Reviewed by David Faulkner

Penny whistle? Check. Fiddle? Yes. Bodhran? Present, sir. You can predict the instrumentation and you can almost predict the track listing. This CD compiles recordings by Heartcry (contributions written by Nick and Anita Haigh), Andrea Alonso, Sarah Lacy, Michelle Wooderson and the Ric Blair Band. Apart from the Haighs' original songs, you get renditions of "Carrick Fergus", "Danny Boy", "Galway Bay" and "Irish Lullaby" alongside versions of hymns that are not always themselves Celtic in origin but are given the 'treatment': "I Heard The Voice Of Jesus Say", "Jesus, I Am Resting" and "Dear Lord And Father Of Mankind". Highlights for this reviewer were the lovely Heartcry song "Kyrie Eleison" and Alonso's mellow interpretation of "Danny Boy". For the rest, it depends on whether you like 20 tracks all following the same musical approach while, as you will have gathered, by no means are all the songs explicitly Christian, but at least you are saved from anything of the New Age Celtic variety.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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