From left to right: Lisa Kelly,Lynn Hilary, standing is Chloë Agnew and Alex Sharpe, setting in the front is Máiréad Nesbitt
WAUKEGAN -- There will be 34 more stops on the autumn leg of Celtic Woman's 2009 U.S. tour. And the road to the final curtain in Long Beach, Calif., not only goes through Waukegan, it begins in Waukegan.
The Irish music quintet, which introduced itself to the States in 2005 via a PBS special that has become a pledge-drive staple, has been in town all week, running through two days of rehearsals for today's 7:30 p.m. performance at the Genesee Theatre.
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The Irish music ensemble Celtic Woman will play tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Genesee Theatre in Waukegan.
Courtesy photo
Chloe Agnew -- who, at age 20, has been with the group since its inception and has been singing professionally since age 12 -- said time has flown since the group ended the summer leg of the "Isle of Hope" tour on July 2 at the famed Red Rocks Amphitheater.
"It just feels like we never left," she said Tuesday during a break between rehearsals. "We finished in July at Red Rocks in Denver -- absolutely one of our favorite places to perform -- and we were at home in Ireland with our families and friends for about a month before we flew back for the fall tour."
While at home, the group gathered in County Wicklow to perform at Powerscourt Estate, an 18th century house and gardens. Agnew said the result will be a CD/DVD titled "Songs From the Heart," due for release in November and for viewing on PBS during the holiday season.
Celtic Woman's four previous PBS specials have reportedly been seen more than 13,600 times on 685 stations across the U.S., and their four CDs have reached beyond three million in sales. Asked what draws American audiences to music from the Emerald Isle, the Dublin native noted that "so many of our own came over" to form a bond between the countries.
"For such a small, little country, for such a small, little island, (Ireland) really has made its mark all over the world," she said. "When we tour here, so many people will come up and say, 'Oh, I'm part Irish' ... That's where their families came from, and the music really connects them to that.
"And Irish is music," she added. "It is so connected to its people. In times of grief and in times of happiness, the Irish always turn to their music."
Celtic Woman performances feature Agnew sharing vocals with Lynn Hilary, Lisa Kelly and Alex Sharpe, with violinist Máiréad Nesbitt providing primary accompaniment. The group is also backed by a full orchestra and a complement of dancers.
The menu of songs includes such contemporary tunes as "Fields of Gold" and "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You" and classics like "Danny Boy." Agnew said she feels a "wonderful energy from our live shows," which typically run more than two hours with an intermission.
After Waukegan, the tour will head to Midwest stops that include Merrillville, Ind., and Wisconsin Dells before heading west and concluding on Nov. 22 in California. Agnew said her attention was caught by the location of Thursday's stop on the campus of the University of Illinois-Springfield, noting with a laugh that it's "the home of 'The Simpsons.'"
By DAN MORAN
October 7, 2009
Lake County News-Sun
Waukegan, IL
