Former Celtic Woman Star Lisa Kelly Opens Voice Academy in Georgia.
( Photo courtesy of The Lisa Kelly Voice Academy.)

On Monday, Lisa Kelly, former soprano with internationally acclaimed ensemble group Celtic Woman, taught her first classes at a new performing arts academy in Peachtree City, Georgia. Recently, I talked with her about her family's move to Georgia and this new venture, The Lisa Kelly Voice Academy.

Decision to Leave Celtic Woman

Kelly was an original member of Celtic Woman and a fan favorite. When she announced her maternity leave for her fourth child in December 2011, she expected to return to the group and its extensive touring schedule. Her family -- husband Scott Porter and Cian 10, Jack 8, and Ellie (almost 5) -- had traveled with her for eight years. But she considered what it would mean to add an infant (Harry, now 8 months) to the mix. "It is just too difficult. I want to give 100 percent in whatever I do. I can't do that as a mum and as a performer. I'm older now, too," Kelly explained. Though understanding that fans mourn, she is done with Celtic Woman for now. Instead, she and her husband settled into Peachtree City, Georgia, and are opening The Lisa Kelly Voice Academy.

Settling in Peachtree City

Kelly is from Dublin, and Porter is from Australia. They have traveled around the world together with Riverdance and Celtic Woman. They had a home in Manhattan, where Porter worked as a producer. But they wanted something different for their family, especially their children. Kelly started to look online for the best places to live. She wanted to be on the East Coast of the United States and near an airport with a direct flight to Dublin. Peachtree City kept appearing on lists of best places for families (like Money Magazine's list in 2009). Porter went to investigate. He called Kelly and told her, "You are going to love it here."

He was right. Kelly has always loved the American South. She loves the weather, the slower pace of life, and the friendliness of the people. It reminds her of Ireland (aside from the weather, perhaps). "People are even still smiling at you when they are out exercising," she quipped in her delightful brogue.

How is her family adjusting to life at home instead of on the road? "Harry is the first child I got to be home with, and it is an amazing time. It is lovely to be home." The routine is less structured, too. "It is less of a military operation," Kelly said. Touring requires a strict schedule and doesn't flex around sick children or time for play. She and Porter are enjoying the learning curve of parenting together in a new environment.

Voice Academy Takes Shape

Kelly is not one to quit working, and although Porter is usually the one full of ideas, the academy was Kelly's passion. "I have always wanted to do this. I also wanted to work together with Scott and do something to immerse ourselves in the community," she said. The academy promises to use "new methods of teaching all aspects of voice training and performance arts." Kelly explained that she had three different teachers during her training. While she loved them, they "were all cut from the same cloth" and trained using a classical approach. She maintained that to be an employable singer, versatility beyond the classical style is key. A singer has to be able to perform across many genres. Kelly said that it is important "not to destroy what children already have" by forcing a single style upon them.

Kelly wants to build her students' confidence through semiprivate group classes and a noncompetitive atmosphere. She has demonstrated the power of confidence throughout her Celtic Woman career. Her secret? "I am not the most artsy person or the best technical singer. I just love music. I love music of all kinds. Even when I was physically exhausted, I would step out onto the stage and see the sheer delight on people's faces. You never realize the impact you may have, but I just loved it."

One of the keys to long-running success, Kelly said, is showing mutual respect for everyone from the crew to the musicians and out-front performers. "You have to be easy to work with." Class schedules and pricing are worked out individually, and Kelly is teaching all the classes. Aside from joining the academy, Kelly encourages young singers to keep learning. "Use any 'no' to help you. If someone doesn't like your singing, there are probably four more who will."

Sean Durity
Yahoo Contributor Network.
February 28, 2013

Born in Derry, in the north of Ireland, Mairead Carlin’s life has been immersed in music since her early days, coming from a family whose love of song was passed down to her generation.

“Derry, my hometown, is a very cultured and very musical place, wherever you turn there’s always music,” she enthuses. “That was especially true in my family… We’d just sit around the fire, sing and drink tea – there was no alcohol involved, despite what people always think about the Irish!”

After finishing her studies at Trinity College of Music in London, Mairead was signed to Decca Records and has recorded her debut album, ‘Songbook’, due for release in 2014.

Mairead has performed for the President of Ireland, celebrated the Irish Anthem for the England-Ireland Rugby International to a TV audience of millions and shared the stage with the likes of Snow Patrol and The Priests at the 2013 BBC TV Gala Concert ‘Sons and Daughters’ to mark Derry’s year as City of Culture- of which she also recorded the City of Culture anthem ‘Let The River Run’.

She has toured the UK and Ireland with legendary American singer-songwriter Don McLean, including a sellout concert at the Royal Albert Hall. Also this year, Mairead made her debut with the National Symphony Orchestra in the National Concert Hall for RTE TV.

“A motto I’ve used throughout my career so far”, she says, “is a quote from the award-winning poet Seamus Heaney: ‘Sing yourself to where the singing comes from.’ I think there’s a lot to be said for that”.

We are delighted to be welcoming Mairead to Celtic Woman.

From the Cetic Woman Website
8/27/2013

To see a photo of Mairéad Click Here

St Lucia in the Caribbean is Susan McFadden's favourite spot



Susan McFadden, Lisa Lambe, Chloë Agnew, Máiréad Nesbitt of Celtic Woman. Picture: Supplied



What three things would you take friends visiting Dublin to see?

SM: Trinity College to see the Book of Kells. Temple Bar for the great bars and live Irish music and the Guinness Factory. I went there myself for the first time a few years ago and it was great. I know it's not very Irish but I'd never drunk Guinness until I went to the factory. They teach you how to drink it, how to appreciate the taste of it, and now I love to have a pint.

What's your favourite destination in the world?

SM: St Lucia is probably the most exotic holiday I've been on - warm water and white sand beaches.

Best thing you've eaten while travelling?

SM: In Cape Town, I did a taster menu of all these traditional South African cuisines. I think one of the things I ate was ostrich. I'd normally be really funny eating something like that but it was delicious, very different and really good.

Have you been somewhere you've loved for work that wasn't otherwise on your travel radar?

SM: We did a tour of Germany last summer. I was blown away by it. It's such a beautiful country. We (the cast and crew) would hire bicycles and ride through the cobblestone streets, past churches and old buildings. The people were so friendly and we obviously tried all the German beers. I was really taken by what a special place it was.

Worst place you've ever stayed?

SM: There have been a few (laughs). I went on a caravan holiday with my fiance a few years ago by the coast in England. We booked a caravan that would allow us to bring our dog and when we got there it was just abysmal. We were stuck in a dingy caravan with the rain pouring down the whole time we were there. It was no Four Seasons like.

Big city hotel or bed and breakfast?

SM: A comfy hotel by the sea, where I can sit on the balcony and watch the ocean.

Is there anything you can't travel without?

SM: My phone and my pyjamas. I think I have more pyjamas in my suitcase than anything else. We wear these really tight corsets during the show - not the most comfortable thing to be wearing for two-and-a-half hours every night, so it's such a relief getting into your cosy pyjamas. As soon as the show is over it's shower, pyjamas and then straight on the tour bus for a cup of tea and bed. It's not very rock and roll but it's the best feeling in the world.

Celtic Woman is touring nationally in September. See celticwoman.com for more.


Chanel Parratt
Escape
news.com.au
August 18, 2013

Former member of Celtic Woman Méav marries folk and classical music in her new album, The Calling


“I’m delighted,” former member of Celtic Woman Méav says of the response to her solo album The Calling which is released this month. “Really pleased to see the hits mounting up on YouTube for the video and getting some really nice mentions on Facebook and that kind of thing, it’s great to see people responding to it so well especially as the first song that we’ve put out there (the album’s title track) is one that I co-write with Craig Leon. That’s something I haven’t done that much of before so I was all the more nervous about putting it out there because it’s more of yourself, I suppose. Very pleased so far, can’t wait to get out there and start singing the stuff.”

The Calling sees the folk artist collaborating with Craig Leon, the producer who is well known for his work with The Ramones and Blondie. It may seem a strange move for Leon to go from working with rock bands to Celtic flavour classical with Méav but the producer has been focusing on classical music for a long time now, working with greats such as Pavarotti: “That’s the thing: He had classical training as a kid before he ever got into doing all the other work that he did. He absolutely loves folk music, he knows how to marry the two (classical and folk) and it is a tricky thing if you’ve been perceived in a classical box trying to approach music from a different genre. I really shouldn’t be surprised by people who move from one box to the other because I get annoyed if people put me in one box. I suppose he was familiar with those styles and knew how to guide me through making those connections. Growing up, I would have trained classically but all the music in school was traditional so was between those two stools always and so it felt naturally to me to be involved in both of them but people expect you to wear one hat or the other and not to be wandering around too much. He is certainly a wanderer, a troubadour, he’s been through all those styles. I think he’s a good partner for me, we’re already plotting what to do next.”

Méav first worked with the producer when she was invited to sing Don McLean’s Vincent (Starry, Starry Night) at Abbey Road for another of the producer’s projects: “It was the first time I had ever been to Abbey Road, the first time I’d met Craig and singing a song by a very well regarded composer so it could have been very intimidating but actually it turned out to be great because he immediately put me at ease. Even walking the corridors, all the musicians that have recorded there, their mugs are up on the wall so there’s no getting away from it. We just seemed to hit it off and had a kind of musical shorthand for ideas that we liked from the classical side as well as folk and everything in between. I just really enjoyed working with him.”

The twelve tracks of The Calling include the Sandy Denny tribute Listen Listen as well as covers of The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face and Black is the Colour: “Taking on a song by someone like Sandy Denny, I was very conscious of the amazing work they have done. It is intimidating to take on a song like that in a way but I wanted to pay tribute to her as a songwriter because although she’s known as a singer, perhaps some of her songs aren’t as well known as they should be. It was an opportunity to do that made all the more intimidating by putting your own songs alongside it,” the singer from Donnybrook in Dublin almost laughs.

The UK played a huge part in Méav’s early career as she was part of the renowned Anúna from 1994 to 1998, touring with Riverdance when the show first came to Hammersmith in 1995 before taking the show to America: “No one had any idea it was going to take off. As far as we were concerned, it was a week in New York and that’s all we were hoping for. It gave me a taste for the audience reaction and then I got some work with an Irish orchestra touring around the states so that’s what got me started really in the music business. It wasn’t really a plan, it just sort of happened as these things do.”

For the full interview, see the August 17 edition of The Irish World.

The Calling by Méav is out on August 26 in the UK and August 23 in Ireland. For more information, go to: http://www.meav.com/.

By David Hennessy
theirishworld.com
13 August 2013

Chloë

We’d like to take this time to announce that Chloë is taking a break from Celtic Woman to pursue solo projects. We are very happy for Chloë and wish her the very best. We look forward to working with Chloë again in the future.




Chloë statement

As most of you know by now, Celtic Woman have announced my decision to part ways. After almost ten wonderful years with Celtic Woman, it’s with a bittersweet heart that I’ve decided the time has come for me to spend some time focusing on other projects. This was no overnight decision. It has been the outcome of a lot of consideration over the last few months.

 

If you know one thing about us Celtic gals…it’s that we like to travel!!! With the last few years being so busy, our hectic schedules haven’t allowed much room to do some of the things creatively I’ve personally wanted to do for quite some time now. Along with Celtic Woman’s evolving nature, I feel it has naturally come at a good point for me to embark on a new adventure. Everyday I genuinely feel so lucky to have been a part of this incredible journey from the very beginning. I’m so thankful Celtic Woman has given me this fantastic platform to do what I love and to share it with you all over the world. To have travelled the four corners of the globe and to have had the great honor of bringing our music to people everywhere and the memories that has created is something I will cherish as long as I live.

 

The last nine years of my life would not have been the same without getting to see so many of your lovely faces, to meet you and to hear so many of your amazing stories of how the music we create within Celtic Woman has touched your lives in some way. You will never know how much the generosity of your beautiful cards, letters, gifts, tweets, Facebook messages, paintings and photo albums throughout the years have meant to me. My heart will always lie with you, the fans. I want you all to know how incredibly grateful I am that you continue to love and support me and knowing I can move forward in my life with that makes me believe anything is possible and inspires me to strive for bigger and better.

 

As always, I want to wish all my love and continued success to my Celtic family. To our insanely talented cast and crew, my dear pals in the band, to David for creating so much wonderful music for us over the years and to all my beautiful Celtic sisters who have shared this journey with me and to my amazing fans and friends all over the world…thank you for being such a massive and incredible part of my life! I’m so thrilled to share this crazy and busy time with you! I can’t wait for the exciting times ahead!

 

I love you all!

Here’s to the next chapter!

Chloë xxx


From: CelticWoman.com
Aug 5 2013

Welcome back Méav!!   You have been missed!

Méav: The Calling                    

Here comes Saint Patrick's Day and in that spirit, this week's column features an interview with Lisa Lambe of the group Celtic Woman.

PHOTO COURTESY OF LILI FORBERG
Left to right are Susan McFadden, Chloë Agnew, Máiréad Nesbitt and Lisa Lambe of the singing group Celtic Woman, which plays in the area on March 14.

Celtic Woman performs a mix of new age and pop music passed through the filter of their homeland across the pond. It was thanks to a PBS special that America first took notice of the band. The show was a huge success and they wanted to keep the ball rolling, so Celtic Woman released the album "A Christmas Celebration" in 2006 and "A New Journey" in 2007. They also toured heavily.

The 2008 album "The Greatest Journey" contained material from older albums as well as new songs, and "Songs from the Heart" followed in 2010. Then came "Believe" and "Home for Christmas" in 2012. No one could accuse this band of not working hard.

Its members are Chloë Agnew, Lisa Kelly, Máiréad Nesbitt and Susan McFadden. The following interview took place via an email exchange with Lisa Lambe in advance of the group's March 14 show at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center.

Q: The group's first performance - for PBS and CD and DVD - was supposed to be the group's only release. What was the thinking at that time?

A: Celtic Woman came together in the Helix Theatre in Dublin back in 2004 to film a DVD for what was to be a one-night performance. It was an overnight sensation and so began the incredible journey of Celtic Woman. PBS has been amazing in that it has brought Celtic Woman into almost every home in America. It's an incredible and informative network. I love to watch PBS while on tour.

Q: You mix traditional songs with your own modern material on your albums. How much thought goes into that? Do you have to treat modern songs differently when they're presented with traditional material?

A: David Downes is our incredible musical director and composer and steers the beautiful music ship that is the beating heart of Celtic Woman... When David chooses a song, even a very iconic well-known song, he has the ability to make it sound like its been created for the first time. The Celtic Woman sound and blend is very distinctive and allows the traditional sound to blend beautifully with more contemporary material.

Q: Between the last album and the latest album, was there something you were thinking you wanted to try to do differently on the new album?

A: Every album is a new and exciting project. It's always amazing to record in studio. With a new album comes new songs and new wonderful challenges. I love working with David Downes; his vision is so inspiring and I love the process of creating something new. The "Believe" album was a wonderful journey for me as it was the first full album I recorded followed by "Home for Christmas" - our second Christmas album.

Q: What makes for a good Celtic Woman album?

A: A blend of old and new, dynamic songs and rhythms, some slow laments and some fast upbeat moments... Group songs, and the endless quest for beautiful melodies and stories in the songs. It's all about the story.

Q: Who are some of your favorite singers?

A: Some of my personal heroes are Joni Mitchell, Chet Baker, Karen Carpenter, the Dixie Chicks, Allison Krauss, Shawn Colvin, Paul Brady, Eddi Reader and, of course, my hubby, baritone Simon Morgan!

By GENE MYERS
COLUMNIST
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Email: myers@northjersey.com

Hi:
Anuna : "Summer Song", featuring Lynn Hilary

2/22 Worcester, MA Hanover Theater
2/24 Toronto Sony Hummingbird
2/25 Toronto Sony Hummingbird
2/26 Montreal Place des Artes
2/28 Moncton, NB Casino New Brunswick
3/1 Halifax, NS Halifax Metro Center
3/3 Portland, ME Merrill Auditorium
3/4 Amherst, MA Mullins Center-Arena
3/6 Binghamton, NY The Forum Theatre
3/8 Utica, NY Stanley Theater
3/9 Lancaster, PA American Music Theater
3/10 Lancaster, PA American Music Theater
3/11 Erie, PA Warner Theatre
3/13 Shippensburg, PA Luhrs Center
3/15 Newark, NJ New Jersey Performing Arts Center
3/16 Wallingford, CT Oakdale
3/17 Boston,MA Wang
3/18 Manchester, NH Verizon Wireless Arena
3/20 Scranton, PA Scranton Cultural Center at The Masonic Temple
3/21 University Park, PA Eisenhower Auditorium
3/23 Providence, RI PPAC
3/24 Greenvale, NY Tilles Center
3/25 Baltimore, MD Hippodrome
3/27 Pittsburgh, PA Heinz Hall
3/28 Rochester, NY Auditorium
3/29 Syracuse, NY Landmark
3/30 Elmira, NY Clemens
3/31 Buffalo, NY Sheas PAC
4/3 Toledo, OH Stranahan
4/5 East Lansing, MI Wharton
4/6 Kalamazoo, MI Miller Auditorium
4/7 Cleveland, OH Palace
4/8 Fort Wayne, IN Embassy Theater
4/10 South Bend, IN Morris
4/12 Sioux Falls, SD Washington Pavilion
4/13 Grand Forks, ND Chester Fritz
4/14 Minneapolis, MN Orpheum
4/15 Milwaukee, WI Milwaukee Theatre
4/17 Des Moines, IA Civic Center
4/19 Indianapolis, IN Murat
4/20 Chattanooga, TN Memorial
4/21 Richmond, KY EKU Center
4/22 Springfield, IL Sanagamon
4/24 Dayton, OH Schuster
4/25 Louisville, KY Palace
4/27 Cherokee, NC Harrahs
4/28 Durham, NC DPAC
4/29 Charlotte, NC Belk
5/1 Atlanta, GA Fox
5/3 Jacksonville, FL Times Union
5/4 Savannah, GA John Mercer Theater
5/5 Orlando, FL Bob Carr
5/6 Ft. Myers, FL Barbara B. Mann
5/8 Lakeland, FL Lakeland Theater
5/10 Sarasota, FL Van Wezel
5/11 Coral Springs, FL Center for the Arts
5/12 West Palm, FL Kravis Center
5/13 Melbourne, FL King Center
5/15 Columbus, GA River Center
5/17 Oklahoma City, OK Gaylord Center
5/18 Longview, TX Belcher Center
5/19 Dallas, TX Verizon
5/20 San Antonio, TX Majestic
5/21 Midland, TX Wagner Noël PAC
5/26 Phoenix, AZ Casino
5/27 Las Vegas Smith Center
5/29 San Rafael Marin Center
5/30 San Rafael Marin Center
5/31 Santa Ynez Chumash
6/2 Portland, OR Schnitzer
6/3 Vancouver, BC Queen Elizabeth
6/5 Seattle, WA Paramount
6/6 Spokane, WA INB Opera House
6/7 Boise, ID Morrison
6/9 Rapid City, SD Rushmore Plaza
6/10 Morrison CO Red Rocks
6/12 Omaha, NE Orpheum
6/13 Highland Park, IL Ravinia
6/15 Vienna, VA Wolftrap
6/16 Bethel, NY Bethel Woods

Celtic Woman will be kicking off their Christmas Celebration Symphony Tour this weekend and will also be appearing on QVC next week.

The Christmas Celebration Symphony Tour, with tour ensemble Chloë Agnew, Lisa Lambe, Susan McFadden, and Celtic Violinist Máiréad Nesbitt, begins on December 1st in Foxwoods, CT and will conclude in Huntsville, AL on December 22nd.

Celtic Woman will be performing songs from their new Christmas album, Home For Christmas, on QVC December 5th at 12pm EST to promote an exclusive bundle of the album with a special 6-track bonus CD, A Christmas Celebration sampler.

The group will be taking a short break for the holidays before embarking on a 67 date North American tour next year.


Celtic Woman – Home For Christmas
Album Tracklisting:
1. I'll Be Home For Christmas (Lisa Lambe)
2. Hark The Herald Angels Sing (Chloë Agnew, Méav Ní Mhaolchatha, Lisa Lambe, Máiréad Nesbitt)
3. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town (Chloë Agnew, Máiréad Nesbitt)
4. Silent Night (Méav Ní Mhaolchatha)
5. We Three Kings (Lisa Lambe, Chloë Agnew, Méav Ní Mhaolchatha)
6. We Wish You A Merry Christmas (Chloë Agnew, Méav Ní Mhaolchatha, Lisa Lambe, Máiréad Nesbitt)
7. What Child Is This (Méav Ní Mhaolchatha, Máiréad Nesbitt)
8. Adeste Fidelis (Chloë Agnew)
9. Winter Wonderland (Chloë Agnew, Méav Ní Mhaolchatha, Lisa Lambe, Máiréad Nesbitt)
10. Mary's Boy Child (Lisa Lambe, Chloë Agnew, Méav Ní Mhaolchatha)
11. Auld Lang Syne (Lisa Lambe)
12. Joy To The World (Lisa Lambe, Chloë Agnew, Méav Ní Mhaolchatha)

Celtic Woman – A Christmas Celebration
Sampler Tracklisting:
1. O Holy Night
2. Away In A Manger
3. Ding Dong Merrily On High
4. Panis Angelicus
5. Don Oíche Úd I mBeithil (That Night In Bethlehem)
6. O Come All Ye Faithful

Christmas Celebration Symphony Tour
12/01 Foxwoods, CT MGM Grand at Foxwoods
12/03 Pittsburgh, PA Heinz Hall
12/04 Pittsburgh, PA Heinz Hall
12/06 Detroit, MI The Fox Theatre
12/07 Merrillville, IN Star Plaza Theater
12/08 Naperville, IL Pfeiffer Hall
12/09 Naperville, IL Pfeiffer Hall
12/11 Costa Mesa, CA Segerstrom Center for the Arts
12/13 Temecula, CA Pechanga Resort and Casino
12/14 Temecula, CA Pechanga Resort and Casino
12/15 Indio, CA Fantasy Springs
12/16 Tucson, AZ Centennial Hall
12/18 College Station, TX Rudder Auditorium
12/20 Atlanta, GA Symphony Hall
12/21 Anniston, AL Anniston PAC
12/22 Huntsville, AL Von Braun Center