I am normally not a fan of worship and praise albums. Too often the songs are cheesy and the sound is sappy. An album like this has a difficult task, it needs to be more than a collection of praise songs, it must create an atmosphere of worship. City on a Hill - Songs of Worship and Praise is an amazing album. Not only does it build an atmosphere of worship, it sets a new standard for Christian worship albums.
By the time I finished listening to the third song on the CD all my preconceived notions and expectations melted away. I could immediately tell this album had one intention: to praise God. City on a Hill producer Steve Hindalong said "[City on a Hill] was truly a community endeavor, reflecting our common desire to live in holy communion with our heavenly Father and with one another--by the unifying miracle of God's Spirit in our midst."
A wide variety of people came together to create this worship album. The artists include Jars of Clay, Sixpence None the Richer, Third Day, FFH, Peter Furler, Gene Eugene, The Choir, Sonicflood, and Caedmon's Call. Unlike some Christian compilations, this album isn't about individual or group talent. Third Day wasn't competing with Caedmon's Call for the best rendition of 'Awesome God.' Instead, the artists combined their talents and abilities to worship the Lord. For example, Leigh Nash of Sixpence and Dan Haseltine of Jars of Clay joined together for a breathtaking performance in 'With Every Breath.' Nearly every song on the album was performed and influenced by a medley of artists, creating that atmosphere of community worship.
This is the best album I have listened to in a long time. The music is beautiful, the songs are inspiring. It cultivates a spirit of worship that is sincere and passionate. City on a Hill is without a doubt, a light on a hill, shining for the whole world to see.
Other coverage for this album
The Phantom Tollbooth 2001Reviewed by James StewartIt's been quite a while since the last installment of our ongoing coverage of worship music releases, so without any ado here's an overview of a dozen or so releases from the latter half of 2000. Sitting somewhere between the recordings mentioned earlier and that last one is City On a Hill. Widely noted as the final project to include work of the late Gene Eugene, the album is in a way a more…The Phantom Tollbooth 2000Reviewed by Trish PattersonYou are the light of the world A city on a hill cannot be hidden Shine your light before all men That they might see your works and then Praise your Father up in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16) Chorus from the title track by Third Day Standing side stage at the Gene Eugene Tribute at Cornerstone 2000, a stranger passed by and handed me a CD. At that moment it was too dark to see, so when I got back to…The Phantom Tollbooth 2000Reviewed by Mike L. EhretLately worship music has become a more recognized genre within the contemporary Christian music market. Everyone is releasing music and putting the "worship" label on it. Some of it is truly worship music and some isn't. Essential Records will soon release (Aug. 22) City on a Hill. Of all of the worship music produced so far this year this project is the finest. From the opening song "God of…The Phantom Tollbooth 2000Reviewed by Michial FarmerCynic that I am, there aren't a large number of worship albums that I enjoy. I tend to see the genre as a whole as opportunistic, and I believe that a lot of bands aren't in it for the right reasons. Even given that, though, I've been looking forward to City on a Hill, the genre's latest effort, for quite some time now. Why? Because Steve Hindalong, drummer/lyricist for The Choir and mastermind…
