Reviewed by A T Bradford

Nature M'Ndavi comes from a traditional Nigerian music background and now performs on clarinet accompanying his Polish wife Magdalena who sings and plays keyboards. This CD was recorded in their home and contains seven hymns, ranging from "Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence" from the second century, to the modern "God, Who Stretched The Spangled Heavens" (1967). Magdalena Maduaka bravely takes hold of the challenge of bringing a Polish cadence to a second language and often olde-English lyric of the timeless hymns. M'Ndavi provides a rich and mellow clarinet melody line which reverberates with underlying depth of spiritual feeling, very much in keeping with their expressed intent that the hymns reflect the prayers which they often began as. Some of the tracks are lesser known but still packed with an abiding depth of meaning. "Shepherd Of Tender Youth" (c200 AD, translated into English in 1846) opens with Magdalena's sparkling keyboard tones and a heartfelt worshipful feel summed up in the line 'Make our faith strong'. The final track. "Be Thou My Vision' switches vocalist on the final verse to Nigerian M'Ndavi's understated rendition of this ageless classic.

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