Reviewed by Doug Holland

Variety is the watchword with this collection of classic and modern hymns. '50 Golden Songs And Hymns' contains something, one imagines, for just about every ear and preference. Timeless favourites rub shoulders with newcomers to the church repertoire, complete with electric guitars and drums, and the result is a joy from beginning to end. For traditionalists, the time-served hymns are without the towering church organ sound but they are handled with sensitivity and reverence and retain easily their gravitas. A wide range of leaders, choirs, musicians and settings contribute to the offering (the 50 tracks provide three and a half hours of music) and while there is no obvious plan to the order of tracks, other than to mix up and integrate the new and the old, the sheer quality of the compositions and the performances makes an end-to-end listen no hardship whatsoever.

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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Don’t be confused by the word ‘golden’; these songs might have age on their side but this is no compilation to slow down to.

Featuring a half-century of songs and hymns that have stood the test of time, this is one of the strongest compilations ever. From How Great Thou Art to Be Thou My Vision, You Laid Aside Your Majesty to Father God I Wonder, Thank You For Saving Me to Faithful One, every song is a classic waiting to be rediscovered.