This largely instrumental album coalesces around the theme of the enduring Irish spirit in the face of a multitude of hardships over the centuries and through migration to the New World.

The core of the music is the combined synth artistry of the two musicians, and there's much more - Uilleann pipes, Irish flute and whistles, Celtic harp, mandolin, and bodhran - that gives the album its Irish flavor. Occasional narration and spoken passages along with a few vocals (in English) help to convey the story. "Kathleen," for instance, is a poignant lullaby sung to a child who so far has survived the famine—about a sibling who hasn't.

Liner notes expand on the devastating historical legacy that the Irish carry, even as the music, in a rather elegant and stately fashion, celebrates the survival of the people and their culture.

Review by Wind & Wire

Take the smooth and warm keyboards of Jon Mark and the rhythms and driving melodies of his White Cloud label-mate David Antony Clark and give them an emotionally complex concept to compose around and you get this - The Leaving of Ireland.

The CD is a beautiful recording that expertly fuses melancholy, regret, joy and romance in a musical package that embraces both traditional Celtic/Irish textures as well as trademark characteristics of the two lead musicians. Fans of Jon Mark will hear echoes of his previous work, such as his classic The Standing Stones of Callanish (on "The Hunger") and A Celtic Story, and devotees of David Antony Clark will probably catch the strains of musical and rhythmical phrasing from his work on releases like Before Africa.

In addition to the keyboards and guitars of Mark and Clark, there is a large crew of accompanists on Irish instruments like whistle, pipes, fiddle, and bodhran, along with other instruments too. Two of the songs are wistful romantic vocal pieces, both sung in English by Dierdre Starr and Ciaran Mac Slaughain, both of whom possess great voices. There is also some narration and even some "dialogue" (we hear newly-arrived immigrants tell the intake person at Ellis Island who they are, where they are from in Ireland and what their occupation is).

Obviously, whenever an album is this ambitious (the liner notes are particularly in-depth and well-written) and personal, evaluating the music itself becomes a little less consequential. But, in the hands of Messrs Clark and Mark, there is no need to worry. The music quality fits the noble aspirations of the album perfectly. The blend of Mark's ambient keyboards, Clark's more structured and rhythmic compositions, and the traditional Irish touches all mesh to create an emotionally rich listening experience.

The Leaving of Ireland is a fitting tribute to the proud spirit of the Irish people and the courage exhibited by those brave immigrants who played a large role in America's history.