• Beyond review by Cory Engel of CelticChristianTunes.com
• Worship: Seeking the Heart of the Father review by Jeff Tyler of Night Watch Ministries for CelticChristianTunes.com
• Shades of Light review by Caren Baird for CelticChristianTunes.com

There's no question that Beyond is the product of painful experience.

For much of Judy's life, she has suffered from allergies that have caused severe sickness, including nerve damage that has limited her mobility to a wheelchair.

Musically, Judy is somewhat of a prodigy; her recordings are all her--the writing, recording, and all vocal and instrumental performances are hers. This is quite a feat considering the menagerie of instruments appearing on Beyond: fiddle, whistles, melodeon, accordion, concertina, guitars, keyboards, and hand percussion.

While the dramatic instrumentals demonstrate Judy's abilities, the project overall could be improved with an infusion of new talent, specially in the areas of vocals and production. Other vocalists would provide more body to complement Judy's soprano, and a drum kit would give the music punch it currently lacks, especially with its emphasis on ethereal but heavy reverb effects.

For me, the most enjoyable portions of the abum are the instrumentals, especially "Crafter's Ceilidh" which is the album's most tradional-sounding and up-tempo piece.

Lyrically, the album puts forth a message of hope, though there's a lot of negativity along the way. I found this difficult to relate to, but listeners who identify with Judy's painful experiences will find a positive message in "I Believe" and "Deep".

Beyond can be purchased from Judy's website.

--Cory Engel of CelticChristianTunes.com

Judy Cockwell has a real winner with her new CD, Worship: Seeking the Heart of the Father. This impressive CD is a contemplative, reflective, and deep worship volume. It is a true worship CD in every sense, and is almost haunting in its heart-cry mix of Celtic music and modern worship.

"Faithful God" is a song that has awesome lyrics and is the most Celtic of all the worship songs here. "Lord Have Mercy" and "Come Lord" are intercessory cries of the heart for the cities and nations of the Earth. They will leave you praying for others and for a worldwide move of God:

Come fill our lives
Full of Your presence,
Lord we are seeking
After Your heart.
Just like a deer
That's panting for water
Lord we are thirsty
For you now

The most upbeat song on the CD is "Risen!" and is a praise song done in true Celtic flavor and flow. "Come" is very well done lyrically and musically with a near perfect balance between modern worship and Celtic sound. We were especially blessed by "River" and "More of You" as well, as Judy leads the listener in a plea for intimacy with the Lord. "Rising Up" has great percussion work and a catchy tune, which will stay with the listener for some time afterward.

Overall, I recommend this CD for those times one wants deep worship and intimacy. These songs would be great for background music in the car or home, but the highest compliment we can give Judy is that when we listened to these songs, God's presence was evident.

This is an enhanced CD that features lyrics, scores, and overheads which may be used as tools to help use this music in corporate worship, and Judy gives purchasers the right to play the songs without restriction for worship in groups and congregations.

--Jeff Tyler of Night Watch Ministries for CelticChristianTunes.com

We have a fresh new voice and talent in Celtic Christian music. Her name is Judy Cockwell, she's from the UK and her CD is called "Shades of Light". Judy is multitalented in that she has written, produced and performed all vocals and instruments on her debut.

One of the things that makes "Shades of Light" a pleasure to listen to is that it's what I call totally home grown. She performed, produced and burned this delightful CD from her home studio. Being home burned does not affect the sound of the music. The label may cause problems for front loading players, but shouldn't deter one from adding it to their collection. As a musician myself, I find it inspiring to see the quality she was able to bring forth without a professional studio.

"Shades of Light" contains fourteen tracks with four being instrumental. The instrumental "By the River Sazava" has a feeling of being at a "Hebrew" Ceili--a nice blend of the two cultures. Another of the instrumentals, "One Day Sometime", is a little reminiscent of Enya's "Shepherd Moons".

For her first CD, she shows great promise. But what really stands out for me are the thoughtful lyrics--how they point to Christ and that He is always there for us. Judy Cockwell has brought words and music that remind us that Jesus is never far from us. He knows our hearts, feels what we feel and is always there for you and me.