We Have Freedom
Revelation Music

The inspirational power of music and lyrics created by our songwriting men and women is a God-given gift to us all and I am grateful each Sunday for the talents they have.

This CD – made by Adelaide-based Revelation Music and distributed by Emu Music – seeks to guide people to give praise to the Lord, with words inspired by Scripture, the life of Christ and our dependence on him. Playing the music at home or in the car will provide you with good teaching, encouragement in faith and tunes to sing.

The standout track on the album, for me, is “Children of his Grace”, co-written by Greg Cooper, Jamie Seyfang, Nathan Tasker and Luke Woodhouse. Its country rock-pop groove engages you from the opening bars while the snappy lyrics, simple harmonies and melodic sweetness are instantly appealing.

I found myself singing along with the opening track “Christ is Victor” (by Mike Begbie and Greg Cooper) at the second listen and “Our Only Confidence” (written by Adelaide band Men in Boats) has a cool, light rock style that would work well in contemporary services.

However, unlike most releases through Emu, there are not as many among the 10 songs that would be a natural fit for church singing, although most would be excellent as church or event items, or useful in times of reflection. A good music director can always tweak arrangements for church – although, of course, many churches don’t have that luxury.

Mark Peterson fans will be happy to hear he has written or co-written half the songs on the CD, with the strongest of these being the gentle “Safe in the Arms” and upbeat “One Word Resounding”, co-written with Jamie Seyfang and Luke Woodhouse.

I guess it now becomes the job of the singing and listening public, in their different parish contexts, to decide which of these songs will jump onto the playlists at our churches.