Reviewed by Philip Crawley

What have we here? 11 songs written by Godfrey Birtill and recorded live a couple of years ago at Oaklands Christian Fellowship, Preston. Now if I read that as an opening to a review I'd be scuttling for the nearest Matt Redman CD, but this really is atypical of most of the home-grown-on-a-budget-of-nothing type of worship albums I've heard. Stylistically it is very much rooted in the kind of things Mr Kendrick does - and let's be frank, you have to go a long way to find a church whose worship team isn't hugely influenced by that kind of thing. It's not a particularly contemporary sound, but it isn't dated either. As ever with worship songs it is the words that are of paramount importance and you'll not be disappointed - "I Have Come To These Islands" speaks about revival and pretty much sets the tone for the whole disc. Godfrey has been actively involved with Martin Scott and the Sowing Seeds For Revival travelling ministry, which formed out of the Marsham Street (Westminster) meetings of 1997. I think my only critique would be of the vocal arrangements - in those pieces that have lots of singers (aside from the congregation) there is not much in the way of harmony or anything to keep the words sounding fresh which is a shame as they are splendid words that deserve the best possible vehicle to drive them into your head.

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