Reviewed by Tom Lennie

A compilation of 10 glorious hymns focusing on Christ's redeeming sacrifice on Calvary. Several of these songs are well-known favourites sung in a plethora of churches across the land and often heard on the likes of Songs Of Praise. Thus, "When I Survey", '"To God Be The Glory" and "Amazing Grace". Others are lesser-heard beauties. "Here Is Love" is part-sung in English, part in Welsh. "Joy To The World" - often regarded as a Christmas song - is given delightful upbeat treatment, while "Mine Eyes Have Seen The Glory", once highly popular, is a now rare hymn of spiritual triumph, all five verses victoriously rendered here to great effect. What isn't clear from the cover is that these are not contemporary arrangements - all come in traditional choral form, with organ backing. Not that they're any less effective because of that, I hasten to add. On the contrary, they're sung with great sensitivity and spine-tingling beauty. The other little niggle is that we're not told what choir is singing each hymn (though it's clear the line-up varies from track to track). We are, however, given the composers names, and the present arranger. Such shoddy packaging means that I'll lop a square off the rating.

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