STYLE: Classical RATING OUR PRODUCT CODE: 173791-27858 LABEL: Decca FORMAT: CD Album ITEMS: 1 RELEASE DATE: 2018-11-30
Reviewed by Steven Whitehead
While we have classified this album under 'Classical' because of Katherine Jenkins' status as a classical soprano it probably belongs under 'Crossover' containing as it does hymns, spirituals and some unexpected treats. We get a double helping of "Morning Has Broken" with an enjoyable solo effort and an outstanding duet with another Welsh star, Sir Bryn Terfel. Also from the mainstream of Christian music are John Rutter's "A Gaelic Blessing", the popular hymns "Eternal Father, Strong To Save" and "Nearer My God To Thee" and new arrangements by Katherine and her producer Patrick Hamilton of "Make Me A Channel Of Your Peace" and "Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing". In this category I must mention "Dros Gymru'un Gwlad" (take that, spellchecker!), a poem by Lewis Valentine sung to Sibelius's "Finlandia" which in my hymnbook is "Be Still My Soul" and which here sounds lovely but I have no idea what it means. Moving to other spiritual songs that have a message without being explicitly Christian we have "Homeward Bound" by Marta Keen and Jay Althouse (and so a different home than the one Simon and Garfunkel sang about), Jenn Bostic's "Jealous Of The Angels" and "To Where You Are" by Richard Marx and Linda Thompson and previously recorded by Josh Groban. All make for a pleasant listen but none stick long in the memory, especially when compared to the highlights which are, for me, "Never Enough" as sung by Jenny Lind in The Greatest Showman, Thomas A Dorsey's gospel classic "Peace In The Valley" and - the biggest surprise of all - a beautiful take on Stormzy's "Blinded By Your Grace" that should not work but does. It reminds me somewhat of Bob Chilcott's choral arrangement of U2's "MLK" that sounds implausible until you hear it. What Katherine Jenkins' middle of the road admirers will make of this I don't know but this listener loved it.
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