Reviewed by Chris Tozer

A trip to Zimbabwe inspired members of Morden Baptist Church in south London to release this, their first ever worship album. A group from the Church visited poverty-stricken areas of the country in July 2005 to perform in a series of rock worship concerts. Back in Britain they sought to raise funds to support the people they had met in Africa and hit upon the idea of releasing a CD that would faithfully capture the worship music played at their Church. The album was recorded at Crown Lane studios in Morden town centre and all proceeds of its sales will go towards educating children in Zimbabwe. The 11 tracks include traditional hymns such as "My Song Is Love Unknown" as well modern songs like Matt Redman's "When The Music Fades" and Nathan Fellingham's "Awake, Awake O Zion". Those facts aside this is a rather unusual and esoteric collection of recordings that reflect the creative interests of the church's musicians. The opening track, for example, features a piano instrumental arrangement of the classic hymn "Holy, Holy, Holy" where the strings inside the baby grand are plucked as a contrast to the more conventional tinkling of the ivories. I can only guess the intent of the arranger Phil Merriman was to produce a recording in keeping with some of the traditional instruments likely to be found in southern Africa. The arrangement may seem off the wall but it certainly has its charm. There's also charm a plenty on the final track - a spirited rendition of an African worship song entitled "Bambalela" complete with an enthusiastic horn section. Morden Baptist Church is clearly blessed with some fine musicians, so if you're looking for an unusual, albeit homespun, worship album to point your thoughts heavenward then look no further - and help some African kids into the bargain.

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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