BACKGROUND
This song is from Meredith Andrews’ first album, ‘The Invitation’. This album has the slightly whimsical feel of Vanessa Carlton. Of course, it has a strong piano accompaniment throughout, giving the album a staying power in the listener’s mind. This song gives me a feel of the good old days; the uncomplicated days of being young and free in the Lord. Enjoy!
MUSICALITY
The acoustics of the grand piano shine through its melodious arpeggios. The notes at ‘But he invites us, can you hear him say’ remind me of the intro to Dido’s ‘Sand in My Shoes’. I love Meredith Andrews’ riffs when she says ‘Say’. I love the harmonies, and I daresay they remind me of Nikki Laoye’s way of harmony. The arpeggios on the piano, the worshippy rock and Meredith’s signature riffs make this song unforgettable to me. The bass on this piece is magnificent. It’s so deep and majestic. The bridge of this ballad is another highlight, building the arpeggios into a climax, that join the drums at ‘Welcome to the river’. The drums come in at the syllable ‘ver’ of river, and not a syncopated 2 minutes later in the quintessential contemporary worship style. I really like it because it caught me by surprise.
MESSAGE
This song is a soul winning tool, capturing the essence of everyone’s need for a saviour. But I do love the concept of the river applying to everything-healing, restoration, salvation, freedom. The river is really the Holy Spirit, and it is a fantastic idea to be completely enveloped by Him. Let all his billows crash over you. Welcome to the river!
Enjoy ‘Holy Spirit’ by Francesca Battistelli
There is so much more, even beyond salvation, in the river of God. There is prophecy, word of knowledge, ideas for nation building and all that good stuff. God wants to establish His kingdom upon the earth, and for every nation to be conformed to His image. When you are in this river, you are able to hear God for your destiny, family and nation. Dive in!
The reason God wants to tell us things in advance is so that we can partner with Him to achieve his goals on the earth.
PERSPECTIVE
I think this song is a soul winning tool, capturing the essence of everyone’s need for a saviour, pre-receiving Christ as Lord. If you are pro-confesssions, you could always take the lyrics in past tense, if that makes you feel more comfortable.
