Craig Colson

The Psalms voice to our deepest aspirations and feelings. More than poetry, they''re song texts -- made for singing! In Fill Us with Your Love, Craig and Kristen Colson offer 16 vibrant new contemporary settings of these incomparable texts.

Much-needed singable, upbeat psalm settings
Full-time music ministers, they recognized a need for good, singable, upbeat settings for use in the liturgy. For contemporary ensembles and liturgies with young people, there just aren''t many alternatives to the familiar chant settings. Covering 15 common psalms and a canticle from Daniel, this collection fills that need perfectly.

Verbatim texts from the Lectionary
Of course, for the Mass, the texts need to be verbatim from the revised Lectionary. This is just one of many things that set this collection apart: the verses and responses are verbatim, not paraphrased. Simple in structure, joyous, and suited for both small and large choirs, these are must-have tools for today''s church musicians.

Well-produced CD makes great listening
These songs really come alive on the recording. Expertly produced by Ed Bolduc and featuring topflight studio musicians, the CD takes its place among the best recent praise and worship releases.

Recording features topflight studio musicians
It features Scott Meeder on drums (.38 Special), Jason Horde on guitar (Point of Grace, Susan Ashton), and great performances on keyboard, Hammond B3 organ, violin and saxophone. Craig and Kristen, both outstanding singers, share lead vocals with Ed and Karen Bolduc.

Vibrant new praise and worship tracks
Highlights include "My Soul Is Thirsting," a vivacious new setting of Psalm 63, and "Justice," which slinks along to a very cool groove. The title track features great harmonies and a refrain that invites full and exuberant participation.

First in a new series of contemporary psalm collections from various artists, this makes a great supplement to Spirit & Song 1 and 2. It provides many psalms not available in those resources.

Each new generation tries its hand at setting the Psalms to music. Now Craig and Kristen Colson take their place in this long and rich tradition. Fill Us with Your Love is an impressive debut. Expect much, much more from this talented duo.