Reviewed by Alan & Angeline Chesters

'In January 1997 over 2000 students spent four radical days in worship, prayer and study in Austin, Teaxas, seeking a God-centred way of living and renewed passion for Jesus Christ. In 1998 that number grew to over 5000. With Passion '99 participation more than doubled to 11,500 as a wave of students descended on Fort Worth, Texas, from across the nation and around the world.' This album, recorded at Passion '99, I would suggest is one of the best live worship albums ever, capturing 65 minutes of the excitement and enthusiasm of full tilt worship. The Passion Band worship leader is Charlie Hall, whose own 'Freedom Song' opens this album. Two more singers/songwriters are featured - Jami Smith ('To Speak Your Name') and Chris Tomlin ('Be Glorified'). Nathan Nockels and Christy Nockels (who have debuted as Watermark on Michael W Smith's Rocketown Records) have strong roles on the album, Christy as a vocalist and Nathan with keyboard/vocal but also doing a superb job of the vocal and band arrangements. The most obvious thing to say about this album is that there is a strong influence from British songwriters. Soul Survivor has found it's way to Texas with three Matt Redman songs and a Martin Smith song ('I've Found Jesus') but the students also respond to an arrangement of Graham Kendrick's, 'Knowing You' (as well as David Ruis' 'I Will Give You All My Worship'). The Matt Redman title track and Michael W Smith's 'Angus Dei'are justifiably long tracks before the final song, Matt Redman's 'Heart Of Worship'. Another move that works well is the use of a string arrangement on Matt Redman's 'Let Everything That Has Breath'. 'The Passion movement continues toward OneDay 2000, an historic outdoor gathering in May 2000 unlike any this collegiate generation has ever seen.'

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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