "I Don't Want To Get Adjusted", a toe-tapper that you just want to keep singing. A most enjoyable release.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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