Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. How Great Thou Art - Aled Jones
2. Dear Lord And Father Of Mankind - Aled Jones
3. The Day Thou Gavest, Lord, Is Ended - King's College Choir
4. Be Still, For The Presence Of The Lord - Aled Jones
5. What A Friend We Have In Jesus - Scottish Festival Singers
6. Love Divine, All Loves Excelling - King's College
7. On A Hill (The Old Rugged Cross) - Scottish Festival Singers
8. Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehova! - Bryn Terfel
9. All Things Bright And Beautiful - The Choir Of Paisley Abbey
10. Abide With Me - Bryn Terfel
11. Jerusalem - Winchester Cathedral Choir
12. Be Thou My Vision - The Choir Of Paisley Abbey
13. When I Survey The Wondrous Cross - King's College Choir
14. Lord, The Light Of Your Love Is Shining (Shine, Jesus, Shine) - Scottish Festival Singers
15. Praise My Soul, The Kings Of Heaven - King's College Choir
16. Praise To The Holiest In The Height - King's College Choir
17. Onward, Christian Soldiers - Huddersfield Choral Society
18. The Lord's My Shepherd - Huddersfield Choral Society
19. Lead Us, Heavenly Father, Lead Us - Winchester Cathedral Choir
20. All People That On Earth Do Dwell - The Mccarthy Singers
21. All Through The Night - Aled Jones
22. Immortal, Invisible - St Johns College, Cambridge
23. Mine Eyes Have Seen The Glory (The Battle Hymn Of The Republic) - Mormon Tabernacle

Disc 2:

1. Luciano Pavarotti - Ave Maria
2. Bryn Terfel - Amazing Grace
3. Andrea Bocelli - Panis Angelicus
4. Aled Jones - Deep Peace
5. Katherine Jenkins - The Lord Is My Shepherd
6. Russell Watson - You Raise Me Up
7. Hayley Westenra - Benedictus
8. Lesley Garrett - Simple Gifts
9. Anthony Way - O For The Wings Of A Dove
10. Kiri Te Kanawa - Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring
11. Domingo & Sissel - Ave Maria
12. Harry Secombe - The Holy City
13. Russell Watson - I'll Walk With God
14. James Galway - Pie Jesu
15. Libera - Sanctus
16. Cliff Richard - Faithful One
17. Daniel O'Donnell - Make Me A Channel Of Your Peace
18. Cat Stevens - Morning Has Broken
19. Songs Of Praise - The Theme Tune

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2195 in Music
• Released on: 2005-05-16
• Number of discs: 2
• Format: Box set
• Running time: 148 minutes

Album Description
The 2CD The Songs of Praise Album is an inspiring collection of sacred songs, arias and hymns, brought together for the first time in conjunction with the BBC's long-running Sunday-evening Songs of Praise programme. CD1 features 23 of the world's most popular hymns, old and new, performed by some of the greatest choirs in the land and drawn from Songs of Praise's most recent "Nation's Favourite Hymns" poll. CD2 features some of the world's most popular artists performing favourite sacred and spiritual music. From the passion and power of Andrea Bocelli, through to the touching simplicity of Cat Stevens, the familiar tones of Aled Jones and the smooth, sublime croon of Bryn Terfel.

Customer Reviews

A very mixed bag
The first CD includes the top entries in a poll to find the nation's favourite hymns. Most are, perhaps surprisingly, wonderful. Great performances for the most part of hymns that have largely served us well and are deservedly still popular. A pity about "All things bright and beautiful" though. A great rendition might just be possible(perhaps in some parallel universe) but this, with its Listen with Mother tone, is one to skip.

CD 2- sacred songs and arias - is more unpredictable. Your view of it will perhaps depend on your tolerance of Lesley Garrett, Russell Watson etc. The worst aspect,though, is that the Cliff Richard song is not "Faithful One" as indicated, but a pop song with absolutely no Christian content, with inane lyrics and a horrible over the top production. Inexcusable of the BBC and the record label putting this out -it demonstrates a cynical disregard for the Songs of Praise audience.

The album is almost worth the total price of admission,though, for the powerful performance of "Abide with Me" from Bryn Terfel accompanied on guitar by the inimitable Martin Simpson at his most sensitive and delicate.Having heard this I immediately ordered Martin Simpson's very fine album of gospel arrangements "A Closer Walk With Thee" -highly recommended.

Very Disappointing
After looking forward to receiving and listening to this album I have to say that I was extremely dissapointed. I had been expecting to enjoy some of the most wonderful singing from the choirs and congregations as experienced on the television programme of the same name.
Unfortunately most of the songs on CD1 seemed to be performed by some small very lacklustre choirs and were made very much worse by the decision to use the "alternative" version or piece of music.
Love Divine, all loves Excelling one of my all time favourite hymns was treated in this way. This totally ruined my whole listening experience. (Why do some music arrangers feel they have to play around with such beautiful songs)
Aled Jones was the only saving grace on CD1 and I didn't even bother with CD2 as I knew that the chances of me ever listening to this again were next to zero.
Disappointing? Definetly!

the songs of praise album
lovely album lovely songs shame that the cliff richard track is titled faithful one when the actual track is cliff singing somethings going on title track from his latest album but never mind - still very enjoyable