In Christ Alone

The boundary between so-called "praise and worship" (P&W) music and other types of liturgical music is rather fluid, and it is not always easy to know where to classify a new worship song. Many, if not most, P&W songs will prove to have been exceedingly ephemeral. They're here today and will be gone tomorrow, to be replaced by something else equally ephemeral. However, I will venture to speculate that Stuart Townend and Keith Getty's "In Christ Alone," which is only two years old, is here for the long haul. The lyrics convey a depth of meaning that goes beyond "vain repetition," and, although the vocal range is a little wide, which means that it starts out rather on the low side for most people, the melody is hauntingly beautiful. It's here for the long haul.