The Dawning of the Day

1	Faith of Our Fathers 4:23
2	Morning Has Broken 3:21
3	The Dawning of the Day 6:50
4	Go Rest High on That Mountain 5:01
5	Be Still, My Soul 6:18
6	Healing Rain 6:26
7	23 (The Lord Is My Shepherd) 4:19
8	On Eagle's Wings 6:24
9	Going Home 4:42
10	Via Dolorosa 5:16
11	The Lord's Prayer 3:19
12	God Bless America 3:27

Barnes & Noble

If any vocalist knows firsthand about the dawning of new days, it's Ronan Tynan. Not only did he reinvent himself as a singer in the midst of a promising medical career, but more recently, following the massive success of his work as a member of the Irish Tenors, he's struck out on a flourishing solo career that seems likely to transcend all of his prior triumphs. The Dawning of the Day builds on the style of his first solo disc for Decca, Ronan, leaving specifically Irish material behind in favor of a more universal -- if strongly faith-based -- set of inspirational songs. Whether singing a traditional hymn like "Faith of Our Fathers" or a new Vince Gill composition like "Go Rest High on That Mountain," his vocals are as expressive and persuasive as ever, while songs and lyrics by familiar contemporary Christian music figures such as Michael W. Smith ("Healing Rain") and Mary Fahl ("Going Home," plus the title track) sound like they're especially close to Tynan's heart, so impassioned is his singing. But for many listeners, the album's highlight will come at the end: Among Tynan's claims to fame are his performances of "God Bless America" at Yankee Stadium, and by repeating that song as the rousing climax here -- complete with final ringing high note -- he knocks one clear out off the ballpark. Scott Paulin

All Music Guide

With Ronan Tynan having already overcome numerous obstacles and achieved commendable results, it should come as no surprise that the former Irish Tenor's latest release, The Dawning of the Day, is a collection of faith-based songs that have been particularly inspiring and important to the singer. Everything on the album, from the Vince Gill-penned "Go Rest High on That Mountain" (Gill also sings on Tynan's version of "Morning Has Broken") to "The Lord's Prayer" to the post-9/11 title song (whose words were written by Mary Fahl), strives to attain that kind of controlled intensity that accents Tynan's evocative voice so well. Because if nothing else, the singer is able to inflict emotion into anything he performs (not that anything titled "Be Still, My Soul" needs a lot of help with that anyway), trilling his Rs mightily on "God Bless America," weeping the Spanish lyrics of "Via Dolorosa," doing everything in his power (and that of his producers) to make his listeners feel the music as strongly as he apparently does. The songs are all religiously themed, some more overtly than others (the aforementioned "Via Dolorosa," for example, as well as "23," which quotes the famous Psalm), and some incorporate full orchestral scores while some stick with a simpler acoustic guitar and strings format, but all work to stimulate feeling in their audience. All of this, of course, means that the album can seem a bit overdone and affected, but its overall effect just depends on whether or not this is seen as a drawback. For fans of the Irish Tenors or Ronan Tynan, the answer will most likely be that it is not, which should make The Dawning of the Day thoroughly enjoyable. Marisa Brown