Reviewed by Stella Redburn

CD one in this triple box set offers 17 hymns that are popular at weddings and evergreens like "Dear Lord And Father Of Mankind", "Praise My Soul The King Of Heaven" and "All Things Bright And Beautiful" are indeed timeless. Unfortunately, the choirs/congregations here are uncredited though many of the arrangements are by the talented Jackie Williams. Disc two offers a selection of contemporary worship songs. Some choices are inspired, like Tim Hughes "Beautiful One", Brenton Brown's "Everlasting God" and the modern classic "In Christ Alone". There are also some not so well-known songs here and I'm not sure why they are on this wedding album. Would you really spring these on your unsuspecting relatives in the service? Same goes for the handful of traditional hymn words presented here with new tunes. Disc three is entirely instrumental. A selection of worship songs and hymns beautifully arranged for a small band, with the feel predominantly reflective and Celtic, featuring soaring melodies elegantly played on pan pipes, Irish whistles, cello, etc. "Be Thou My Vision", being an Irish tune, works particularly well, and I loved Kendrick's "Amazing Love" (wrong lyrics and credits given, though). Despite the shoddy packaging, this is still a useful purchase for the anyone planning a wedding.

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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50 Wedding Songs does what it says on the tin: bringing together a brilliant collection of modern worship classics, and older standout hymns that work wonders in wedding services, receptions and celebrations.

With 3 CDs, the first CD offers up Traditional Hymns, while the second CD is made up of contemporary songs and the third CD contains instrumental tracks. These songs have all been carefully selected to help share the Christian message in a powerful, accessible way. Songs include Matt Redman’s The Father’s Song, Stuart Townend’s In Christ Alone, Michelle Tumes’ version of Beautiful One, Brenton Brown’s Everlasting God and Marc James and Adreanna Tait covering I Can Only Imagine.