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Máiréad Nesbitt, Celtic Woman’s fiddler, gets her energy from having been in Michael Flately's Lord of the Dance before joining Celtic Woman.

Since the troupe started performing in 2004, it has taken the world by storm.

Celtic Woman currently consists of Chloë Agnew, Lisa Lambe, Susan McFadden and Máiréad Nesbitt. The cast has gone through a few lineup changes since the group was founded by David Downes in 2004, with the most recent being Lisa Kelly taking the 2012 tour off to have a child.

Nesbitt, Celtic Woman’s fiddler, says changes have kept the group fresh.

“The changes weren’t very often, so we had the luxury of staying together for a very long time. Now that Lisa Kelly is gone to have her fourth child, we have Susan McFadden. They both have very powerful voices, but they’re different. We know how to adapt now.”

Despite the changes, the women remain true to their sound.

“Time goes by very fast and you get used to people very quickly,” Nesbitt said. “They know how they want to contribute to our sound, and it also brings a bit of freshness, too. The sound has definitely maintained the Celtic Woman fans.”

The group’s new show should be their biggest, Nesbitt said.

“Our new show, ‘Believe,’ is a massive, big show with new sets, costumes, lights, sounds and everything. It’s a spectacle for the eye as well as the ear. We have surprises for everyone, and everyone has their own solos.”

Nesbitt says her family and hard work got her to where she is now.

“I’m from a musical family and we all play. It was a great way of communicating with each other and it just seemed natural,” she said. “My mother and father are musicians. It went from there. Basically, I play traditional Celtic music with a background in classical, so I play different styles.”

That diversity is what helped Nesbitt become a part of the group.

“I was asked to be a part of ‘Celtic Woman’ and it was fantastic to be asked,” she said. “It felt really, really great. It was only supposed to be one night in Dublin, but after recording the DVD for PBS, we had no idea it was going to be so popular. It was a very welcome surprise.”

Nesbitt also spent some time working with some of Ireland’s other big hit shows.

“I had done a little bit of recording for ‘Riverdance.’ I had just finished my post-grad in London and I came back to Ireland and got a job with a fantastic orchestra. When I had worked with ‘Riverdance,’ I had just graduated and gotten a job in Ireland and didn’t want to leave Ireland at the time. When ‘Lord of the Dance’ came up, I decided that was the thing to do and it was great working with Michael Flatley and all the other dancers, and it was a great way to see the world.”

Celtic Woman has traveled the globe as well. But the group’s tour doesn’t allow for the usual kind of sightseeing.

“You don’t get to see very much because we’re very, very busy,” Nesbitt said. “We do a lot of promotion and touring. Our type of touring is a very rock ’n roll-type touring. We do a different city every night, so it is extremely intense and a lot of hard work.”

Of the show “Believe” she said, “There is something for everybody. It is a family show. We’re proud of that. It’s very important to us. We’re very passionate about what we do. We all come from different backgrounds, so it brings something different from everyone.”

By STEPHEN DOUGLAS
The Saratogian
Springs, NY
Published: Wednesday, March 07, 2012