Reviewed by Lins Honeyman

Although the market place is awash with easy listening instrumental collections of popular hymns and choruses, this particular instalment of the Ultimate Hymns series manages to stand out from the crowd. Whilst still suited to being the kind of background music you would mostly find in Christian bookshops, the generous 20 tracks contained here successfully manage to steer clear of muzak territory largely thanks to the skill and performance of those involved. For instance, British classical guitarist John Gerighty simply shines in tracks such as the haunting "O Sacred Head" and "Lead Us, Heavenly Father Lead Us" whilst Nashville guitar man Mark Baldwin takes the spotlight in "People Look East" and "That Beautiful Name". The inclusion of the Morning Gate Orchestra and the David Shelley Ensemble ensure proceedings aren't too over-synthesised and, despite worn out hymns such as "Majesty", the title track and "Blessed Assurance" sounding somewhat cheap and workmanlike, this is an above average release that raises the bar for other exponents of its genre.

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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