Heaven on Earth?... It Just May Be!

It’s 7:00 PM, Saturday, March 6, 2010. A date and a time I will not forget because I went to heaven tonight! It was everything I hoped and expected it would be. There was spectacular lighting, a friendly, warm, atmosphere and Angels…yes, that’s what I said...Angels. It was THE most beautiful, wonderful experience I have ever had. It would be the most beautiful, wonderful experience you would ever have on this planet if you would just open your heart and open your mind to the miraculous and joyous sounds of Celtic Woman.

The English vocabulary is so inadequate when it comes to describing what I was fortunate enough to be a witness of… I am not a poet, nor a Pulitzer Prize winning novelist. I am just a man-humbled and brought to tears of joy just listening to this incredible ensemble.

Celtic Woman, performing their second show of the day at the Oakdale Theatre in Wallingford, Connecticut showed no sign of slowing down. How they can keep that energy up for each and every show is something that music therapists and psychologists should examine. I can only venture a guess…it’s because they love what they do that much.

The lights dim, the mist fills the stage as the first notes begin and we are off and on our way to a journey that reaches to the depths of the soul of everyone in attendance. I look around and people are stunned, no, make that thunderstruck, as they know that they are captured. “Níl Sé’n Lá” opens the show and fires the audience up, there’s no going back now. I am giddy with excitement. The beauty just poured out of these women, choir and musicians. They were truly giving us a gift. A gift of what music is all about and that is to reach your heart and make an indelible impression.

I have been involved in music all my life. I graduated from one of the best music schools in the world. I am a musician, composer and a teacher and have been for over thirty-seven years. I admit it; I am biased to this group. But believe me when I tell you that when I go to a performance of ANY kind, I am probably MORE judgmental than the average listener and I honestly was looking for something wrong. In Celtic Woman there is absolutely nothing I could find wrong.

I chatted during the intermission with Tom Stegemann, the sound engineer. The man usually in this position is Wayne Pauley, who after being with Celtic Woman for a number of years was actually on a short leave to care for his mother. Mr. Stegemann, who has been with Celtic Woman for four years himself, was cordial, humble and more than capable in handling the task that was before him. He was extremely friendly and mentioned that the touring group of Celtic Woman is like a family. “Everyone knows their job and we stay out of each other’s way, but...if someone needs a hand, everyone is there to step up and help out.” When I asked him about his role, he repeated to me almost verbatim what Mr. Pauley said to me three years ago…”This is the best job on earth!.” I complimented Mr. Stegemann on his job and true to Celtic Woman character, he was grateful and humbled, but not satisfied. He felt that he could have been better, but any listener and any music professional could find no fault with his performance. I guess he must be a perfectionist like musical director David Downes. Another trait that permeates the entire group.

Celtic Woman was originally a concept by David Downes designed to highlight the spirit and talent of women in Celtic music and was supposed to be only one show. Years later, many shows on the road, four DVD’s, five CD’s and an unprecedented dominance on the Billboard world music charts, their success has been nothing short of phenomenal.

They started with a performance at the Point Theatre in Dublin, Ireland in 2004 with four soloists and a fiddler. Headlining were singers Méav Ní Mhaolchatha, Lisa Kelly, Chloë Agnew, Orla Fallon and fiddler Máiréad Nesbitt. They haven’t looked back since.

Méav and Orla eventually left to pursue their own career paths and tend to their families. They were replaced by Lynn Hilary and Alex Sharpe; both women equally stunning with exceptional vocals continue the magic.

Tonight’s performance was the epitome of beauty and excellence. From Lisa’s rendition of “Fields of Gold” by Sting on to Alex’s version of the Phil Collins song “You’ll Be In My Heart” to Chloë’s performance of “When You Believe” (originally sung by Mariah Carey) and Lynn’s eloquent rendition of “My Lagan Love”, each note was perfect! The women are beautiful. The lighting was perfect! The sound was perfect! The evening was perfect!

Obviously the tour group is much smaller than what one might see on the PBS or DVD performances. That’s for financial and logistical reasons, but I have to say that the larger group is not missed. With the smaller choir and smaller band, and no orchestral support, you might think these live performances are lacking the magic and the beauty one might get on the DVD, however, that is not the case. The magic is increased exponentially just by being in the presence of such beauty.

Joining the group is Anthony Byrne who makes his debut with Celtic Woman on his bagpipes. He is a world class piper heard on “Amazing Grace”, “GalwayBay” and others. At the end of the performance, he was kind enough to appear in the lobby and play a few songs for the patrons as they made their way out the doors and he hung around for autographs, questions and pictures, just an extra treat and a wonderful surprise.

I would be totally remiss if I didn’t mention a few other people, an oversight that would be inexcusable. Brian Connor on keyboards, Des Moore on guitars, Eoghan O’Neill on bass, Tommy Martin on uileann pipes, bagpipes and tin whistle, and the Aontas Choir: Sarah Burke, Roison Dempsey, Catherine Neylan, Dermot Kieran, Niall McGrath, Andrew Nangle, Alison Arnopp were absolutely impeccable.

Ray Fean and Nick Bailey complete the ensemble on drums and percussion. Again, both of these men are not only seriously talented but compliment each in perfect alliance. . I have seen and heard quite a few drummers in my career and Mr. Fean ranks among the very best. After the show I met up with Ray and he is a genuinely sincere, wonderful man. He admitted that they were tired (it was their second show that day, as I mentioned above) but he also said that it was an incredible experience. I asked how they keep the energy up doing these shows all over the country and he said “it’s what we do”. He obviously loves what he does and loves being part of this group. Who could blame him?

David Downes’, arrangements are spectacular and his original compositions are astounding. He is a musical genius and what was interesting was that both men I talked to totally agreed. It was not some canned response though. Both Mr. Fean and Mr. Stegemann were genuine and sincere in their praise. From my discussions with both of these men I believe I was given a little glimpse into what makes Celtic Woman even more magical. They DO all get along with each other. They all work well together and even though there are dozens of people in the crew along with the performers there was a sense of “family togetherness”. It was not staged or scripted in any way, it was real. There was no air of pretentiousness.

From the delicate sweetness of “Goodnight My Angel” to the haunting tones of “The Moon’s A Harsh Mistress” each girl performed exquisitely! And of course Máiréad, an absolute beauty amazes us all with her virtuosity on the fiddle and mesmerizes us with her dance moves. She is so astoundingly talented that words do an injustice in trying to describe her performances.

I swear, if I could choose my own heaven, Celtic Woman would be a place for me to spend eternity. I am thankful to every person involved with Celtic Woman, past and present, for they have given me and hundreds of thousands of people all over, a gift of beauty and an immeasurable amount of joy and pleasure in a cold, dark world. And I feel sorry for anyone who might disagree with what I have said...you just don’t get it. You just haven’t given Celtic Woman a fair chance. But there is hope; you have to open your heart, your mind, your eyes and your ears to be able to enjoy the gift that Celtic Woman spreads throughout the world. But once you do, your soul will be touched forever! Thank you Celtic Woman…every one of you!!!