Beating Time
DO SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL
By Graham Kendrick
When seeing Graham Kendrick on his recent cathedral tour I was reminded of just how many classic worship songs he has penned over the years.
And despite all the gags (e.g. 'This is just another Graham Kendrick song...'), it goes to the tune of 'Jesus put this song into our hearts', if you didn't know), many of them are really good, challenging and encouraging. Of course, there is often a vast gap between what Kendrick can do with his songs in a concert and what congregations around the world can manage in terms of musicality. They, perhaps, are two of the questions that spring to mind when reviewing a Kendrick CD: are any of them going to make it big, and can we sing it?
'Do Something Beautiful' is a mixed bag. Some of the tracks seem to wend past the ears without a single hook, some were instantly brilliant, some came into their own after a few listens. This is actually a good thing. If all the songs were fantastic, I think we would feel overwhelmed with new songs to learn. As it is, the average churchgoer will probably come into contact with between one and three in the next year, and be able to learn and appreciate them.
The title track 'Do Something Beautiful', which was chosen as the 2003 Spring Harvest 25th Anniversary soundtrack, is all about putting Jesus's love into practice: 'Go do something Jesus would, do something beautiful'. It reminds us of our identity as the church - a shining light, the salt of the earth. Some may find it too cheesy, but if you can see past that, it is really encouraging. Kendrick's new version of 'O, for a thousand tongues to sing' may be a difficult feat for congregations, with its Latin-influenced rhythms, but as a track to listen to, it really captures the joy and excitement of the classic hymn. His setting of Psalm 100 ('Make a joyful noise'), similarly captures the joy of worshipping our God: 'How good it is to be loved by Him!'
The best track on the album for me is: 'There is hope so sure ...', where Kendrick duets with Darlene ('My Jesus, My Saviour') Zchesch. Based around Colossians 1.27 and Galatians 2.20, with its refrain 'And the life that I now live no longer is my own, Jesus lives in me, the hope of glory', it speaks of our hope in Christ, for now and for the future. I look forward to singing this with my brothers and sisters in the Lord, being encouraged and blessed by the reminder of God's amazing promises to us.
I also have to say that Graham Kendrick is worth seeing in concert, and the 'Do Something Beautiful' tour is running from May 29 to June 16. To find out more, have a butchers at www.grahamkendrick.co.uk
Carruthers
