Close to You: Live at Mannafest

Johnny Parks is the worship leader at Mannafest, a monthly Youth for Christ event held in Belfast’s Ulster Hall. This album is bursting with zeal and creativity reflecting what God is doing in Northern Ireland.

On Close to You Johnny and band, who also led worship at the Crossrhythms festival last summer, sparkle throughout the 7 tracks featured. Title track "Close to You", a song about gratitude and grace, kicks of proceedings. The U2ish "God of Great Things" with Johnny exhorting the assembled masses to "go for it" quickly follows the song "Glory." "God Is Still For Us" is a gentle atmospheric song of encouragement, whilst soon-to-be-classic "Breathe" with its Bono-style vocal finds Johnny calling to God for intimacy and fellowship.

As part of the worship team at CFC, Belfast, Johnny Parks has the privilege of working with Brian Houston and Robin Mark -  and there is evidence of the former's influence in Johnny's musical style and earthy, accented vocals. Close to You is a great album from one of Ireland’s finest.

Full lyrics are included.

Release Date:  2002

Song List:
Close to You
Glory
God of Great Things
God Is Still for Us
Breathe
No Words
I Call on You