‘I, being poor, have only my dreams.’ So wrote the great Irish poet William Butler Yeats. He might just as well have been writing of his country as of himself. Ireland, until relatively recently, was a poor nation, impeded by its tragic history and scarred by the painful memories of famine and mass emigration. Even when things were at their worst, however, the people of Ireland have always remained spirited and vivacious. Poetry, music and dance have long sustained the nation’s spirits through the frequently cruel circumstances of history.
Nowadays, of course, things have changed dramatically for the better. Ireland is one of the world’s wealthiest countries. Although it may no longer be poor, it nonetheless still has its dreams. Proof of this is A New Journey, the latest spectacular production from Celtic Woman, combining the elegiac lyricism of the country’s past with the vivaciousness and dynamism of its present. The five gifted soloists – four vocalists and one violinist – have come together with Composer and Musical Director David Downes to create a truly special musical experience – a ‘tour de force of talent’, according to the Boston Herald. Created in 2004 by David Downes (who worked as Musical Director on Riverdance) and Executive Producer Dave Kavanagh, Celtic Woman was an instant smash hit.
Celtic Woman: A New Journey is the second on-stage production by the group Celtic Woman. The show was filmed at Slane Castle in County Meath, Ireland and featured Hayley Westenra as a new addition to the group.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Green Bay Press-Gazette
PBS darlings Celtic Woman have made it official: They're booked April 9 at the Resch.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Alex Sharpe
At a tender age, Alex began her career in the coveted role of Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz at the Olympia Theatre in Dublin. This was the beginning of what was to become an outstanding career in Musical Theatre. She played Janet in The Rocky Horror Show, Young Sally in Follies in Concert, Jenny in Aspects of Love, and Mila in Aloha Kamano by Sean Purcell.
Her musical talents did not go unnoticed and she was asked to play Eponine in Les Miserables for the Cameron Mackintosh Company in England and Ireland and also in the Concert Tour of Les Miserables of which she won wide accalim.
Alex created the role of Bernadette in the Andrew Lloyd-Webber/Ben Elton Musical The Beautiful Game. On her return to Ireland she played the role of Kate Foley in The Wireman in the Gaiety Theatre Dublin.
Alex has also sang with some of the most renowned orchestra's in the world including the Icelandic Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, The Danish National Symphony, and the RTE Concert Orchestra. Among her many recordings, her amazing voice can also be heard on the Evita film Soundtrack with Madonna.
Among her vast musical experience Alex has found time to headline a concert for the Princes Trust in the Mayflower Theatre, England and in 2006 she travelled to Chicago to launch the highly acclaimed musical The Pirate Queen as principal female.
Alex is delighted to be joining the cast of Celtic Woman and is looking forward to the New Year to be part of The New Journey.
Lynn Hilary
Méav has decided to take a full time break from touring with Celtic Woman, to spend time with her family and to focus on recording a new solo album.
As a result of this we are very excited to introduce, our wonderful new Celtic Woman,
Lynn Hilary.
Lynn Hilary trained as a classical soprano at DIT College of Music in Dublin, graduating with honours in June 2004. She has been a member of the renowned choir ‘Anúna’ for 5 years, performing with them as a soloist on 'Songs of Praise', 'BBC Proms in the Park', and numerous other television appearances. With 'Anúna' she has traveled to all corners of the world and features as a soloist on many of their albums.
Lynn was the lead vocalist for 'Riverdance’ at the Special Olympics opening ceremony, performing to a live audience of over 85,000 and a television audience of millions. She has also been the lead vocalist for 'Riverdance' at the Gaiety Theatre in Dublin for a ten week run and on tour in the USA, Canada and Europe, including six consecutive full houses at Radio City Music Hall, New York. She features as a soloist on the 'Riverdance' 10th Anniversary CD and DVD. Lynn has worked with many artists such as Daniel O' Donnell, Luka Bloom, Jerry Fish and the Mudbug Club, and Don Mescall, to name but a few.
Lynn has already started working with the Girls readying herself for her debut performance on the 10th October 2007 in Estero, Florida, USA.
At this time we would like to thank Méav for her contribution to Celtic Woman over the last three years. We know Méav will be missed by Celtic Woman fans as much as she will be missed by us. We wish her every success in her solo pursuits and we look forward to working with Méav in the future.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Chloe Agnew
If 16-year old singer Chloë Agnew ever writes a book she says that she'll call it 'From Carnegie Hall to Lunch Duty'. 'That's the way that my life turns anyway,' she laughs. 'I played Carnegie Hall in New York one week with 'Celtic Woman'and the following week I was back at school on lunch duty, cleaning off tables and mopping the floor. But that's life. I'm so fortunate to have this wonderful opportunity and I love every minute of it.'
Chloë may be young but she is already a musical veteran. Both of her parents, Adele ('Twink') King and David Agnew are successful performers and Chloë made her stage debut at 4 weeks old and sang on her mother's TV show at the age of 6. In 1998, she won the Grand Prix at the First International Children's Song Competition in Cairo, Egypt, representing Ireland with a song called "The Friendship Tree." Her big break came at the age of 11 when she approached Musical Director David Downes with the idea of recording a single for charity.
'It was shortly after September 11th and I saw an ad on TV for the children of Afghanistan and for the children in America who had lost their families,' she remembers. 'It really affected me and I remember thinking about it for weeks, just being moved and changed by it. I sat down with a friend to decide what we could do to help; you know do we have a sale or a lemonade stand? I knew that singing was the strongest thing I could do so I asked David if I could record a single with the profits going to charity. He took me into his studio and we recorded 'This Holy Christmas Night', then Celtic Collections released it and I went on Ireland's biggest TV show and we raised over 20,000 pounds.'
Not one to rest on her achievements, Chloë was signed to Celtic Collections and recorded her first album at 12 and her second at 14 and, in addition to singing, studies piano, guitar and recorder. Most recently, she's been touring as a soloist in 'Celtic Woman'
'The show has opened up a huge new door for me,' she says. '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 woman I've ever met and it's been a great experience.'
When you're meant to be in school, life on the road does have some disadvantages. Chloë has a personal tutor when she tours to ensure that she keeps up with her studies and she credits her friends and teachers for the success of the process. 'I said to one teacher 'thank you very much for being supportive of my having to make guest appearances at school',' she recounts. 'And she said 'well, it's not every day that one of our students spends 32 weeks at number one in the world music charts.' She was just very proud and knowing that you have that kind of support behind you makes so much of a difference.'
Chloë's system seems to be working as she's earned honors at school and she would love to get a degree in child psychology. Although even she admits that her music career might be more pressing for a while. 'The music has taken off so much I'll have to see where I go from here on in,' she says. 'My mom is such a role model to me, she's an inspiration. She toured when she was the same age as me and she got her education in with honors so I've always said that if she could do it, I could do it.
I'm really stubborn, I'd never let anything get the better of me.'
When she isn't performing, Chloë says that she's a typical teenage 'bouncing along to anything that's playing on the radio,' and admits 'I'm a huge fan of Green Day. So many people say 'here are you with this angelic voice singing 'Ave Maria' and I'm backstage rocking to Green Day but that's the teenage side of me. There is a huge different side to me that people haven't seen yet. I think I want to explore that more before I decide that's what I'd want to do. Right now the classical songs suit me for who I am right now. I don't want to rush ahead into things that will burn me out in three years time; I want to make the most of what I have now and then see what happens as my voice changes and progresses.'
Her angelic singing voice has earned Chloë a very active fan-base, something else that she's grateful for. 'The fans have been fantastic,' she says. 'Particularly in America, they're so open to something new. It�s great to see that you can develop this new show and people will grasp onto it and give it a chance. I also love meeting people. When you get up on stage and know that at least one person who likes the show is there, you have someone to play to. '
Not surprisingly, many of Chloë's fans are children. 'I got one letter from a girl who had a very rough childhood and hadn't spoken in four years. She wrote that she heard my album and had recently joined the choir. Her mom told me that I'd changed her life. That's when the hard work and blood, sweat and tears don't matter. When you know that you've done that for one person's life, it brings you to tears.'
Chloë may be young but she is already a musical veteran. Both of her parents, Adele ('Twink') King and David Agnew are successful performers and Chloë made her stage debut at 4 weeks old and sang on her mother's TV show at the age of 6. In 1998, she won the Grand Prix at the First International Children's Song Competition in Cairo, Egypt, representing Ireland with a song called "The Friendship Tree." Her big break came at the age of 11 when she approached Musical Director David Downes with the idea of recording a single for charity.
'It was shortly after September 11th and I saw an ad on TV for the children of Afghanistan and for the children in America who had lost their families,' she remembers. 'It really affected me and I remember thinking about it for weeks, just being moved and changed by it. I sat down with a friend to decide what we could do to help; you know do we have a sale or a lemonade stand? I knew that singing was the strongest thing I could do so I asked David if I could record a single with the profits going to charity. He took me into his studio and we recorded 'This Holy Christmas Night', then Celtic Collections released it and I went on Ireland's biggest TV show and we raised over 20,000 pounds.'
Not one to rest on her achievements, Chloë was signed to Celtic Collections and recorded her first album at 12 and her second at 14 and, in addition to singing, studies piano, guitar and recorder. Most recently, she's been touring as a soloist in 'Celtic Woman'
'The show has opened up a huge new door for me,' she says. '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 woman I've ever met and it's been a great experience.'
When you're meant to be in school, life on the road does have some disadvantages. Chloë has a personal tutor when she tours to ensure that she keeps up with her studies and she credits her friends and teachers for the success of the process. 'I said to one teacher 'thank you very much for being supportive of my having to make guest appearances at school',' she recounts. 'And she said 'well, it's not every day that one of our students spends 32 weeks at number one in the world music charts.' She was just very proud and knowing that you have that kind of support behind you makes so much of a difference.'
Chloë's system seems to be working as she's earned honors at school and she would love to get a degree in child psychology. Although even she admits that her music career might be more pressing for a while. 'The music has taken off so much I'll have to see where I go from here on in,' she says. 'My mom is such a role model to me, she's an inspiration. She toured when she was the same age as me and she got her education in with honors so I've always said that if she could do it, I could do it.
I'm really stubborn, I'd never let anything get the better of me.'
When she isn't performing, Chloë says that she's a typical teenage 'bouncing along to anything that's playing on the radio,' and admits 'I'm a huge fan of Green Day. So many people say 'here are you with this angelic voice singing 'Ave Maria' and I'm backstage rocking to Green Day but that's the teenage side of me. There is a huge different side to me that people haven't seen yet. I think I want to explore that more before I decide that's what I'd want to do. Right now the classical songs suit me for who I am right now. I don't want to rush ahead into things that will burn me out in three years time; I want to make the most of what I have now and then see what happens as my voice changes and progresses.'
Her angelic singing voice has earned Chloë a very active fan-base, something else that she's grateful for. 'The fans have been fantastic,' she says. 'Particularly in America, they're so open to something new. It�s great to see that you can develop this new show and people will grasp onto it and give it a chance. I also love meeting people. When you get up on stage and know that at least one person who likes the show is there, you have someone to play to. '
Not surprisingly, many of Chloë's fans are children. 'I got one letter from a girl who had a very rough childhood and hadn't spoken in four years. She wrote that she heard my album and had recently joined the choir. Her mom told me that I'd changed her life. That's when the hard work and blood, sweat and tears don't matter. When you know that you've done that for one person's life, it brings you to tears.'
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Meav "The Celtic Songbird"
Raised in a family where every event was celebrated with music, Méav was educated through the Irish language and continued to study voice, harp and piano while completing her law degree in Trinity College, Dublin. Her passion for classical and traditional Irish music has led her to sing all over the world. Before joining Celtic Woman, Méav performed as Erin the Goddess in Lord of the Dance in South Africa, and travelled all over North America as a soloist with Ireland’s RTE Concert Orchestra. She also toured widely in Europe and South America as a principal soloist with the Celtic choral group Anúna and the National Chamber Choir - Ireland’s only full-time professional choir. As a solo artist, Méav was honoured by the invitation to perform with her own band in Korea and Japan where her singing is known as “healing music”. She has always relished the opportunity of performing with artists from different musical backgrounds and particularly enjoyed singing with Elvis Costello and the Chieftains. Personal highlights of her career with Celtic Woman since its formation in 2004 include performing in Radio City Music Hall, New York, on St Patrick’s Day, and breaking Andrea Bocelli’s No.1 record position in the Billboard World music charts with their Platinum-selling Debut album. Méav’s most recent solo album “A Celtic Journey” with EMI Manhattan debuted in the Billboard World Music top ten on its release in February. Her previous solo album ” Silver Sea” is available worldwide through Celtic Collections and she is delighted that EMI Manhattan has also re-released her first solo album, “Celtic Woman Presents: Méav”. She is now pursuing a solo career with new live performances to be in due course.
Orla Fallon
Orla Fallon biography
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Orla has a saying: “it’s a long way from Knockananna to Carnegie Hall.” The singer and harpist from the tiny village in the South East of Ireland ought to know because she’s made the journey. She’s won the International Feis Ceoil and International Pan Celtic competitions twice and has toured extensively in Europe and the USA as a soloist performing her renditions of haunting Irish airs along with her own original compositions.
Orla 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.”
Aside from music, Orla’s great passion was, and continues to be, horses. Her parents sent her to a boarding school in Dublin where, for the first three years, she was able to indulge both hobbies. At that point, her music teacher suggested that she purchase her own harp in order to be able to practice on weekends and vacations. Forced to make a choice, Orla sold her pony to buy the harp. Luck wasn’t with her though and the money was stolen. To her relief, the sacrifice convinced her father that she was serious about her musical study and he purchased the harp for her.
Choosing the harp was a defining moment for the fledgling musician which was recognized by her music teacher. “She always said that through the harp and through music I’d always meet lovely people and I have. It’s brought me on so many journeys that I’d never have made but for it. Music has opened so many doors for me. It’s a great adventure.”
That adventure has, so far, seen Orla performing for the Pope in the Vatican, the President of Ireland and in the Basilica of the National Shrine in Washington, DC. She has also recorded, performed and toured with groups such as Clannad, Anuna and Oboist David Agnew. Her debut CD “The Water is Wide” has earned her critical acclaim and has led to many television and radio broadcasts, including UTV’s Kelly Show and RTE’s Open House. The album includes many of Ireland’s best-loved songs such as ‘She Moved Thro’ The Fair’, ‘Carrickfergus’ and ‘Down By The Sally Gardens’.
Most notably, Orla was chosen as one of the soloists in Celtic Woman, a project she refers to as “the opportunity of a lifetime.” Orla was invited to join by producer Sharon Browne and musical director David Downes who praised her haunting voice and it was an opportunity she jumped at. Good thing too as the ‘Celtic Woman’ CD reached number one on the Billboard World Music charts in America. Orla then performed with the group on the NBC Today Show live from Rockefeller Center in 2005 and at the St Patrick’s Day Governor’s Breakfast at The Waldorf Astoria Hotel, New York City that same year.
Through the project she has also been able to realize another of her childhood dreams; playing at Carnegie Hall in New York. “From the time I was very small and could appreciate music, my mother used to talk about Carnegie Hall and “the honor and glory to play there” and we did it in 2005. I was really emotional the whole day. My parents and all the family came over and that was just glorious. To sing “Inisfree” with the harp on that stage was brilliant.”
For Orla, one of the greatest joys of performing in ‘Celtic Woman’ is the reaction of the audiences. “People seem to be genuinely moved by the music. I’ve always said that as a performer if you manage to move one person when you’re performing, you’ve achieved something. The world is so hard and busy and it’s lovely to take time out and reflect and think and dream. Dreaming is important; it’s what keeps me going.”
In her solo work, Orla prefers simple arrangements and singing in Gaelic. “I think things sound better in Gaelic than they do in English. It’s a glorious, spiritual language.” And she writes her instrumental music on the harp. “I’ve tried it on the piano and it just doesn’t work for me,” she laughs. “Writing songs has to come naturally. I love the outdoors and gardening and I think of some of my lyrics when I’m outside walking. I’m a bit of a dreamer and am always daydreaming and songs most often come to me that way but melodies come when I’m sitting at the harp.”
Having fulfilled so many of her dreams, Orla has her sights set on singing on a movie soundtrack someday. “When I was 16 and left school, I entered the Knockananna talent competition,” she remembers, “I could only play one song on the harp but I won. There was great excitement and people were saying to me, 'Someday you’ll go to America and play in Carnegie Hall', but I never really thought that someday would come. And now it has.”
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Hayley Westenra
The three years since the release of Hayley Westenra's debut international album "Pure" have been a whirlwind. Along with her second album "Odyssey" she has achieved combined sales of over three million albums around the world making her a household name in many countries and breaking umpteen records along the way. 'Pure' is still the fastest-selling classical album in the history of the UK charts and Hayley is also the best-selling classical artist in Japan. Probably most important of all, 'Pure' is the best-selling album of all time in New Zealand. It also made the top 10 national pop charts in 11 countries. Even more significant is that the young soprano achieved all of this before her 19th birthday.
Despite all of this success, Hayley still remains the same unaffected down-to-earth girl from Christchurch, New Zealand (where her family from Monaghan travelled on a maiden voyage from Ireland in 1848). Even though she has an incredibly busy schedule, she still finds time to dedicate a great deal of energy to her role as the youngest Unicef Ambassador in the world. Her time in Ghana inspired her to initiate her own UNICEF “Bikes For Ghana” campaign.
She also has a deep interest in music therapy and is patron of the Raukaturi Music Therapy Centre in Auckland. The Centre uses the Nordoff Robbins method in using music as therapy for children with autism and other severe physical, intellectual and emotional disabilities. Hayley has appeared on both the BBC in the UK and CNN in the US with her own news features aimed at raising awareness in the benefits of music therapy. Coincidentally, in a recent survey on music therapy by a British Medical Journal, Hayley's voice was described as having the most "calming and therapeutic quality " of all music tested (including Mozart!).
She requires a quite different quality in her voice when she performs at any of the numerous sporting events around the World, which have included football (the FA Cup Final, in The Champions League for Celtic) baseball (the NBA in the US), Tennis (The Mercedes Cup in Los Angeles) and what is her proudest duty, singing the New Zealand anthem for her beloved All Blacks rugby team before their victories over the British Lions, Wales and England.
Hayley is in great demand as a duet partner and has sung with, among others, Jose Carreras, Bryn Terfel and Andrea Bocelli and recently toured with Il Divo . PBS recorded an hour long “Great Performances” TV Special in New Zealand last year. It was whilst recording another TV Special in Canada with Andrea Bocelli that Hayley saw the first Celtic Woman Special and became an immediate fan .Although currently in the middle of recording her third album , she jumped at the chance when invited to join the Celtic Woman project.
Despite all of this success, Hayley still remains the same unaffected down-to-earth girl from Christchurch, New Zealand (where her family from Monaghan travelled on a maiden voyage from Ireland in 1848). Even though she has an incredibly busy schedule, she still finds time to dedicate a great deal of energy to her role as the youngest Unicef Ambassador in the world. Her time in Ghana inspired her to initiate her own UNICEF “Bikes For Ghana” campaign.
She also has a deep interest in music therapy and is patron of the Raukaturi Music Therapy Centre in Auckland. The Centre uses the Nordoff Robbins method in using music as therapy for children with autism and other severe physical, intellectual and emotional disabilities. Hayley has appeared on both the BBC in the UK and CNN in the US with her own news features aimed at raising awareness in the benefits of music therapy. Coincidentally, in a recent survey on music therapy by a British Medical Journal, Hayley's voice was described as having the most "calming and therapeutic quality " of all music tested (including Mozart!).
She requires a quite different quality in her voice when she performs at any of the numerous sporting events around the World, which have included football (the FA Cup Final, in The Champions League for Celtic) baseball (the NBA in the US), Tennis (The Mercedes Cup in Los Angeles) and what is her proudest duty, singing the New Zealand anthem for her beloved All Blacks rugby team before their victories over the British Lions, Wales and England.
Hayley is in great demand as a duet partner and has sung with, among others, Jose Carreras, Bryn Terfel and Andrea Bocelli and recently toured with Il Divo . PBS recorded an hour long “Great Performances” TV Special in New Zealand last year. It was whilst recording another TV Special in Canada with Andrea Bocelli that Hayley saw the first Celtic Woman Special and became an immediate fan .Although currently in the middle of recording her third album , she jumped at the chance when invited to join the Celtic Woman project.
Lisa Kelly
Lisa Kelly might best be known to audiences as one of the soloists in 'Celtic Woman', but her background is purely steeped in the world of musical theatre. Her parents are both heavily involved in Ireland's amateur theatre community and Lisa fit right in, staring in the musical 'Bugsy Malone' at the age of 7. A talented actress as well as a singer, Lisa continued her studies in drama and was classically trained in both singing and piano. Her heart always belonged to the theatre though, where she has had principal roles as "Velma Kelly" in Chicago, "Florence" in Chess, "Laurie" in Oklahoma and "Sandy" in Grease. Lisa has also performed in numerous concerts in Dublin's National Concert Hall, including "The Magic of Gershwin", "The Music of Cole Porter" and "From Romberg to Rodgers'. She has won many awards for singing and drama in Ireland, among them the Feis Ceoil R&R Cup, The Tomas Moore "Singer of the Year" and "Best Female Performer" in the Northern Ireland Musical Awards.
By day, Lisa was working in the computer industry when she decided to take a break to perform in the Christmas Pantomime 'Jack and the Beanstalk' in Dublin's Gaiety Theatre. That decision led to her being cast in 2000 as the lead female vocalist in 'Riverdance ' The Show'. 'I feel so blessed,' she says. 'It really was a case of being in the right place at the right time.' Initially, Lisa wasn't sure if she was right for 'Riverdance'. 'I went into the show thinking I'd only last a couple of months. Even though 'Riverdance' is a huge show, it isn't really a musical and it's very much based on Irish music which was very different for me. Being there for so long opened my horizons for touring and heightened my appreciation for Irish music which is obviously really important for me now.'
Lisa toured the United States with the show for five years and met her husband whom she describes as 'an Australian Irish dancer' in the cast. In 2002, Lisa was approached by Celtic Collections and asked to record a solo album with Music Director David Downes. The album, 'Lisa' was released the following year to critical acclaim and features songs such as 'Lift the Wings' from 'Riverdance', and 'The Deer's Cry' from 'The Pilgrim'.
When Lisa took a break from touring for the birth of her second child, Downes approached her again. This time he said asked Lisa to become part of 'Celtic Woman' which was originally conceived to be a one-night show in Dublin's Helix Theatre. 'I wasn't doing anything that day,' Lisa laughs. 'I thought it was only going to be one night but that's how wrong you can be. I didn't know any of the girls at the time but the show is blessed with the girls they've picked.'
Lisa 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. The songs that were picked for me are very much contemporary Irish songs and I'm always given the pop or the musical-themed songs.'
Although she's developed a great appreciation for Irish music, Lisa retains her love of the theatre and the theatrical. 'Barbra Streisand would be my biggest influence because she can cross over between pop and theatre very, very well. I was also a huge fan of Madonna,' she admits with a laugh. Her favorite role so far has been in 'Chess' due to it being in a rock opera format and admits that she's performed 'Fiddler on the Roof' so many times that she could play almost any part.
But currently, she says 'Celtic Woman' is fulfilling my ambitions. I'm very lucky and I'm living my dream in so many ways.' It helps that her husband and sons have been touring with her. 'It wasn't an option for me not to bring them with me,' she says. 'My sons love being on the road more than I do now. They've seen the show and, of course, Chloe's their favorite. They know all the words and all the songs. They're both quite musical and seem to have good ears and they love the bodhran and the drums.'
Unlike many performing parents, Lisa says that she'd be more than happy for her children to follow in her footsteps. 'My parents were very supportive yet, as much as I wanted to, it was just a flook that I ended up in this business at all. Honestly, I still can't believe I get paid for what I do.'
By day, Lisa was working in the computer industry when she decided to take a break to perform in the Christmas Pantomime 'Jack and the Beanstalk' in Dublin's Gaiety Theatre. That decision led to her being cast in 2000 as the lead female vocalist in 'Riverdance ' The Show'. 'I feel so blessed,' she says. 'It really was a case of being in the right place at the right time.' Initially, Lisa wasn't sure if she was right for 'Riverdance'. 'I went into the show thinking I'd only last a couple of months. Even though 'Riverdance' is a huge show, it isn't really a musical and it's very much based on Irish music which was very different for me. Being there for so long opened my horizons for touring and heightened my appreciation for Irish music which is obviously really important for me now.'
Lisa toured the United States with the show for five years and met her husband whom she describes as 'an Australian Irish dancer' in the cast. In 2002, Lisa was approached by Celtic Collections and asked to record a solo album with Music Director David Downes. The album, 'Lisa' was released the following year to critical acclaim and features songs such as 'Lift the Wings' from 'Riverdance', and 'The Deer's Cry' from 'The Pilgrim'.
When Lisa took a break from touring for the birth of her second child, Downes approached her again. This time he said asked Lisa to become part of 'Celtic Woman' which was originally conceived to be a one-night show in Dublin's Helix Theatre. 'I wasn't doing anything that day,' Lisa laughs. 'I thought it was only going to be one night but that's how wrong you can be. I didn't know any of the girls at the time but the show is blessed with the girls they've picked.'
Lisa 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. The songs that were picked for me are very much contemporary Irish songs and I'm always given the pop or the musical-themed songs.'
Although she's developed a great appreciation for Irish music, Lisa retains her love of the theatre and the theatrical. 'Barbra Streisand would be my biggest influence because she can cross over between pop and theatre very, very well. I was also a huge fan of Madonna,' she admits with a laugh. Her favorite role so far has been in 'Chess' due to it being in a rock opera format and admits that she's performed 'Fiddler on the Roof' so many times that she could play almost any part.
But currently, she says 'Celtic Woman' is fulfilling my ambitions. I'm very lucky and I'm living my dream in so many ways.' It helps that her husband and sons have been touring with her. 'It wasn't an option for me not to bring them with me,' she says. 'My sons love being on the road more than I do now. They've seen the show and, of course, Chloe's their favorite. They know all the words and all the songs. They're both quite musical and seem to have good ears and they love the bodhran and the drums.'
Unlike many performing parents, Lisa says that she'd be more than happy for her children to follow in her footsteps. 'My parents were very supportive yet, as much as I wanted to, it was just a flook that I ended up in this business at all. Honestly, I still can't believe I get paid for what I do.'
Mairead Nesbitt
"Energy" and "Beauty' are the two words that Máiréad feels best describe what she strives for as a musician and as a person. A fiddle player since the age of 6, Máiréad 's Loughmore, Co.Tipperary background is steeped in music in the way that only those who grow up in a family of accomplished musicians can be. Her parents John and Kathleen, her sister Frances and brothers Sean, Michael, Noel and Karl are all musicians and in addition to them, Máiréad cites such diverse influences as classical violinist Itzakh Pearlman, Irish Fiddlers Liz Carroll, Michael Coleman and Andy McGann, Jazz musician Stephane Grappelli, Country player Alison Kraus and rock performers David Bowie, Sting, U2 and Bjork.
A former All-Ireland fiddle champion, Máiréad began formal training in music at the Ursuline Convent in Thurles, and continued at The Waterford Institute of Technology, the Cork School of Music under Cornelia Zanidache and at the London Royal Academy, London Trinity College, with post graduate studies under Emanuel Hurwitz on violin and piano. She is also a past member of the National Youth Orchestra of Ireland.
All along, Máiréad 's career has been one that has encompassed the contrasting styles of classical and traditional music. "Growing up, I split the two in my head," she explains. "You can count on your hand the number of fiddle players that play both classical and traditional music professionally. It's an easy thing to mix styles up badly but an altogether harder thing to do it in a professional, tasteful way given that both styles are completely different disciplines and ways of playing with distinctive techniques." Although she was advised by her teachers not to try to learn both methods of playing, she was driven to master the two differing styles.
Whereas in classical music, players read sheet music, Irish music is typically improvised or played by ear. Classical music also includes a vibrato sound not typically found in Irish music, but which Máiréad has introduced into her playing. "I knew from an early age that I wanted to play in both styles so I developed different bow-holds for each. Then I learned to compartmentalize everything in order to play both styles to the level that I wanted to. Once you get to a certain level you can bring a few elements from Irish music into classical music and vice versa. I've also brought in elements of jazz as well. I studied hard because before you break the rules, you have to be able to do everything perfectly and then you can break the odd rule and it will be tastefully done and true to the music."
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