“May it be an evening star
Shines down upon you
May it be when darkness falls
Your heart will be true…”
~Enya, May It Be
Indeed an evening star shone down upon Mary and I this past Friday as we traveled from Kansas City to St. Louis to experience the wonder that is Celtic Woman.
Celtic music has an enchanting quality, filled with both melancholic and joyful tunes that are rich with the tradition of people dating back to the first millenium B.C. It is perhaps this richness of tradition that explains the wonder I experience whenever I hear the Irish fiddle, the bagpipe, the tin whistle, or the haunting melodies of a Celtic tune. Celtic Woman celebrates both the ancient and contemporary history of this fascinating group of people.
A clandestine donation to PBS one cool April evening made it possible for Mary and I to attend this event. Though positively bursting with anticipation I kept this a secret from my darling wife until the tickets arrived two weeks ago. I had seen the original Dublin performance on DVD, another gift from St. Louis public television, and knew we were in for an inspiring evening of live music. It was breathtaking. But first, some history.
A little over a year ago producer Sharon Browne and composer David Downes sat down to discuss a musical project for many of the talented Irish female performers that they had been working with. From that discussion the idea of Celtic Woman was birthed. Celtic Woman brings together 5 talented female soloists with various experiences in classical music, traditional Irish music, and musical theatre. Downes’ vision marries the ancient traditions of Celtic music with contemporary accents to produce a magical musical experience. Thanks to a brilliant marketing campaign that included partnering with PBS, Celtic Woman exploded onto the American music scene and propelled the group to instant stardom. The women who comprise Celtic Woman are:
Lisa Kelly, Orla Fallon , Mairead Nesbitt,
Deirdre Shannon, and Chloe Agnew.
Dierdre Shannon was touring in place of Méav NàMhaolchatha who recently had a baby.
The music of this show is phenomenal. Haunting, melancholic traditional Celtic songs like Isle of Inisfree are joined by more modern melancholic tunes like Enya’s May It Be (from The Fellowship of the Ring). Classic favorites like Ave Maria, Nella Fantasia, and Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring were rendered beautifully alongside upbeat, manic Irish fiddle music. The show also included new material written by composer David Downes. In addition to this he also arranged each piece specifically to showcase the talents of these amazing performers. The concert included over 2 hours of music. There were a number of songs included in the show that are not currently on the CD and it is my hope that they produce a follow up CD to include this wonderful music.
Words alone cannot to describe just how spectacular the show was. Rich blue, green and violet lighting gave the show a very unique feel that was at once fantastical and contemporary. The whole of the second act was performed before a backdrop of lighting that looked like a star-filled sky. The elegant dresses of the performers were coupled with the black outfits of the background singers for a very classic look.
The voices of each performer were breathtaking and Mairead’s violin playing is nothing short of jaw-dropping. She bounds around stage twirling and leaping all while playing the most gorgeous music. Her fiddle numbers are so frenetic that it amazes you that anyone can play that fast and that wonderful. I wrote about her in my Sex and Violins post awhile back. This link is still active on which you can watch Mairead performing The Contradiction as well as see the closing number of the show, an ovation inspiring rendition of Josh Groban’s You Raise Me Up.
The Celtic Woman show was at the fabulous Fox Theatre in St. Louis.
The Fox Theatre was opened in 1929 and, though closed in the 1970’s, was purchased in 1981 and restored as close as possible to its original 1929 glory. Here are a few pictures of how it looks today:
It was an opulent venue that was perfectly suited to such an elaborate, rich show. The Celtic Woman tour is continuing into the fall and if you have the opportunity I highly recommend attending.
As the week begins I encourage you to surround yourself with beautiful music and embrace the tradition that makes you uniquely who you are. And:
May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields
and, Until we meet again
May God hold you in the palm of His hand
~An Irish Blessing
