Reviewed by Daniel Hames

"Reconstructed hymns" on a 2003 album from a critically acclaimed American ministry.
Well, I didn't think it could happen again. After loving 'The Gadsby Project', the third album from the musicians at Red Mountain Church, I went and bought 'Depth Of Mercy', the first CD they made back in 2003. I wasn't expecting it to reach the same dizzying heights, but let me tell you: the scroll wheel on my iPod is now redundant as I hardly ever move off the Red Mountain Church playlist. And I have stopped dead during car journeys to go back home and pick up this CD because I can't drive without it. I could gush on like this but I imagine you will want to hear about the music. All but two of these songs are "reconstructed hymns" - that is hymns set to new music. The title track is Charles Wesley's hymn of 1740. The music at first took me by surprise, but after just a couple of listens, this beautiful song found a permanent place in my heart. "Wedding Dress" is a contemporary song whose lyrics borrow from the poetic imagery of the hymns. The startling metaphors drawn here are hard to swallow, yet painfully evocative of our unfaithfulness to God. Possibly the centrepiece of the album is a heart-wrenching rendition of "My Jesus, I Love Thee", using the original tune. It simply has to be heard. The final track is the one that has perhaps touched me the most; "There Is A Fountain Filled With Blood" delicately rewritten by Karl Digerness. Cello and violin join a picked acoustic guitar and time stands still as William Cowper's words remind us, "There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Immanuel's veins/And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains." I cannot recommend this album highly enough. Do yourself a favour and invest in this musical soul food.

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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