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« on: June 28, 2009, 04:16:55 AM » |
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The Irish music group Celtic Woman brought their worldly tunes and unique stage show to the Bryce Jordan Center on Tuesday night for the second time in the group's four year history.
The five female entertainers interwove cultural music, recognizable covers, spirited dance and instrumentation for the show that a crowd filling a little under half of the BJC witnessed.
Accompanying vocalists Chloë Agnew, Órla Fallon, Lisa Kelly, Alex Sharpe, and dancing violinist Máiréad Nesbitt was a six person back-up singing ensemble which added dimension to the harmonies and vocal variance during solo numbers.
The stage, decorated with draping fabric and various virtual projections, also held a six-person band with a pianist, guitarist, bassist and two percussionists who played behind full overhead set-ups with various symbols, chimes, bass and snare drums.
The group performed a wide variety of songs, including a mixture of covers from Disney songs like "You'll Be In My Heart" from Tarzan, Enya's "Sail Away" and "You Raise Me Up" by Josh Groban.
During a 20-minute intermission between acts, 9-year-old Kate Altmanshofer from Holidaysburg said she was excited for what was to come in the rest of the performance.
"I liked it so far, but they haven't played my favorite song yet," she said.
Altmanshofer added she enjoyed the music because of her current status as an Irish dancer. She took a particular liking to the female violinist, who was the main instrumentalist in many of the traditional Celtic numbers.
"I want to learn to play the violin like her," Altmanshofer said.
Kathy Zamias, a Johnstown native with a daughter who currently attends Penn State, held a floor ticket for Tuesday's performance. It was her second time seeing Celtic Woman live, and she said she has been a fan since she picked up a copy of the group's CD in a Hallmark store a few years ago.
"I bought [the CD] and I felt like I was in fairyland," she said about the group's light, whimsical tunes.
The show came to a climactic culmination when the group very humbly thanked the audience for coming, and dedicated a new song to America, saying they were grateful the country embraced them as Celtic women when they arrived here four years ago.
They also extended thanks to the BJC for allowing them a return visit.
"As of this evening we are the owners of Penn State jerseys," vocalist Chloë Agnew said. "We will wear them proudly."
Beth Ann Downey
Collegian Staff Writer
University Park, Pennsylvania
June 27, 2009 9:23 PM
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