Concert In The Caribbean
What the paper said.
At a time when the 2002 Carnival season is in full swing, with the uncertainty in the political arena and with rising murder and crime, it was certainly refreshing to hear inspirational music from international artiste Marilla Ness, so well known to Catholics around the world. So popular was she that St Finbar's Church was sold out. There were no extra tickets for latecomers.

Her visit to Trinidad attracted leading Catholics in the country to the concert, including Archbishop Edward Gilbert, Father Christian Perreira, Father Garfield Rochard, Father Reginald Hezekiah and St Finbar's parish priest, Father Tom Lawson.

Marilla started off the concert in the most fitting way with the song "Holy Sprit, We Welcome You" and interspersed each song with a story often with a biblical theme. Attired in a simple flowered dress, she rendered several of her songs, the majority of which are well known in Trinadad and Tobago. They included "As I kneel before You.", "He touched Me", "I am the Bread of Life", "Freely, Freely", "Psalm 139", Lay your Hands" and "My God loves Me."

Marilla had the audience singing along with her during "How Great Thou Art". The Irish singer ended her 22-song performance with one of her favorites - "Here I am Lord". There was total participation by the hundreds present but that was not the end, she was back on the stage to perform her final song, fitting for the climax of such an evening, "Lord, I am going home."

Before leaving the stage, Alana Mussio, the distributor for the Caribbean, presented Marilla with a token and pleaded with the Irish singer to return, Marilla obliged, promising to be back again.

This article was taken from the Trinidad Daily News.