Reviewed by Ian Hayter

How could anything directed by Tom Brooks and featuring Ron Kenoly, Abe Laboriel, Alex Acuna, Justo Almario and Chester Thompson not be good? Well, for the first few minutes of this video, filmed at Carpenter's Home Church in Florida before a crowd of 9,000 enthusiastic worshippers, I thought this might be an exception to the rule. I may have been influenced by Tony Cummings' review of the CD (CR29), or perhaps I just wasn't into it. There's no doubt that this is real American showbiz worship - big, brash and brassy. After the short interviews unnecessarily trying to justify the whole exercise, and the first couple of fairly run-of-the-mill songs ("Sing Out", "Joyfully, Joyfully") the processional "God Is So Good", sung in Spanish and English as musicians, dancers and extravagant banners enter the arena, seemed to me to have hit the bottom. But suddenly it all exploded into life! On the CD you can always hear Laboriel enjoying himself - now you can really see it (he dances like your dad at a school disco!). Kenoly's voice suddenly clicks into gear. The horns are notched up a couple of levels, with Almario's magisterial presence taking them into distant realms. Yes, it's all a bit theatrical - but so's a 1662 choral evensong of a Roman Mass, and it doesn't detract from the worship if you're open to it. The dancers (Carman's) and the African Children's Choir are under-used, but don't let that worry you too much: this is high-octane stuff when you have the visuals too - and well worth a watch (even if the closing credit list is longer than most churches' membership lists!).

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.

Interested in reviewing music? Find out more here.