Twila Paris is no stranger to church music, having composed her share of choruses and modern hymns in her storied career in Christian music. Neither is she new to the now-ubiquitous worship "scene," boasting a track record and repertoire that, though not necessarily "worship" in its entirety, far outlives most of today's hyperactive worship hopefuls. After her tenure with Sparrow Records and a brief hiatus, it only made sense that the singer partnered with church music pioneer Integrity Music in 2005 for her first live worship album, He Is Exalted: Live Worship.
In more ways than one, it feels like she's coming full-circle here. Similar to when Michael W. Smith recorded his hugely popular Worship albums, Paris sounds comfortable leading her audience in congregational singing, as if she was meant to do this all along. Like Smith, the production, too, is quite large and upbeat from the get-go, though it's never grand and overly dramatic. There is, however, plenty of big drums, a pristine pop/rock foundation, and a vociferous choir roaring their way through the set, which is comprised of eight new Paris originals, covers of "We All Bow Down" and "Days Of Elijah," and brimming reinterpretations of Paris classics "He Is Exalted" and "God Is In Control."
Interestingly, she is good at funneling the songs and presenting them as if this were a true church service, from driving opener "Lifted Higher" to the richly arranged "Messiah" and the reverent "Holy."
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pretty good !| Posted November 07, 2008
twila paris is a classic christian artist, she has been around for a long time, and she is well known in the contemporary christian music world. She is a great singer with a heart for God
"Small Sacrifice"| Posted May 27, 2008
Following two worship CDs and a brief stint with Integrity Records, Twila Paris released a new batch of songs in December 2007. "Small Sacrifice" is being released exclusively to Lifeway Christian Stores (and can also be purchased at www.twilaparis.com). The CD represents a definite departure from Twila's work in this decade. Although the CD includes a couple of worshipful tracks, "Small Sacrifice" represents a return to adult contemporary for Twila. The musical backdrop is a bit more alternative than some of her prior efforts, including unique percussion, piano and guitar arrangements. In many ways, "Small Sacrifice" echoes the musical landscape of "Cry For the Desert," the CD that represented the beginning of Twila's metamorphasis in the 1990s. "Live to Praise" has been picked up by a few stations, but "I Can Do All Things" is the real highlight of the project. The lyrics are immediately accessible and the musical backdrop is reminiscent of Twila's glory days. Other album highlights include "There is a Plan," which resembles "Set Me Free" by Casting Crowns and "You Are a Great God," a simple but timeless worship anthem. If you've missed the days when Twila Paris was churning out the hits, I'd encourage you to visit www.twilaparis.com.
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