In Spirit and In Truth is the debut recording for The Elizabethtown Community Choir. And oh what a debut!

In the finest of grassroots Gospel choir traditions, the project is filled with earnest, heart-poured praise offerings, with a focus on traditional choir delivery frequently set to bumpin’ beats.

In a coup of sorts, producer and group leader Rick Rhoda recruits noted veteran and keyboard/organ specialist Eric Reed (Fred Hammond, Daryl Coley, Brian Moore & Rhema) to guide the musical direction of the album.

That move pays dividends, evident from even the opening notes of the album. “Enter His Gates” has you sitting up and paying attention as the tightly-pocketed band intros the choir’s opening vocals.

Songs such as “Fire” (which comes with a hidden mellow remix track) and “Find No Fault” has the choir moving with blazing instrumentation underneath. Then the Markell Powell penned “I Will Bless The Lord” takes things into groove land.

On “Grateful”, written by Tamarrah Rhoda, the choir moves into softer territory, tenderly delivering the gratitude in low register unison accompanied by some nicely gentle guitar work. The focus of the song is on God’s tender mercy toward us. Rhoda also nicely renders the organ-bedded ballad “Have Your Way”.

Mae Newton, the former Shirley Caesar Singer (I Remember Mama, Live In Memphis, Stand Still etc.), guests on the project, her rich alto voice adding to the choir’s praise on the melodic “Giving God The Glory”, written by Reed. Newton returns on the album-closing title track “In Spirit And In Truth”, marvellously reprised with plenty of soulful adlibs from both Newton and band.

Who knew that tiny Elizabethtown, North Carolina (population 3,500), was the home to such a jewel!