This was just posted over at the Desiring God blog. Page CXVI is a new project aiming to make hymns more accessible; not much unlike Indelible Grace Music. Desiring God share the explanation of their name. It’s pretty cool.

CXVI is definitely a bit more hip, mirroring, in some ways, the recent indie sounds. In short, the renditions they produce are top notch. Great production quality, well thought out and executed with cultural relevance. Unfortunately, the songs they selected here are songs that have fairly recent recordings in the same vein (i.e., Come Thou Fount and The Wonderful Cross). Regardless, raising awareness about hymns stands to enrich the church, so it’s fine.

Plus, methinks they might be hoping to hook new listeners with songs they’re familiar with before releasing lesser-known hymns.

The Page CXVI album is available for free here. And, if you like their vision, you can donate here.

The songs that come on the album are:

- Come Thou Fount
- In Christ Alone
- My Jesus I Love Thee
- When I Survey the Wonderful Cross
- Nothing But the Blood
- Solid Rock
- Joy

All are quality recordings, but one stands out as the single most powerful recording, head and shoulders above the others. It’s the last song, “Joy”. You’ll recognize it and you might not like what you hear at first. It’s the song that goes: “I’ve got the joy joy joy joy down in my heart…". Yeah, you know, the camp-fire song?

What makes it so unique is that it’s produced in a really overtly minor key. She almost sounds sarcastic singing “joy joy joy”. Then, it builds into this:

I’ve got the joy joy joy joy
down in my heart…
and I’m so happy,
so happy, so very happy.
And I’m so happy,
so happy, so very happy.
And I can’t understand
and I can’t pretend
that this will be alright in the end.
So I’ll try my best,
and lift up my chest
to sing about this
joy joy joy joy.

When peace like a river attendeth my way
when sorrows like seas billows roll
whatever my lot,thou hast taught me to say
it is well, it is well with my soul.

I was listening to the album as I was doing other things. And, I’m not going to lie, this one caught be off guard and made me well up. It’s a powerful rendition, probably because it feels deeply relevant to the human condition.

So, it’s free. Go download the album. Be enriched and encouraged. Sing the songs in church and in small groups. And, if you’re able support the project.