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Popular worship songwriter Brian Doerksen has 25 live albums on his sheet, but not a single studio worship project. Until the release of "Holy God" on March 6, that is.
Doerksen has wanted to do a studio worship CD for a while, in order to focus on the more subtle elements of his songs. “Holy God” accomplishes this in a big way, offering up an hour and seven minutes, 16 tracks, of nuanced beautifully arranged worship music. “Holy God” marks Doerksen’s fourth partnership with producer Philip Janz, who contributes vocals, percussion, keys and string arrangements, as well as turning in a spotlessly produced project. The album features outstanding guest contributions, a classical choir, sparkling interludes, and the inclusion of a few world instruments just to keep things interesting. The upshot of all this is a project that offers more variety and nuance than we generally find on the Integrity label. A brief classical interlude serves as an invocation before the throbbing strings of “Our Father in Heaven” leads into a rousing Lord’s Prayer. Next up is the chorale introduction to the standout title track, a drum-rich worship song. Its eloquent language and ethereal background vocals lend a deeply reverential air to this powerful track. Things quiet a bit then, moving to the reflective “Song For the Bride,” a whispery rendering of Isaiah 30:15, and “He is Here,” a worshipful duet with Christine Dente. Joseph Williams adds his gritty vocals to the upbeat rocker, “Change Me on the Inside” on another sweet guest spot. “Trinity,” a lovely chorale reprise, is led by Doerksen’s old music teacher, and then it’s off to “Holy, Holy, Holy,” a powerfully arranged rendition, complete with Irish whistles, mouth harp and djembe. Another must-mention is the organic “Triune God,” a song noteworthy for its contrasting elements: the earthy instrumentation beneath the elegant lyrics, the graceful string arrangements and the solid, straightforward percussion. Doerksen’s vocals soar beautifully over the powerful orchestration, and the whole track just zings. One listen to “Holy God” and you’ll wonder why it took him 25 live albums to get into the studio. “Holy God” is one of Integrity’s best offerings, available on March 6th at www.integritymusic.com.
The copyright of the article Brian Doerksen: Holy God in Christian Music is owned by Kevan Breitinger. Permission to republish Brian Doerksen: Holy God in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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