Every season we put together a mix of the songs we are listening to at the minute, some brand new and some not so much, and a combo of genres and styles. But if you’re on the hunt for something in particular, maybe you don’t want to sift through the whole playlist…
On the surface.. These two men have written some (underated IMO) crackers over the last few years. Some you may be aware of like ‘His mercy is More’ and ‘Christ the sure and steady anchor’, others maybe not so much. This album redoes some of the best, in new arrangements,…
This is the second in a short series of posts looking at the task of choosing songs for Sunday services. The aim in this series is to provide a model for music leaders, pastors and others involved in selecting the songs you sing. In part one, we saw how singing is…
On the surface.. Cityalight manage to walk the line between the Getty-ish hymns style that my parents love, and a more contemporary feel that appeals to the younger generation too. This is a great EP, uplifting, strong vocals and a good mix of upbeat and thoughtful. It covers a range…
On the surface.. The temptation is to be too gushing about this album, because it is quite possibly the best songs-for-church album I've heard in a long time. Strong melodies, awesome words, and a really well produced album. It focusses on the ideas of endurance in hard times, dwelling on…
Sometimes its helpful to think a little deeper about the hymns and songs that we sing. So we asked Daniel Johnson to give us some historical and theological background to this Isaac Watts classic that has been recently adapted by the Gettys. We hope you find this interesting and helpful.…
Recently we emailed a number of music directors around the UK and asked what songs they had been teaching over the last few months in their churches. We hope the list below and the Spotify playlist will give you some inspiration in the coming weeks and months. Obviously with lists…
Amps Does the quality of Amp really matter that much? so long as it makes my guitar go louder it'll be fine, right? The guitar Amp is probably the most fundamental part of your sound. It doesn't matter how expensive your guitar or effects pedals are, if you're amp is…
Welcome back to our brief(ish) four-part trawl through the murky waters of art theology. We began, effectively, by asking the question: “How do we answer when we’re asked to justify art?” This demand for justification is something that artists are familiar with. It might come from parents: “Don’t you…
Looking at Crutches (continued) Since we started the last two posts with a quote from a composer, I thought this time we would begin with a painter. Unfortunately I began my search amongst the sayings of Salvador Dali, and I’m still trying to recover. So instead, here’s a little…
The Way Things Are “I always said God was against art and I still believe it. Anything obscene or trivial is blessed in this world and has a reward – I ask for no reward – only to live and to hear my work.” Such were Edward Elgar’s words…
It’s the thing you wouldn’t ever want the Lord to say to your musicians…. 23 Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. 24 But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream! (Amos 5:23-24). What if,…