Product Reviews have been a part of the heritage of
Creator from the earliest issues of the printed magazine. For over 30 years we have provided a look at new materials for those in leadership positions in music and worship ministry. One of our most popular features is the Select 20 which is a regular look at new choral anthems.
Below you will find links to numerous Select 20 reviews, which will be increased regularly as we convert issues of the print magazine to digital content. We hope these reviews provide information and inspiration to you.
The Select 20 reviews are, for the time being, organized by year. It is our intent to also organize them by season, genre, composer, title, and other categories. Please check back often, as we will be adding to this content on a regular basis.
Our Select 20 reviews are organized by title and by the year in which the review was published. Click on the Link below to see the reviews for any given year.
2013 Select 20 Reviews
2012 Select 20 Reviews
2011 Select 20 Reviews
2010 Select 20 Reviews
2009 Select 20 Reviews
2008 Select 20 Reviews
2007 Select 20 Reviews
2006 Select 20 Reviews
2005 Select 20 Reviews
2004 Select 20 Reviews
2003 Select 20 Reviews
2002 Select 20 Reviews
2001 Select 20 Reviews
2000 Select 20 Reviews
1999 Select 20 Reviews
1998 Select 20 Reviews
1997 Select 20 Reviews
1996 Select 20 Reviews
1995 Select 20 Reviews
1994 Select 20 Reviews
1993 Select 20 Reviews
1992 Select 20 Reviews
1991 Select 20 Reviews
1990 Select 20 Reviews
1989 Select 20 Reviews
1988 Select 20 Reviews
1987 Select 20 Reviews
1986 Select 20 Reviews
The Select 20...
what it is...
Our goal with S20 has always been to introduce our readers to the best new anthem releases, scrutinizing every church music publisher to find 20 gems for each issue of the magazine. However, the organization of this feature, is sometimes is a source of confusion. S20 anthems are chosen using criteria which allow the full spectrum of worship styles and musical taste. We know our readers demand balance, wanting us to draw from all publishers, traditions and styles, regardless of our personal taste. For that reason we include a “worship-style bar-graph” to assist our readers in applying each S20 title to their own ministry. This graph, which appears below the descriptive information, is not an attempt to “pigeonhole” music for certain groups or churches, but to subjectively guide our readers in understanding style. The “(L)iturgical” and “(E)vangelical” represents worship characteristics and musical preferences, not denominational stereotypes.
The left extreme would feature complex music which is less predictable, often incorporating mixed meter or no meter, and avant garde or less familiar tonalities. Texts would focus on poetry or more abstract word painting. The center of the graph would represent a choral program which features present-day anthems written in a traditional, non-pop, non-gospel style, incorporating texts that are commonly scripture based and written in second or third person. The right extreme would focus on the musical styles of pop, gospel, and rock. Chord symbols would commonly be found with the accompaniment, since many of these churches use rhythm ensembles and multiple keyboards. Texts will be less poetic, more straightforward, and primarily written in first and second person.
A quick review of the codes used for each entry. V: voicing; #: catalog number; C: composer; M: music sources; E: editor or arranger; T: lyricist and/or source; A: accompaniment information; U: usage; P: publisher; D: distributor; ©: copyright year and holder. At the end of each written review/comment, the following are used: L: length, using (S)hort, (M)edium, and (L)ong; End: dynamic level of the ending; and a final letter to represent difficulty, (E)asy, (M)edium, (D)ifficult.
It is our hope that Select 20 is a guide in helping our readers select anthems that are appropriate for their music ministry. Our mission is to include an extremely wide range of octavos, incorporating the best of all church music publishers.
and what qualifies...
The typical “rules” for our editorial selection process are as follows:
• No more than one title by any composer or arranger in any single issue
• No more than two titles by any publisher in any single issue
We’ve said it before, and it bears repeating here. To quote Creator’s editorial board member Bob Burroughs, “People ask me often, ‘What’s new?’ No one has ever asked me, ‘What’s Good?’ There is a lot of good literature still around and virtually unknown by new generations of music ministers.”