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Hillsong Music collectively refers to the Christian music produced by the Hillsong Church in Sydney , Australia as well as offshoot churches, Hillsong London and Hillsong Kiev . HISTORY Hillsong Church's popularity in Christian praise and worship music stems from the inauguration of the Hillsong Conference in the late 1980s and the first publication of choruses written by Hills CLC members, especially Darlene Zschech . Their first live worship CD '' The Power Of Your Love '' was released in 1992. Since then, live praise and worship albums have been produced each year. Other music series include the ''Worship series'', ''United'', ''Youth Alive'' and ''Instrumental series''. They have also released a Christmas album, a children's album and several compilation albums. WORSHIP LEADERS Worship pastor Darlene Zschech is perhaps the most well-known worship leader from Hillsong, who provides the main female lead vocal in most of the songs. Other prominent worship leaders and musicians include Russell Fragar (piano), Reuben Morgan (vocal and guitar), Marty Sampson (vocal and guitar), Joel Houston (vocal, son of pastors Brian and Bobbie Houston ) and Miriam Webster (vocal). Geoff Bullock wrote most of the songs on the early albums before he left the church. POPULARITY The 13th live worship album released by Hillsong, ''For All You've Done'', released in July 2004, actually debuted at #1 on the Australian album chart. It contains 15 songs recorded live at the Sydney Entertainment Centre by Darlene Zschech and the Hillsong Team. This is the first time an album of Contemporary Christian Music has topped the album charts in Australia. There was some controversy about this outcome as almost all of the albums were sold at Hillsong's annual conference held in early July. The Australian Record Industry Association ARIA has defended the outcome noting that the album sold more copies than any other record on sale in Australia that week. Pop singer and former Australian Idol contestant Paulini Curuenavuli was also at the conference promoting her #2 hit single "Angel Eyes" from her album ''One Determined Heart''. The previous 12 albums have been certified gold in Australia and have also sold well in Christian contemporary markets overseas. The previous two albums also debuted in the top five of the ARIA charts due to the capacity of the church to ensure good first week sales. CRITICISMS The style of music within Hillsong Church has been criticised as being similar to a pop concert, with songs led by a soloist supported by full band and choir. However, the DVD albums show that everyone at the event is actively engaged in the worshipping as part of a church congregation as opposed to just listening as an audience. Darlene Zschech has explained Hillsong's stance on this on several occasions, such as in DVD interviews. In her book ''Extravagant Worship'', she writes the Hillsong team pray ''"Father, let them quickly get their eyes off of us. We just want to point them to you, God, because you are the Author of truth. You are the only One who is to be praised."'' Geoff Bullock , the worship pastor before Zschech, resigned from Hillsong partly because of this issue. He states: People have said that Hillsong (conference) 95 was my highest moment - the heights from which I fell. Yet if someone asked me what was the worst experience of my whole ministry career it would be Hillsong (conference) 95, because I felt so out of my depth. I kept thinking, 'I don't know what I'm doing here, I'm unable to be the person that I need to be'. I just can't be Mr Charisma and Mr Excited. That's not me. I'm a quiet, introspective, melancholic type of guy. I struggled throughout the week trying to lead the worship, but feeling very much that I was failing. I really fell apart emotionally within a month of the conference ending. My face was on all the posters, I was writing songs which everyone was singing, but inside I was asking myself 'Why am I always struggling? Why can't I just rise up in faith and be the man of God that everybody else says I should be, that this movement says I should be?' Geoff Bullock has released a recent album with new songs and a few of his old songs re-written. He spoke with David Adams and Lloyd Harkness at Sight Magazine in an interveiw on the 13th of August, 2004 "I feel tremendously responsible that I led them Church along the garden path" View Article . CROSSOVER Hillsong music is accepted and sung in many black pentecostal churches worldwide. This is notable as there is frequently little crossover between black-majority and white-majority churches. Some Hillsong songs have distinct gospel influences (see Gospel Music and Black Gospel ) and this has probably contributed to its acceptance. FORMATS Early albums were released solely on cassette and CD. Later, video recordings were also made for VHS and on DVD since 2000, with increasing additional content such as documentaries and extra songs. The ''United'' series CDs have included an additional free DVD since 2004. Several music books have also been published. ALBUMS ]] ]] ]] ]] ]] ]] ]] ]] ]] Live Praise & Worship albums :# The Power Of Your Love (1992) :# Stone's Been Rolled Away (1993) :# People Just Like Us (1994) :# Friends In High Places (1995) :# God Is In The House (1996) :# All Things Are Possible (1997) :# Touching Heaven Changing Earth (1998) :# By Your Side (1999) :# For This Cause (2000) :# You Are My World (2001) :# Blessed (2002) :# Hope (2003) :# For All You've Done (2004) :# God He Reigns (2005) United albums :# Everyday (1999) :# Best Friend (2000) :# King Of Majesty (2001) :# To The Ends Of The Earth (2002) :# More Than Life (2004) :# Look To You (2005) :# United We Stand (2006) Worship Series albums :# Simply Worship (1997) :# Simply Worship 2 (1997) :# Simply Worship 3 (1998) :# Overwhelmed (2000) :# Amazing Love (2002) :# Faithful (2003) Youth Alive albums :# Jump To The Jam (1994) :# Chosen One (1996) :# The Plan (1998) :# One (1999) :# Awake (2000) Instrumental Worship albums :# The Secret Place (1999) :# Forever (2003) Hillsong Kids albums :# Jesus Is My Superhero (2004) :# Super Strong God (2005) Christmas albums :# Christmas (2001) :# Celebrating Christmas (2005) Compilation albums :# Hills Praise (1997) :# (2001) :# (2002) :# (2003; previously released as ''Millennium: The Story So Far'') :# (2003) :# Ultimate Worship (2005) Other albums :# Spirit And Truth (1988; first ever Hillsong album) :# Show Your Glory (1990; follow up to ''Spirit and Truth'') :# Shout To The Lord (1996) :# Shout To The Lord 2000 (1998) :# (2004; recorded with Delirious? ) :# Songs For Communion (2006) Hillsong Music Ukraine albums :# Это знает душа моя (1997) :# Прыгай в небеса (1998) :# С Богом возможно всё (1998) :# План (1999) :# Небеса на земле (2000) :# Лучший Друг (2001) :# Революция (2001) :# Царь Величия (2002) :# Пожар (2004) :# Слава в вышних (2005) :# Иисус мой Супергерой (2005) Hillsong London albums :# Shout God's Fame (2004) :# Jesus Is (2006) SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS |
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