Reviewed by Tom Lennie

Another in the flood of three-CD worship box sets currently pouring onto the Christian market - only this time it's a purely instrumental collection. Not that that makes it unique - there are other similar products available, and just earlier in the year Kingsway released a '100 Favourite Instrumental Worship Songs' compilation. Here they've narrowed that down to a mere 50 tunes. Here we have renditions of many renowned hymns ("Amazing Grace", "O Love That Will Not Let Me Go", "Jesus Loves Me", "The Old Rugged Cross", etc) along with versions of contemporary worship favourites from the last few decades. These inspirational melodies are delivered variously on such instruments as piano, panpipes, violin, electric guitar, cello and flute. Occasionally we get fuller orchestral arrangements, as with "As We Are Gathered". And well-played they are - though we're not told by whom, and I can't say they're always the finest vocal-less versions of these popular pieces that I've heard. But I did enjoy seeing how quickly I could guess what song was being played - there were just a few that I didn't already know. To be honest, it's not an album I'd want to sit and listen to - but might fit well with, eg, having on in the background when friends come to visit.

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From harp to guitar, cello to flute, panpipe to piano, 50 Golden Instrumental Worship Songs and Hymns is an album that delights the ears, with fifty songs spread across three CDs.

All the classics are there, from violins offering up Amazing Grace and When I Survey, to panpipes praising The Old Rugged Cross and a storming celtic pipe version of Be Thou My Vision. Modern worship classics are just as well represented, with Shine Jesus Shine (flute and harp), All Heaven Declares (cello) and Lord You Have My Heart (flute and guitar).