In Praise of the Lord (2006)

A Christian worship program would normally be a gem with classic organ-and-choir hymns such as "Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow" paired with classic poetry such as "A Song to David" by Christopher Smart, "Paradise Lost" by Milton, "Morning Has Broken" by Eleanor Farjeon, "The Morning Watch" by Henry Vaughan, "Pied Beauty" by Gerard Manley Hopkins, "The Church-Floor" and "The Windows" by George Herbert, stanzas by John Donne, the Psalms, and much more. However, the oracular phrasings of the recitants, choir, and organ are almost soporific. (A few spouting poetry carried it off well because of their British accents or Shakespearean diction.) Taken together, the setting (long and close shots of the choir) and occasional visuals (church buildings, stained glass windows) of this presentation at St. Paul United Methodist Church in Lincoln, Nebraska, paint a wince-inducing 1950s esthetic -- except it's in color and the choir's hairstyles are wincingly 1970s. See this if you enjoy Davey and Goliath, the Statler Brothers, or the poetry of Hannah Hurnard. 2.5 stars.