The Women of Celtic Woman: Lisa Kelly, left, Chloë Agnew, Alex Sharpe, Máiréad Nesbitt and Lynn Hilary.
LISA Kelly only agreed to sign up as a member of Celtic Woman because she was assured it would be a one-off event.
Seven years later and the Irish mother of three is still touring the globe with the musical sensation that's packing stadiums and selling records in the millions.
Speaking on the phone from Florida – "Sorry I'm puffing but I've literally just run off the stage" – Kelly says the Celtic Woman chemistry was obvious from the start.
"None of us knew each other at the time, but it just felt magical," she says.
"I think I knew there and then that it wasn't going to be a one-nighter.
"Something really special happened on the stage that night and it's been the same ever since. It's just a joy to sing with each other."
Celtic Woman is the brainchild of David Downes, the musical director of Riverdance. Combining elements of Celtic mysticism with elaborate stage shows and big female vocals proved a winning formula, particularly in the US where the group is 14 weeks into a 17-week sellout tour.
Kelly had just resigned as a cast member on Riverdance when Downes asked her to join his new project.
"I'd just left Riverdance as I was pregnant with my second child," she recalls.
"I was approached by David and asked if I'd be interested in doing a one-night PBS special
" I was delighted to take part, but I only agreed because I knew it was only going to be one night. Well, that one night has turned into years!"
Kelly's musical education started early, growing up in a family "mad about musical theatre and pop music and rock music".
"When I was very young my mum was in a show and I got to be one of the kids in the production and I was bitten by the bug straight away," she says.
"My dad always said that when I was born and the doctor shone a light on me I took a bow. It was destined to be."
However, she insists being a member of a musical family is par for the course in Ireland, a country that takes pride in the fact that everyone can carry a tune and everyone loves "the craic".
"I think everybody in Ireland grows up with music in their house, that's true," she says. "My husband is actually Australian, and it always amazes him that everybody sings or dances or plays an instrument. It's a huge part of our culture and heritage."
For Celtic Woman, Kelly is joined on stage by fellow singers Chloë Agnew, Lynn Hilary and Alex Sharpe, and fiddler Máiréad
Nesbitt, along with a spectacular troupe of drummers and musicians, atmospheric lighting and fantastic effects. Think, if you can, of something resembling Clannad-meets-Pink Floyd with a big dash of Enya.
Despite the stress and strains of touring, not to mention touring with three young children in tow, Kelly says her time on stage with her "girls" makes it all worth while.
"There are times where we might have six shows in a row in six different cities and there's a lot of driving and stuff – that's the hard part of what we do," she says.
"But that 2½ hours on stage every night, hand on my heart, I can say that if I ever have to fake a smile or wince my way through a show then I know my time is up.
"Thankfully, I don't think it will ever be like that. It's truly wonderful."
Kelly says while her three children, sons Cian and Jack and daughter Ellie, loved life on the road with Celtic Woman, it's not all room service and fun.
"Having three kids is difficult no matter what you do, but I'm very lucky that I can bring them on tour with me," she says. "The boys are seven and five now, and they've been touring since they were born. And my daughter is only two.
"Being on the road with kids is very regimented and you have to be very strict with them. There are a lot of rules.
"But they're getting to see places that their friends will probably never see. It's wonderful for them and they really don't realise how lucky they are."
Kelly says a big reason for the success of Celtic Woman, particularly in the US, is the fact that it's a 100 per cent family-friendly show.
In an age where even teen-focused performers, such as Pink and Britney Spears, are putting on R-rated concerts, Kelly thinks parents are looking for something more wholesome.
"It's something that you're very comfortable bringing the whole family to," she says.
"The show we did tonight, there were three-year-old girls in the front row, and right next to them there were two old ladies well into their 80s."
Kelly says the whole group is excited about bringing the show to Australia for the first time.
"It's a huge thing for Irish people to come to Australia, it's what we love to do," she says, laughing.
"And we get a lot of mail from our Australian fans, so we can't wait to get down there and meet them."
Celtic Woman will perform at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre on November 3. Tickets go on sale on May 6 through ticketek.com.au or 132 849.
Nathan Davies
From: The Sunday Mail (Qld)
April 24, 2010 9:52AM
Bowen Hills, Queensland Australia
