Title: Ageless Hymns: Songs of Joy

Artist: Lynda Randle

Label: Lynda Randle Ministries/Gaither Music Group

Formats: CD, MP3

Release date: January 15, 2016

Growing up in Washington, D.C as the middle child of seven kids, Lynda Randle learned many traditional hymns from her family. During a difficult period when she was caring for her sick mother, Randle decided to record many of these hymns in honor of her parents. Ageless Hymns: Songs of Joy is the final installment in this series of three albums “dedicated to timeless, classic songs of faith.” The series is distributed through Gaither Music, a Christian music group powerhouse created and run by native Hoosiers Bill and Gloria Gaither in Alexandria, Indiana. Randle is one of the only African American artists to appear regularly at Gaither Homecomings, and has released many contemporary Christian albums and DVDs as part of the Gaither Gospel Series.

All the songs on Ageless Hymns: Songs of Joy are meant to “uplift, renew, and encourage the soul.” They include traditional hymns such as “Real, Real,” “The Windows of Heaven,” and “This Joy I Have.” The album also features originals, such as “He Touched Me” written by Bill Gaither, and “In You I Find My Joy,” written by Randle, who has composed and arranged hundreds of songs over the course of her career.

Randle’s dedication to her faith is present throughout the whole album, and her passionate, soulful voice amplifies and gives life to these traditional hymns.

Reviewed by Anna Polovick