Reviewed by Brendan O'Regan

I just couldn't warm to this 2013 DVD. What and who is it for? I can imagine Christian American tourists buying it as a souvenir of their visit, but they could do much better. The music is pretty good, what might be described as Celtic pop, and I particularly liked the Joanne Hogg's vocals on "When I Survey" . . . but what is Celtic about that song? Then there's "Amazing Grace" and "How Great Thou Art", lovely songs but more odd choices for this collection. "Be Thou My Vision" is more in the Celtic zone, but this up-tempo, almost country-flavoured version does it no favours. If one did want to follow up the music, the fact that no credits are given to the performers is a pain. The choice of video material is uninspired - pedestrian pans and zooms across some pleasant but often random Irish scenery - and almost none of it connected to Ireland's Celtic Christian heritage. I did just about spot a very occasional church, but why ignore all the monastic ruins, the round towers, the Celtic crosses, the Book of Kells, the great cathedrals? Accompanying "When I Survey" there's a close-up of a hammock! Later in the midst of all the scenery there's a brief shot of the Titanic exhibition in Belfast. And yet this is no tourist board video - in some scenes (including the Dublin street scenes), it's pouring rain! All in all, a bit of a mess.

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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