Reviewed by Dave Brassington

The gospel crooner has, of course, been a favourite of the Billy Graham crusades since the late 1940s. A big man in all respects with a strong clear baritone voice, he will be remembered by millions who have attended these crusades. This DVD is basically an interview between Bill Gaither and George Beverly Shea, who at 98 is astonishingly lucid and warm. George outlines how he came to join the very young Billy Graham and travel the world with him and become famous for those deep baritone vocals. Whilst he is not a prolific songwriter, the half a dozen or so songs associated with him are all on the DVD by clips taken from various crusades. "I'd Rather Have Jesus" is George's classic and is widely recorded in many genres of music though "How Great Thou Art" is another oldie long associated with the crusades. In this interview George recounts how the song was passed to him in Oxford Street, London and taken back to America and first performed in a New York crusade. There is also a fascinating insight into how "It Is No Secret" came to be written. With a running time of 85 minutes, the DVD represents very good value for money and will be enjoyed both by Graham nostalgists and those fascinated by evangelical church history.

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