Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

Actress Roma Downey is best known as an angel in the American TV programme Touched By An Angel. Hailing from Northern Ireland, her dulcet tones are well suited for an album of this ilk. Basically it's a series of uplifting meditations on life, adapted from ancient Celtic texts and set to lush musical soundscapes by veteran pop composer Phil Coulter. She recorded the project while in Ireland in the summer of 1999, Clannad-style ambient music floats about and in a serious voice Roma reads her stuff, some prayers, some platitudes, the prayer of St Francis, stuff about family. Pur-lease! Call me cynical but this just seems like a cash in on her angel celebrity - the title of the album is a bit of a give away. It'll probably sell by the bucket load in America (it's riding high in the New Age charts) but even though I have a strong emotional side, it's taken everything within me to manage to avoid reaching for a bucket to barf in.

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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