Celtic Woman: The PBS Show That Has Taken North America by Storm
VANCOUVER - Ireland’s newest music sensation is called Celtic Woman and in just one short year, the group has achieved an enviable level of success. Audiences across Ireland and the United States have been swept away by their mesmerizing sound.
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| CELTIC WOMAN, originally a one-night show at the Helix Theatre in Dublin, has evolved into a full-scale international touring production. |
Local audiences will have a chance to see their dramatic show when Celtic Woman is presented at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Vancouver on May 6.
Originally conceived as a one-night event at the Helix Theatre in Dublin, the show evolved into a 90-minute production which premiered on PBS in March 2005. The response was immediate and following its debut it was broadcast to 300 stations. It was such a huge success that it was developed into a full-scale touring show.
The Celtic Woman CD and DVD were released in March 2005 through Manhattan Records (EMI) and since its release, the CD has been certified gold and the DVD has been certified platinum. The CD has also been Number One in the Billboard World Music Chart for over 45 weeks.
The show is the realization of a dream for Sharon Browne, managing director of Celtic Collections Ltd. – one of Ireland’s most successful independent record labels. Along with composer and musical director David Downes, she created Celtic Woman to launch the very special talents of five singers: Chloë, Lisa, Méav, Órla and Máiréad.
Chloë is only 16-years old and her angelic performances of Walking in the Air, Ave Maria, Nella Fantasia and Someday have won rave reviews. She may be young but she is already a musical veteran. Both of her parents, Adéle (“Twink”) King and David Agnew are successful performers and Chloë made her stage debut at four weeks old and sang on her mother’s television show at the age of six.
Touring as a soloist in Celtic Woman, Chloë said, “The show has opened up a huge new door for me. I’ve gotten to do things I just never dreamed I could do; traveling the States and meeting so many people. What has been the best though is working with the other girls. They’re the most beautiful talented women I’ve ever met and it’s been a great experience.”
Lisa is a talented actress as well as a singer. She has studied drama and was classically trained in both singing and piano. Her stunning performances of Send Me A Song and May It Be from the Lord of the Rings capture her audiences.
She has nothing but praise for the show’s creators, Celtic Collections founder Sharon Browne and Downes. “David and Sharon were very insistent that all the girls remained individual in Celtic Woman. It’s quite rare to be in a show that didn’t ask us to change who we were as singers and performers. So, as much as it’s a group, each individual performance actually is that – individual.”
Méav thrills with her pure soaring soprano voice in unique arrangements of Danny Boy and She Moved Thru’ the Fair. One of the things that surprised her has been her success not only in her native Ireland and the United States, but in Asia where her singing falls into a category called “Healing Music.”
“I suspect that people leading an increasingly urban life want to go back to a simpler style of music. In the States, the romantic idea of Ireland is certainly part of the appeal,” she said. “Even though the place that they’re thinking of may be fast disappearing in modern Ireland, it’s still part of our folk memory.
“Everybody has a desire to escape to somewhere in their mind that is simpler and slower-paced. Also, the songs are about universal themes. You don’t have to be Irish to make that connection.”
Órla’s haunting rendition of Harry’s Game, beautifully compliments her pristine Irish harp accompaniments in The Isle of Inisfree and Ave Maria.
She credits her family, her grandmother in particular, for her love of music. “She was passionate about Irish music, songs, dancing and stories. The whole Celtic Woman project realizes her dream for me because traditional music was all we ever talked about.
“When I used to sing classical things, she didn’t want to bother with them at all. When I got older and started to feel more about the traditional music and the songs, I knew where she was coming from. There’s something very plaintive and haunting about the Irish melodies. I’ve always said that Irish music is like soul music. It’s just about touching people.”
Máiréad is simply one of the most exciting violinists performing today. She began her professional career as violinist with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra. Her blend of traditional Irish and classical styles earned her Irish Music Magazine's title of Best Traditional Female (2003).
She has worked with such illustrious acts as Nigel Kennedy, Van Morrison, Sinéad O'Connor, Clannad, Emmylou Harris, Aslan, Chris De Burgh, Jimmy Webb, and Irish acts Dónal Lunny’s Coolfin, Sharon Shannon, Paul Brady, Frances Black, Cooney and Begley, and Jimmy McCarthy.
She's played on the original soundtracks of the shows Riverdance, Lord of the Dance and Feet of Flames and subsequently performed in three world tours as the original lead fiddle in Lord of the Dance and Feet of Flames. She tours with her own band and has also played and recorded with the Afro-Celt Sound System.
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