Graham Kendrick - Banquet
Artist:
Title:
Banquet
Type:
Album
Released:
26 Apr 2011 (US), 18 Apr 2011 (UK)
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Review
Where do you start when you are talking about a man who has just released his 30th album? That's right Banquet is album number thirty from the legend that is Graham Kendrick. The majority of you will know Graham for his well known songs Shine Jesus Shines, Meekness and Majesty and The Servant King which have been sung for many a year in churches and at festivals and are still being sung today.
I think I'm still staggered at the fact that this is Graham's 30th album, for anybody to be still writing and recording songs that long shows what a...
Read More Where do you start when you are talking about a man who has just released his 30th album? That's right Banquet is album number thirty from the legend that is Graham Kendrick. The majority of you will know Graham for his well known songs Shine Jesus Shines, Meekness and Majesty and The Servant King which have been sung for many a year in churches and at festivals and are still being sung today.
I think I'm still staggered at the fact that this is Graham's 30th album, for anybody to be still writing and recording songs that long shows what a great gift and talent they must have. Graham's first album was released back in 1971 and was called Footsteps on the Sea. He has been releasing albums nearly every year since, including his release last year of his live acoustic album The Acoustic Gospels. Now with the release of his latest album Banquet what can we expect?
Well, in reality the same quality music as always from Graham who is great at writing songs that are of a soft rock style, so don't expect this to sound like a dance album! Graham's strongest quality as a songwriter is that he is an expansive wordsmith and lyricist, he seems to be able to write powerful poetic words again and again in a fresh way.
Title track Banquet is one of the strongest songs on the album, with a Celtic feel to the music, with Graham using some creative instruments to add depth to the song, which is about communion, with lyrics of "come and taste and see, come all and behold". It's a truly standout song.
Another stand out of the album is the co-written song with Simon Brading and Nathan Fellingham. Have You Heard is one of those songs that challenges unbelief. The album is full of different themes which the album explores, there are songs like Stand Up which is about justice, then there is a song about Jesus' resurrection, Risen which is a great Easter song. Graham has taken time to explore each theme and of course, you wouldn't expect anything less, he poetically sings about each subject with tender love and passion.
Without stating the obvious and being predictable, Graham has again recorded another breathtaking set of songs that I'm sure will be used by the church in times of worship. Banquet is as good as anything Graham has written and recorded before, a great soft rock/celtic/folk acoustic album, with creativity in the music that adds an even greater depth to these twelve songs.
Review by Jono Davies
LTTM Rating 4.5 out of 5 Stars
Standout Tracks
Have You Heard
Stand Up Master
Banquet Articles
Prolific British songwriter and worship leader Graham Kendrick has now released his new studio album. 'Banquet', his thirtieth album, is available now from the US iTunes and UK iTunes stores. The twelve song album, recorded in…
One of the UK's most prolific writers of modern worship music, Graham Kendrick, returns with a brand new album titled 'Banquet', released on 18th April 2011. The twelve song album, recorded in Nashville and Atlanta with Nathan…