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 Windsor Village UMC Mass Choir Welcome To The Village!  The project, titled Welcome To The Village! features the church's choir, two of Gospel's most beloved vocalists (Kathy Taylor-Brown and Daryl Coley), and several others.Toss in songwriting from talents such as the upstart Luke Mercer Jr. and the veteran V. Michael McKay, add contributions from guitarist Doc Powell and Al Willis, percussion specialist Eric Darken, piano from Danny Weatherspoon, keyboards from the late Michael Robinson and production from Sanchez Harley, and you quickly see where this one is headed. Pastor Caldwell joins in duet with Karen Stewart on the album's title track: "Welcome To The Village" is a Leon Lewis chant-influenced composition that sets the scene by affirming the purpose of the church: "We are the kingdom-building, satan-busting people of God". From there, the album unfolds with several notable moments. One of these is "Holy Is His Name", where Daryl Coley stamps his remarkable vocal flair over the slow-tempo composition, encouraging it to float into the heavens with its rising melodic line of praise, clear choir call-and-response phrasing and gentle strings. "Awesome God" is clearly its companion-piece, bringing out a similar theme of exalting God for his greatness. Brian Wilson pours his tenor into the song from Luke Mercer Jr., with trumpet emphasizing majesty. The voice of Kathy Taylor-Brown continues to bless the people of God, her gorgeous tone wrapping itself around the melody and lyric of any song to bring it to heights. When that song is penned by V. Michael McKay the impact is unforgettable. "Deliverance Is Available To You" is a finely orchestrated ballad that Taylor-Brown uses to make the Gospel message irresistible.  Taylor-Brown also takes lead on the invitational that she wrote herself, "Come Let's Worship". At more than nine-minutes in length, the song slowly builds with its church-anchored vamp as choir sings "Oh taste and see that He's good, mmmmm good". Taylor-Brown's arrangement of the album-opener "Psalm 150" is another high point.Other memorable moments on Welcome To The Village! include Mercer's uptempo lead on the brassy and slightly-funked "Lord, I Want To Know You", Karen Zellers' soprano on the spry "Yes I Can" and a duo of fresh arrangements of patriotic tunes ("God Bless America" and "The Star-Spangled Banner"). EMI Gospel — review by Stan North—
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