Reviewed by Brendan O'Regan

Father Marino is a priest from Cameroon, currently ministering in a Dublin parish. This, his second CD, showcases his fine voice and largely consists of good renditions of mostly familiar material. Some of it is Irish, like "Carrick Fergus", "She Moves Through The Fair" and Brendan Graham's moving "Isle Of Hope, Isle Of Tears" - about the early days of Irish emigration to the USA. Not surprisingly there is plenty of religious material, like "Ave Maria" and Tom Kendzia's great anthem "Stand By Me", complete with effective children's choir on the chorus. There are a few Christmas songs - including the overly familiar "When A Child Is Born" and an appealing version of the modern classic "Mary Did You Know". Perhaps these might have been best reserved for a Christmas album in the future! What appealed most was the more adventurous material - "To Where You Are" by Richard Marx and Linda Thompson, a duet with Sharon Lyons on Shania Twain's "From This Moment", and best of all one of Fr Marino's own songs "Thank You Lord" - good to see him giving an airing to original material. The musical accompaniment is up to scratch (piano, violin, guitar and percussion), though whether it's a problem in recording or balancing I found the piano sometimes "tinny" and sometimes a tad heavy handed.

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.

Interested in reviewing music? Find out more here.