Courtesy of miller auditorium
Celtic Woman is bringing its tour to the United States for the eighth time. It performs Nov. 7 at Western Michigan University’s Miller Auditorium.
KALAMAZOO — They call her “Tinkerbell,” and everyone who has a chance to see tiny Máiréad Nesbitt flit and prance around the Miller Auditorium stage barefoot, sprinkling fairy dust on the audience in her strapless, flowing gown, will see just why.
She plays her solo Celtic violin and accompanies four vocalists — Chloë Agnew, Lisa Kelly, Lynn Hilary and Alex Sharpe — who, along with Nesbitt and a 19-member band and choir, make up Celtic Woman, which has held the No. 1 position on Billboard Magazine’s world-music charts for 90 consecutive weeks.
Nesbitt said the group captures the hearts of audiences with dazzling performances that she calls “a visual feast.”
“The Irish sounds are beautiful, but so is the lighting,” she said. “We use movement as an element to create beauty during the show, and the dresses are just gorgeous.”
When the talented beauties make their Kalamazoo debut, with David Downes as their musical director, arranger and composer, they’ll deliver angelic renditions of Irish standards, classical favorites and contemporary hits.
The show, titled “Isle of Hope,” features beloved favorites that include “The Sky and the Dawn and the Sun,” “Danny Boy” and “Spanish Lady,” as well as brand-new renditions of “Fields of Gold” and “Have I Told You Lately That I Love You,” and an original anthem by Brendan Graham called “O, America.”
The song is a tribute that has special meaning for the Irish ladies of Celtic Woman.
“America is a very special place to us — it really is our ‘Isle of Hope,’” Nesbitt said. “It’s the first country that we were named Top World Music Artist by Billboard Magazine, and we’ve been there ever since. ‘O, America’ is our way of tying the music of home, which we love, with the music of another country we love.”
She said Celtic Woman performances have broad appeal, and are wildly popular with children. Young boys are crazy for the drummers, who sign and give away drumsticks at the meet-and-greet following each concert.
“For little girls, it’s the dresses — sometimes they get up and dance,” she said. “They just love it.”
Celtic Woman has sold over three million CDs and DVDs to date; “Isle of Hope” is its eighth U.S. tour in four years, with seven of them sold-out in such illustrious venues as Radio City Music Hall and Carnegie Hall, both in New York City; Boston’s Opera House; and L.A.’s Greek Theatre.
By Kelle Barr
November 01, 2009, 7:52AM
MLive.com Detroit
Kalamazoo Entertainment
