Various Artists

Item: City on a Hill: Sing Alleluia
Author: Marie Asner

City on a Hill: Sing Alleluia

(2002)

Reviewed by Marie Asner

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Label Essential RecordsThe Phantom Tollbooth2002

ccm pop rock worship

In the mood for a worship service at any time? City on a Hill: Sing Alleluia is arranged in the pattern of a service. Various recording artists have put together 13 tracks of music including opening with a church bell and familiar hymn ("All Creatures of Our God and King" with pipe organ), then we go to the start of the service ("Sing Alleluia"), a serious opening ("Holy Is Your Name"), praise ("Our Great God"), the sermon ("The Comforter Has Come", "Shine Your Light," and "Hide Me In Your Heart"), The Lord's Prayer ("Hallowed"), the blessing ("Lift Up Your Hearts"), the Eucharist ("Communion") and benediction (reprisal of "All Creatures" complete with church bell and morning birds).

The songs are contemporary with easy listening appeal. An example is "Sing Alleluia," which inspires the listener to, indeed, sing alleluia, but segues into a phrase of "All creatures of our God and King." Then there is "Our Great God" that goes from major to minor and back with dramatic words, "Bright seraphim in ceaseless flight around your glorious throne." Singers Mac Powell and Fernando Ortega emphasize the fact that all creation "Sing praises to the living God." "Hallowed" is a paraphrase of The Lord's Prayer with the word "hallowed" being sung as a refrain. Communion combines formal lyrics "Now before the cross of Jesus may our hearts be unified" with vocals and pipe organ for a completion of the service, "in His mercy, justified us."

"Shine Your Light," for which the album is named, entreats the listener to go forth and tell the good news "why you're tryin' to keep it for your own/go and bring them water from a different well runnin' with your candle into blackest night." Vocalist Nichole Nordeman's enthusiastic delivery is a highlight of the CD. Communion, as in a sanctuary with the Eucharist being the high point of the service, is the longest track with a refrain of "Let us break the bread of life together take the cup of salvation." Here, vocalists Cliff Young, Danielle Young and Phil Keaggy gain momentum until we hear the prophetic words, "Now before the cross of Jesus may our hearts be unified."

Instrumentation is varied including bass, guitar, the Nashville String Machine, cello, drums, glockenspiel, acoustic guitar and woodwinds. There is a nice touch on several of the selections that bridge contemporary and traditional. The song will be in an easy listening, contemporary style, but the very end phrase is of a traditional hymn. Examples are "You Are Holy (Be Thou My Vision)" and "Our Great God (Doxology)." What particularly pleases me is the use of a pipe organ and church bell on a CD that clearly identifies them as such. Therefore, you are actually hearing the pipe organ at West End United Methodist Church and church bell at Saint Bartholomew's Episcopal Church, both in Nashville, TN. This CD is the proverbial breath of fresh air. Arranging the songs in the pattern of a church service brings us full circle from formal hymn to worship and praise to the completion of a rite and the realization that life begins anew and will continue.