Happy Day (Live Worship London)
Artist:  Tim Hughes
Label:  Survivor
Time:  CD: 12 Tracks / 56 mins
            DVD: As CD + Bonus, ca. 50mins
 
Tim Hughes is definitely in the Premier League of new worship song writers, and underneath the messy cover lurks a good 2-pack mix of recent material and catalogue highlights.
 
CD: The event was recorded at Shepherds Bush Empire with a hand-picked band that included Delirious?’s Stu G on guitar and Nathan Nockels on keys. 
 
Being mainstream worship, there are no surprises like instrumental pieces, hard rock, delicate acoustic sections, world instruments or ambient spells; but it chugs along with solid playing in a worshipful context. Among his better new songs are “Happy Day” and “Everything,” while “God of Justice” makes an important contribution. 
 
Old songs include the very strong “Consuming Fire,” and the love song to God “Beautiful One,” as well as “Here I am to Worship,” where Martin Smith comes on to duet. It is good to see him working as a collaborator – something he has done plenty of on audio, but not so often on video.
 
Hughes has always had a soft spot for hymns, chucking in borrowed lines wholesale, like those about God being ineffable. He rounds off the set with the reverse – his chorus line popped into “When I Survey.”
 
DVD and Extras: On (and from) a stage often saturated in blue, we get to see a lot of what is happening, as a rightly self-effacing Hughes leads his team through an evening of intimacy with God. There are plenty of camera angles, with some nice side-shots of Hughes and Smith duetting.
 
Mike Pilavachi does a talk spot in the set that cements the practical side of worship to the praise element. He connects well and has an easy-going style that fronts some well-thought out and incisive content. There is also a set of ‘Worship Central’ videos, where Hughes talks through the practical side of playing some of these songs.
 
For those who buy few worship releases each year, this has to be way up the priority list, as it also should be for many who lead worship in church, and want to see the hows and whys of playing these particular songs.
 
Derek Walker