Search - Various Artists :: City on a Hill: Sing Alleluia

Well worth the wait - 10 stars!

Soozie4Him | Chicago suburbs | 02/21/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you have heard the first City on a Hill (released in 2000), you don't even have to think twice about buying this CD. The first one really raised the bar of worship albums. As soon as I put the first one in my CD player, I heard "God of Wonders" and it blew me away. I was thrilled to hear that there was going to be a second one - it's here and it's AMAZING! It's great to have such a marvelous collection of artists all working together on this project - Jennifer Knapp, Caedmon's Call, FFH, Third Day, BeBo Norman, Nichole Nordeman, Jars of Clay, and Fernando Ortega (there are probably some I've left out!) - oh, and Phil Keaggy! A Choral Prelude of All Creatures of Our God and King starts this worship experience, followed by the radio hit "Sing Alleluia", sung by Jennifer Knapp and Mac Powell from Third Day. This is a really incredible song that will lead you in your worship of the Lord. It's great to see Fernando Ortega on this album also! He wrote the words to "Our Great God" and sings it with Mac Powell. One of my favorites on the album has to be "The Comforter has Come" by Jars of Clay. Many talented songwriters worked on this album - Nichole Nordeman co-writes "Shine Your Light", which she sings with FFH. FFH fans will love "Hide Me In Your Heart".Jennifer Knapp puts a new spin on the Lord's Prayer in "Hallowed" - a beautiful rendering. Familiar lyrics "The Lord be with you, and also with you" take a beautiful form on Lift Up Your Hearts. The orchestration on this song is simple and beautiful and a chorus of artists sings the responses to celebrant Derald Dougherty. Finishing up this trio of "liturgical" songs is Communion by Phil Keaggy. These songs are just gorgeous!The album ends with All Creatures of Our God and King, sung simply and beautifully, with organ accompaniment. This CD is a must-have! On April 23rd, the creators of City on a Hill are coming out with a new album called God of Wonders, the start of a new series of worship albums. If City on a Hill - Alleluia is any indication, this will be another winner! You might want to check out my reviews of other Christian music an Christian books."

START TO FINISH, YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED!

Soozie4Him | 02/21/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As a rule, when the second in a CD series is better than the first, it's an event as rare as Halley's Comet. Well, Halley has happened. This CD is, from the opening gun to the final buzzer, a classic. There isn't even a mediocre track on this work. Every song is outstanding. Thematically, it takes right up where "City On A Hill" ends -- with "All Creatures Of Our God And King" framing an audio painting composed of great lyrics, solid production, and sensitive vocals. The musical style is basically acoustic, but with tasty variations thrown in to the mix. Every track is so good I cannot pick one out over the others. The musicians and vocalists are all outstanding, and they play together as a team, rather than just doing their own thing as a "contribution" to the CD. The result is outstanding. The addition of Jennifer Knapp, Bebo Norman, Fernando Ortega, Nicole Nordeman, and Phil Keaggy only serve to enhance the quality of the project. From the acoustic drive of "Sing Alleluia" and "Communion" to the quiet passion of "You Are Holy" and "Hallowed" to the anthemic "Our Great God" to the contemplative "The Comforter Has Come" to the Fleetwood Mackish "Shine Your Light" to the choir singing "Lift Up Your Hearts" to the rhythmic "Holy Is Your Name" to the folksy "Marvelous Light" and "Hide Me In Your Heart" to the traditional yet inventive renditions of "All Creatures," you will be captivated, encouraged, intellectually stimulated, and emotionally moved by this project. In a word, it's one of the five best CDs I own; and I would give it more than 5 stars, if I were allowed to. Period."

Amazing, breathtaking, better than the first!

D. Keating | 03/03/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The original City On A Hill CD brought together several of today's top Christian artists to glorify God through their musical gifts, and the results were amazing. It easily became one of the most artistic, creative, and original worship albums ever made. Now the second volume is out, and it proves to be just as good, if not better, than the first! Sing Alleluia features several artists from the original -- Caedmon's Call, Third Day, FFH, The Choir, and Jars of Clay -- and brings in Christian music heavyweights Jennifer Knapp, Nichole Nordeman, Fernando Ortega, Bebo Norman, and guitar legend Phil Keaggy. Like the first record, this one contains many artist collaborations, such as Jennifer Knapp and Third Day's Mac Powell on the title track (What an awesome pairing! It's great to have Miss Knapp around this time), Cliff & Danielle Young of Caedmon's Call and Phil Keaggy on "Communion" (another great pairing; I love both of these artists), and Mac Powell and Fernando Ortega on the power ballad "Our Great God" (definitely the best song on this album...gives me goosebumps every time!). These collaborations give the album the same sense of community that is present on the first. This album also has more of a church feel to it, opening and closing with the traditional church hymn "All Creatures of Our God and King", and ending with songs like Jen Knapp's "Hallowed" (based on the Our Father prayer), "Lift Up Your Hearts" featuring The Choir's Derri Daugherty, and the aforementioned "Communion" which leads directly into the closing hymn. Every song on this album is magnificent; there's not a filler track on the entire cd. Not only that, but all the songs are original; no rehashing of overdone praise and worship songs like most worship CD's have. The songs also flow beautifully together from one to the next to give it a feel of continuity. Forget the guy below who says the songs aren't singable; I think songs like "Sing Alleluia", "Marvelous Light" (which also appears on the first CD, but this time has more lyrics and is sung by Caedmon's Call's Derek Webb with wife Sandra McCracken), "Our Great God", and Nichole Nordeman's beautiful song "You Are Holy" can easily become praise and worship favorites, much like "God of Wonders" did on the first album. But even if you don't find the songs singable, you can't deny the artistic quality that shines through on each song. Overall, this CD is definitely a must-have for anyone who enjoyed the first CD or anyone who just loves worship music that is artistic and original. I'm already looking forward to City On A Hill III! (I would love to see artists like Andrew Peterson, Ginny Owens, Jill Phillips, Waterdeep, and even the return of Sixpence on the next album. If only Rich Mullins were still around...)"