Hope

Susan Boyle continues to display her great vocals and versatility with Hope, her sixth album.She chooses songs we would never expect her to sing but when we hear how beautifully she sings them and how she makes them her own, it seems perfectly natural that she would have made these selections.My review is late because I have had the album on repeat and couldn't take time to write. A few standouts for me: I Can Only Imagine which she performed majestically at the Lakewood Church over the weekend; Angel, such a lovely rendition; Will The Circle Be Unbroken brings back childhood memories; The Impossible Dream makes us feel Susan's own impossible dream; Oh Happy Day, so rousing and addictive - who knew Susan could do so well with gospel?; You Raise Me Up which she has really made her own through spectacular performances in the US and UK; and Bridge Over Troubled Water, which upon listening to her voice soar really brings the goosebumps throughout.An album to treasure from a lady with a unique and heavenly voice.

I pre-ordered the CD, and it's on my phone as well. There was (maybe it's still there) a SuBo forum on Amazon where fans listed the songs they would like to hear sung by Susan. One lucky person offered "Bridge Over Troubled Water". Well, YES! She sings it on this CD. Congrats! And a million kudos and thanks to Ms Susan Boyle for another group of songs that give me goose bumps. Is there a note she can't hit beautifully, perfectly? On this CD, we hear her voice without the usual orchestral competition for our ears. So far, my favorite track surprises me. It's "Will the Circle Be Unbroken". As a Pink Floyd fan, I really like "Wish You Were Here". This is truly a focus on hope, and will make a great Christmas gift. Bravo Susan!UPDATE: The more I listen to tracks like " You Raise Me Up", the more impressed I am with Susan's growth in talent. Working with a voice coach and demanding perfection in her studio work has made a great voice even greater. Never thought her voice needed improvement, but I certainly hear an even more amazing Susan.

Like the other 5 Susan Boyle CDs I had purchased, I was eagerly awaiting this one -- and had "Hope" that this would be more like her debut CD ("I Dreamed a Dream") and not like her latter ones.Thankfully, I was not disappointed! Not only is her crystal-clear voice and impeccable diction in good form, she also has a lot more variety with her song choice and arrangements, as well as with her vocal dynamics. These were songs that were handpicked by her and her team -- and it shows with the passion and emotion in her voice that had been lacking with some of her other latter releases.Unlike "The Gift," she did not allow her pretty voice to be drowned out by the orchestration, and -- instead of her arrangements being slow and draggy as in some of her past releases -- she performs a lot more uptempo songs such as "O Happy Day" and "Will the Circle Be Unbroken."Even though I have never been a big fan of the song, "Imagine" by John Lennon, Susan Boyle puts her Eva Cassidy spin on it. Her A Capella rendition of the first verse of "Abide With Me" -- followed by a full choir on subsequent verses -- is goosebump-inducing! She also soars on "Bridge Over Troubled Water," "Angel" and "You Raise Me Up." While "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" starts off rather slow, it gets more lively once the percussion is added. Among other highlights are "Wish You Were Here," "I Can Only Imagine," and "The Impossible Dream." My only complaint? Too short!Definitely recommended!

I pre-ordered this album with confidence. Susan Boyle doesn't disappoint. An "easy listening" album, especially enjoyable for creating ambience while working. A pure voice that is easy on the ears. Songs sung from the soul and from the heart.Finally! A beautiful rendition of Mary M's song "Angel" that allows the listener to hear the beauty of the song without envisioning abandoned animals. Susan does a perfect performance!It's nearly impossible to not smile, feel good, and want to dance to Susan's rendition of "Oh Happy Day". Very joyful!No disappointment with this album. But even if I were to have found the album to be less than stellar, I still would feel pleasure knowing that I am supporting an artist, and a person, who has paid their dues enduring the hardships of life to rise beyond. Susan Boyle represents the beauty of mankind ~ that a person's value is much deeper than their looks or life's circumstances.The world is a better place because of Susan. She shares her gift through music ~ via the beauty of her voice, and the emotions we are able to feel while listening to her sing. Thank you to England and to Simon Cowell for discovering this gem and encouraging her to share her voice and bring a sparkle to the world.Nothing less than a 5-Star rating for Susan Boyle's "Hope" album!

This is very good set however - IMHO - since it's a collection of covers it should have been 3 or 4 songs longer. No real reason that it wasn't.I wasn't sure if I would like a slower version of Lennon's 'Imagine' but it was a refreshing change of pace. 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' was extremely good. And the Impossible Dream was a really good version as well.'Oh Happy Day' was a nice bouncy version done extremely well. And it was nice to hear 'You Raise Me Up' with the Lakewood Church Choir.Overall a very good collection - however as I've already written this should have been longer - I'm willing to bet they recorded several additional songs they - for some reason - didn't include. Which is a shame as her vocals are outstanding! I hope she is able to mount a US tour sometime in the near future - we would definitely attend if it was reasonably close to Indy.I would rate this a very good 8.0 to 8.5 out of 10 - recommended!