Louder Than The Music

Northern Ireland folk/worship band Rend Collective have confirmed that they will release their new album, 'Campfire Christmas Volume 1', next week.

"Finally putting the rumours to rest - #ChristmasCampfire is real! Available worldwide November 18, 2014!" tweeted the band yesterday.

The band have been teasing the news for months, tweeting as long ago as September: "We should probably do a Christmas album huh? "Campfire Christmas" anyone??". But yesterday the band finally confirmed the news, less than a week before the album's release.

Significantly, by hinting in its title 'Volume 1', they suggest that this will be their first, but not their last, Christmas album.

"Christmas is a time of nostalgic family traditions so we wanted to bring you in to some of ours", explains the band. "We love the old hymns and carols of candlelight services too much to do Christmas without them... but that's not to say we haven't re-imagined them a bit! We hope you enjoy our "Rend-itions" of O Holy Night (O Night Divine) on ukulele, Joyful Joyful (Rejoice) for harmonium and string quartet, and, perhaps our favourite of all, the indie/rock'n'roll/gospel hybrid that is our Joy to the World (You are My Joy).

We know Jesus is the absolute focus of this season, but we all need those songs to get us dancing around the tree (ideally wearing a pleasantly distasteful Christmas sweater and a party hat). We are all about celebration and we haven't been scared to grab the banjo, dust off jingling-johnny and play some Christmas pop classics!

So that's what you'll find in this album, a celebration of Jesus' decision to love and come to earth to rescue us. We called this album Campfire Christmas because that's what Christmas is - an invitation into the family of God, to come and feel the glow. And though the world may be stinging and cold, we find warmth and hope at Christmas: our shining light of the world, our joy and peace, Jesus the Messiah."

Rend Collective are currently on the UK BigChurchNightIn Tour alongside worship leader Phil Wickham. They perform in Bath tonight (14th Nov), before moving on to Huddersfield, Swansea, Southampton, Eastbourne and Birmingham, finishing the tour in London on 22nd November.

'Campfire Christmas Volume 1' Track Listing:
1. WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS
2. HARK! THE HERALD ANGELS SING (GLORY IN THE HIGHEST)
3. DING DONG MERRILY ON HIGH (THE CELEBRATION’S STARTING)
4. JOY TO THE WORLD (YOU ARE MY JOY)
5. O COME ALL YE FAITHFUL (LET US ADORE HIM)
6. SHINING LIGHT
7. O HOLY NIGHT (O NIGHT DIVINE)
8. JOYFUL, JOYFUL, WE ADORE THEE (REJOICE REJOICE)
9. A JOYFUL REPRISE
10. MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE
11. FOR ALL THAT YOU HAVE DONE (AS FAMILY WE'LL GO)