Reviewed by Anthony Longville

"Hallelujaaaaaah!!! Are you ready to praise the Lord?" Terry MacAlmon thunders at the beginning of this CD, setting the tone for much of what is to follow. This is MacAlmon's seventh live worship recording, recorded at the Pikes Peak Worship festivals of 2005 and 2006. MacAlmon is, of course, a popular worship leader thanks to his wide exposure on Christian TV. He is a musician of some pedigree, playing with all the flourish of a concert pianist. He is backed by musicians who lend an orchestral feel to the whole thing, supported by a cast of 1500 worshipers, clearly caught up in this worship event. Having noted that, I must observe that, for me, Terry's voice is melodramatic. He's almost off in to the stratosphere with Pavarotti at the end of "'Prepare The Way". He shouts. He whispers. Perceptively he comments that "some songs are new, some are old, and a few are somewhere in between." Self-penned songs sit alongside tracks such as "Jesus, Name Above All Names" and Chris Tomlin's "How Great Is Our God". If you like your worship quiet and reflective, or are prone to headaches for that matter, avoid this album. At times I can't help thinking that MacAlmon is under the impression that the Omniscient, Omnipresent, Omnipotent God is a little hard of hearing! Alarmingly, MacAlmon describes the Festival as "a worship fantasy land that drips with the presence of the Most High." Pardon me, but what on earth have the words worship and fantasy got to do with each other? Oh for a world where worship and the realities of life collide.

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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