Reviewed by Owen Chamberlain

'Top 50 Hymns', from Maranatha Music, is as the name suggests, 50 well-known hymns, arranged for choir and a variety of different ensembles. With a fair quality of production, the album epitomises traditional hymnal worship, and to a certain extent captures the lyrical power that some older hymns hold. The song arrangements vary, from a tasteful rendition of "Sweet Hour Of Prayer", through to a cliché and fairly overdone "Holy, Holy, Holy". Being a 3 disc selection, there are some oddities that don't sit with the rest of the traditional feel; a good example of this is "The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power". Sandwiched between two organ-driven tracks, out of the blue comes a swing, crooned number with synthy horns and strings. This means that broken down, 'Top 50 Hymns' could be recommended for certain occasions. However, the random nature of this compilation drags down the square rating.

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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