Louder Than The Music

On the heels of their widely embraced debut hymns set last year, Georgia-based collective Rock Springs Worship returns August 2 with Hymns Vol. 2. The StowTown Worship release was produced by Rock Springs Church music director Matt Summers and features stirring new adaptations of 10 timeless hymns.

Album opener “I’ll Fly Away” is buoyed by a vibrant pop arrangement, encapsulating the project’s mission to seamlessly blend the past and present in authentic moments of worship. Alongside new renditions of such favorites as “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” and “God Will Take Care of You,” Hymns Vol. 2 showcases four selections artfully merging hymns and contemporary worship anthems, including a moving take on “Holy, Holy, Holy” with Michael W. Smith’s modern classic “Agnus Dei.”

“Our congregation has been singing hymns since its inception in 1852,” shares Amber Balltzglier, Rock Springs Church worship leader and co-executive producer of Hymns Vol. 2. “As music styles have evolved, we saw the necessity of putting the timeless messages of hymns with contemporary instrumentation to make them more at home in our modern worship experience. I believe the Lord has helped us achieve that goal with Hymns Vol. 1 and Vol. 2.”

“When we sing hymns, we sing the Truth of God's Word, and it never returns void,” she adds. “We want generations to hear and know these old songs and connect a memory or experience with God to these words and melodies.”

Hymns Vol. 2 is also highlighted by a guest turn from multi-Dove Award-winning powerhouse TaRanda Greene. Lending her signature vocals to “It is Well with My Soul,” Greene’s ties to Rock Springs Church made her a natural fit for the project.

“I am honored to be a part of this hymns project,” Greene says. “I love the hymns of the Church, and I love the people of Rock Springs. The pastoral and music teams make sure that everyone who walks through the doors of the church has the opportunity to have a personal experience with the Lord.”

“It’s refreshing to add hymns to a modern-day worship service, because they can unite a congregation of all ages, races and backgrounds in a way that no other song can,” she continues. “‘It Is Well’ reminds all of us that we aren’t alone. Even in the darkest of times, the love of God brings us peace and courage to keep moving forward.”