Voice of Hope: A Live Performance by Tommy Fleming & Guests

Irish balladeer Tommy Fleming, a Sligo-born singing sensation whose career was interrupted by a near-fatal car accident in 2000, gives a deeply moving performance in this 19-song inspirational set shot at the Basilica in Knock, Ireland, a special place where the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared in 1879 (Fleming is the only musical artist ever to perform there). Accompanied by his band, plus the Cork Pop Orchestra Strings, the Cill Aodain Choral Society, and such guests as composer Phil Coulter (whose orchestra featured Fleming as a star vocalist in the early 1990s), folksinger Cara Dillon, and Riverdance-famed fiddler Eileen Ivers, Fleming brings a tear to the eye with such sacred and sentimental songs as "Steal Away," the soaring, country-tinged "Love Can Build a Bridge," and the beautiful "You Raise Me Up." The Catholic setting of the Basilica no doubt influenced Fleming's song selection, but for the most part Voice of Hope is secular and/or non-denominational entertainment, with standouts including "From a Distance," "Morning Has Broken," and "Amazing Grace." DVD extras include a bonus interview with Fleming. Highly recommended. Aud: P. (T. Keogh)