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Music review: Hillsong Worship raises the roof in Manila concert
An effort at intimate worship, a firm declaration to follow Jesus, and even a cameo by a Pinoy onstage—these pretty much sum up Hillsong Worship's awesome Manila concert last Friday, April 10.
Most of the music group's pillars—Joel Houston, Reuben Morgan, Annie Garratt, Taya Smith—weren't at the concert that kicked off their No Other Name Asia Tour, but Jonathon "JD" Douglass, David Ware, Ben Fielding, and Tarryn Stokes led thousands of fans at a jampacked Mall of Asia Arena in two-and-a-half hours of emotional and intimate worship.
Most of the songs in their set were off their latest album "No Other Name," but they also brought classics like "One Way," "Take It All," and "From The Inside Out." Other well-known songs included “Cornerstone,” “Christ Is Enough,” and “Alive.”
There was a rather fine line between concert and worship service during the event. Regardless of where you were seated, from the VIP seats in front of the stage to the General Admission spots way, way in the back, you could really feel the presence of God flowing through the venue. Adding Pinoys' love for Hillsong music to the equation, things really got more amazing.
One thing worth pointing out was Hillsong's effort to bring every individual at the concert to intimate worship. It was quite interesting how JD called the MOA Arena—a large indoor arena with a full house capacity of 20,000 people—a “room,” as if we were attending a small-group Bible study.
Some in the audience got to sing with the band on stage. An hour before the actual concert, JD and Ben led a “karaoke” game where three fans got to sing their favorite Hillsong song. One lucky Pinoy not only managed to win the applause of his fellow audience members; he also got to sing onstage with the band when it performed he sang in the game, “Alive.”
Last year, fans also filled up the Araneta Coliseum when Hillsong Worship’s sister music group, Hillsong United, performed there for their “Zion” tour. With this, it can be said that indeed, Australian Pentecostal megachurch Hillsong Church’s music ministries are among the most appreciated by Christians worldwide, Pinoys included.
A congregation that started in the suburbs of Sydney in 1983, Hillsong Church became known worldwide for their gospel repertoire, with their albums going gold and even platinum.
