The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir

The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir is quite possibly the most recognizable choir on the planet. Their powerful and uplifting live performances have been wowing audiences since before I was born, no matter how in or out of fashion the style of music (or it’s message) was. The renowned choir has returned with a live offering entitled I’ll Say Yes, something I’ll say as well if the question is, “Should I buy this album?”

The finest moment on an album like this is the beginning. Those first moments, when all the voices come together to create one voice, are always the most striking ones. The massiveness, the power, the intricate teamwork, it sounds so perfect and peaceful yet it’s something that has been worked insanely hard at. “Holy is The Lord” and “O How I Love the Name” are those moments on I’ll Say Yes. There is something inexplicably awe inspiring about hearing a choir sing “O how I love your name Lord Jesus” over and over. They set the bar high and the rest of the album, although wonderful, has a hard time reaching those heights again.

While I love the choir, I found this album to have a few progressive, yet odd, choices. The Caribbean inspired “We Fill the Sanctuary” is enjoyable but not nearly as memorable as many of the other songs. The more solo oriented songs, namely “Spirit Fall Down” and “I Never Lost My Praise,” manage to hold their own but also fail to shine like the fully choir driven songs. It feels like the choir is trying to branch out a little through these songs and that they do. It tends to leave a short changed feeling though because you know what is possible when the entire choir races straightforward.

Let’s not dwell on the mediocre though because there’s plenty of above par moments to consider. The gentle title track is s soft concession to the Lord’s will that will stir your soul and encourage you to continue on the right path, to continue doing good. The old time gospel of “Hallelujah to the King” and “I Adore You” are wonderful moments of congregational praise, while the gentle touch of “Worthy is the Lamb” gently wraps the album up, leaving you feeling like you have finished a peaceful journey.

While this is not exactly The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir’s crowning achievement, it is a testament to the high standards and the forward thinking effort that the group always puts into their releases. Even with a few bumps in the road I’ll Say Yes is a solid offering from this legendary group.

Does it Resonate with you?

Name (required)

Email (will not be published) (required)

URL