Reviewed by Tony Cummings

This is surely one of the most important worship releases for many a long year. The Colorado-based musicianary defied all the odds to get permission to record and film a worship event and Beijing, China, and not only that took the opportunity to bring on to the platform local musicians playing indigenous instruments never previously heard in a contemporary worship setting. It is those sections of the DVD and CD which are therefore the most fascinating with Tingting playing the yangqin, Cui Yang playing the guzheng and Hong Li playing the hulusi giving the music a haunting, other worldly quality which demands repeated listening. Not that Mr Tedder doesn't have an excellent band himself. He and his fellow musicians sing songs of faith and justice with passion and impressive musicianship while the poetry, read by Britain's Gerard Kelly, fits beautifully. I've no doubt that I'll be watching the DVD many times in coming years. If you've got a bit jaded in your attitude towards worship music, feeling that far too much originates from the Hillsong template, this groundbreaking album will surely re-engage your enthusiasm.

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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