Reviewed by Nick AlexanderNever Too Young is the latest in the series of age-specific songbooks for parishes and schools, as put out by Oregon Catholic Press. This time, instead of focusing on children's ministries (Rise Up and Sing) or teenagers (Spirit & Song), the key demographic is "Tweeners" and Early Adolescents, from 4th to 8th grade. And as is the case for such a tricky demographic, the results have to be a little bit of a mix of both.
The Never Too Young - by Request CD is a "Greatest Hits" collection of these songs, particularly those songs that were written and covered by the pantheon of youth-oriented OCP artists: Jesse Manibusan, Tom Booth, Steve Angrisano, and, of course, Matt Maher. These songs encompass what is perceived to be the very best in OCP's youth-oriented catalog, and unless you have been preoccupied with other musical resources during the last fifteen years, you already know the majority of these songs: "I Will Choose Christ," "Here I Am," "Open My Eyes," "Just Like You" and "Go Make A Difference."
Of the songs that were new to me, I thought Jesse Manibusan's "Holy Spirit, Come Now" was the strongest. It has a simple, repetitious melody (similar to "Open My Eyes") that is at once soothing yet earnest. I could really envision such a song becoming a standard in Confirmation ceremonies across the nation, with the candidates singing in unison as they process down the aisle. Manibusan's vocals are in top form here. (See Jesse talk about and perform "Holy Spirit, Come Now")
Another surprise is Jackie Francois' "My Soul Rejoices"--a new variation of the Magnificat. What I liked about this is its very gentle melody that closes each verse--it's unique and it makes the song stand out. This is the first I have heard of Jackie Francois, and I hope to hear more of her in the future. (see Jackie talk about and perform "My Soul Rejoices")
As for the rest, it's hard to say. Either the songs have already become established youth/young adult standards, (from which there will be no need for me to prod one way or another), or the songs are nice to listen to, but make no effort to convince this listener as to why those particular songs were considered friendly for this age group. In fact, only one song in the collection has children singing at all, and it's the fun dittie, "Jump in the Water" by Sarah Hart. Perfect for a school assembly, or perhaps for a video that a teacher can use as part of a lesson . . . but liturgy? Not likely.
In fact, other than the songs already mentioned, I'm not sure which songs work well for liturgy, or even for an informal praise jam. For example, I listen to "Be Lifted High" and find that its chorus melodically scales downward during the very points that one sings of God being "exalted", "lifted high" and "glorified," cutting against the grain of the song, preventing it from being as effective as it could be. "Fly Like A Bird," while having very lovely God-centric lyrics, cuts away to a chorus that is as generic as it is cliched. And while I recognize that "Here I Am" has become a very popular song amongst youth and young adults, I find that songs that encourage a congregation to sing as with God's voice--those without a specific Biblical reference--can encourage a "me"-centric theology without roots.
My biggest disappointment with this recording is that I didn't get the sense that OCP was trying to convince me that these songs will work for the age group they are marketing to. To do so would require all-new recordings of these same songs, but with youth at the forefront, much like how Christ Music Kids and Mike Harrison's Standin' On the Rock had done. I wish I was more enthusiastic about this project, and perhaps the songbook resources will contain far more age-specific songs, but as I see it, it's repackaging songs that you probably already have.
But then again, if you are just discovering this music for the first time, you may find a lot to build your ministry program upon. Purchase Never Too Young on the OCP website at http://www.ocp.org/products/20759
© Copyright 2008 GrapeVine. Permission to copy or reprint this story must be obtained by writing to susan@gvonline.net. Used by permission.
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