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Something for the Soul

£8.00

SKU: 0050 Category:

Description

MP3

 

Track List:

  1. Prelude – The Welcome (House of God)
  2. No Injustice Will Last Forever
  3. Steadfast Love
  4. Nicaraguan Artisan
  5. Something for the Soul
  6. Tell ’em About the Dream Martin
  7. Beautiful Resistance
  8. Wide Open Arms
  9. It’s a Thin Place
  10. Without a Song
  11. You’ll Lead Me Home
  12. The Chapel by the Sea
  13. Bethlehem is Calling
  14. Postlude- The Sending Out (On Holy Ground)

Free download lyrics with chords here

 

Click here to listen to samples 

 

Garth Hewitt’s new album Something for the Soul is fourteen new songs full of energy – songs you go away singing. It’s a place of rest and encouragement for campaigners and activists, a place to draw strength and be renewed. Garth is saying that God’s way is the way of beautiful resistance, non violence, and standing with each other – if you do that you discover God in one another.

 

The level of production is superb, done by Kevin Duncan of GingerDog Records. It was recorded in The Shrubbery Studio at Bury St Edmunds. “It was a great time,” says Garth. “Kevin is both an excellent producer, and an excellent musician. We were joined by a great bunch of musicians, including the tremendous vocalist Beth Rowley, and the three who have joined me on some of my recent gigs.”  Namely Chris Rogers on violin, Paul McDowell on accordion and Pete Banks on backing vocals. Pete was also joined by Abbie Goldberg and Cate Mellor on backing vocals.

 

“Several of the musicians played on Liberty is Near! and that turned out so well that we were keen to involve them again,” adds Garth, commenting, “A lot of happiness seems to have sneaked in as well.”

 

Two and a half of the songs were written out at the Street Child World Cup in Brazil and they provide a prelude and a postlude for the album, which brings prayerful and meditative moments as well as the joyful and powerful songs.

 

This is a warm, friendly album with poignant moments reflecting something of the character of God in songs like ‘Steadfast Love’ and ‘Wide Open Arms’. Garth’s ongoing commitment to justice is reflected in ‘No Injustice Will Last Forever’ and ‘Beautiful Resistance’, both written in Bethlehem. There is also a very powerful track that will be the first single from the album, called ‘Tell ‘em About the Dream Martin’, and this looks back to Martin Luther King’s August 28th 1963 speech and the way in which Mahalia Jackson called on him to go into that very famous passage.

 

Some of the songs are unexpected – Garth’s tribute to Iona called ‘It’s a Thin Place’, or a really different one from Garth called ‘Without a Song’ which affirms the importance of music, and a surprising song called ‘Chapel By the Sea’ which is an affirmation of church and sacred spaces. This links in well with the prelude and postlude on the album, which are songs for church.

 

Wherever you are on your journey this album seems to have something that will speak to you.

 

Review by Cross Rhythms:
Resisting the temptation to wax lyrical about Hewitt being an elder of the Christian music scene, realising some 40 albums and so on, just to say that this is one of the most refreshing things I’ve heard in ages; a tonic for the soul.
Reminiscent of early-Larry Norman and Bob Dylan in the ascendancy, this is quality roots music with intelligent, gospel-focused sentiment all spiced with honesty, humour and dare I say it, soul.
Sonically, it breaks little new ground, but you get the feeling that all those involved with the recording had such a blast, there in the studios in Bury St Edmonds. Hewitt is now a seasoned guitarist and singer-songwriter and is accompanied by an impressive selection of Christian musicians, including Beth Rowley, Pete Banks (of After The Fire) and Paul McDowell, accordionist of The Famous Potatoes and sometimes ‘Prof’ – when performing alongside poet Paul Cookson.
The musicianship is equalled by the quality of the songs, a rich variety of spirituals, protest-songs and anthems. It is difficult to choose a standout, as “No Injustice Will Last Forever”, “Wide Open Arms” and the title-track all jockey, but if I had to pick one, my recommendation is, “Tell ’em About The Dream Martin”, a reflection on Luther King’s famous speech and how the key section of it may never have been uttered, had the gospel singer Mahalia Jackson not shouted to him from nearby.

John Creek

 

Review by Methodist Recorder:

Before Father Christmas there was a singer by the name of Garth Hewitt, or so it might seem. Few artists from the early days, in what was loosely termed the “Jesus Music Domain” remain. So just take this – Hewitt released his first album in 1973, “The Lion and the Lamb”.

Read the rest of this review by Tony Jasper here – SFTS Review Methodist Recorder

 

Meditational film clips with the lyrics for a selection of songs from the album, for use in worship or personal reflection, are being developed and can be found on the video page here

 

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