Celtic Woman

Celtic Woman | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 1, 2005)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Manhattan Records
• ASIN: B0007GAEGC
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  DVD Audio  |  DVD  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (683 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,434 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #4 in Music > World Music > Europe > British Isles > Ireland
  • #8 in Music > World Music > Celtic > General

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Fueled by healthy public appetite for traditional melodies and quasi-ethnic roots, the crossover genre continues to flourish with this debut release from Ireland's Celtic Woman ensemble. The brainchild of Sharon Browne, Dave Kavanaugh (founders of Ireland's successful Celtic Collections label) and young Riverdance touring company musical director David Downes, CW's five young women musicians and vocalists offer up an ever pleasant, Eire-savvy fusion of folk, pop and classical influences. Avoiding the intrusive, club-beat/sex kitten window dressing of Bond, the ensemble tackles material that ranges from the expected (spare, lovely covers of "Danny Boy" and "Ave Maria") to more adventurous fare like "Nella Fantasia" (Ennio Morricone's vocal adaptation of his rapturous theme from The Mission) and Enya's "Orinoco Flow." Elsewhere, "The Butterfly" offers up fiddle-fueled take on their Riverdance parallels (which also get a workout on the live bonus tracks), if renditions of Downes' originals like "One World" and "Send Me a Song" and "Someday" from Disney's animated Hunchback of Notre Dame hew slavishly to the middle of the road -- which largely seems the album's easy-listening intention. --Jerry McCulley

Product Description

The brainchild of musical director, conductor, composer and arranger, David Downes (MD 'Riverdance'), Celtic Woman is the perfect showcase for some of Ireland's most dynamic new musical talent. Chloe Agnew (vocalist), Lisa Kelly (vocalist), Orla Fallon (vocalist and harpist), Mairead Nesbitt (violin) and Maev (vocalist) perform a number of haunting Celtic songs that include traditional standards and uptempo contemporary compositions. Celtic Woman was released in America just over a year ago where the album stayed at No.1 in the Billboard World Music Chart for 53 weeks.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

304 of 311 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Such beautiful voices March 19, 2005

By Erica Anderson

Format:DVD

I recently caught a viewing of Celtic Woman on my local PBS station. I must say that this performance really took my breathe away. The music was a good mix of celtic and classical/pop. I thought the four singers were quite good. I could not help but take notice of the clarity in their vocal performances. I love classical-crossover artists like Sarah Brightman and Josh Groban but those artists don't restrain their vocals a lot of the time. The women in Celtic Woman shows that you don't need to enunciate every single note to show that she can sing or to emphasize the emotion in the song. Don't get me wrong, I like Sarah and Josh but I often find their voices overwhelming at times. In the case of Celtic Woman, they have shown that they can sing without restorting to vocal acrobatics. The other member of Celtic Woman is a violinist named Máiréad Nesbitt who I found very engaging to watch. Her enthusiasm for performing really showed. The songs in this performance were fantastic. I was completely blown away when I listened to 15 year old Chloe sing "Walking in the Air", a song that my favorite heavy metal band Nightwish has performed on their "Oceanborn" cd. It was quite a contrast from what I was used to hearing. My favorite song that Chloe sang has to be the beautiful ballad "Someday". I was simply moved by the song. My other personal favorite performance was for the song "Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring", my favorite song by Sebastian Bach. I couldn't help but notice that the group did quite a few songs by Enya which were really excellent. I couldn't help but notice how similiar their voices were to Enya's. On a couple of occasions I closed my eyes, I thought I was listening to Enya herself. The one thing about this performance that I found rather unintentionally funny is the audience members. A few of them looked about as 'enthusiastic' to be there as I am at the dentist office. My most deeply personal favorite moment of the performance was the women's interpretation of "You Raise Me Up". Their version by far is the best I have heard. I was speechless when I heard them sing this lovely song. Otherwise this was a really great performance. Too bad when I saw it on tv, I had to put up with the annoying interrruptions because it is pledge season at PBS. After seeing this wonderful performance, I so want to see them live in concert when they come to my neck of the woods in October this year. They just made a new fan out of me.

310 of 331 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Truly enchanting March 22, 2005

By Erica Anderson

Format:Audio CD

I recently discovered Celtic Woman courtesy of my local PBS station that aired their performance that is already out on dvd. I just fell in love the mix of classical and celtic music. What really struck me was the clarity of the women's vocals were. Lisa, Chloe, Meav, and Orla sang with great restraint and did not go down the Celine Dion route and oversing each high note known to mankind. While I do think that Lisa and Meav has the strongest set of pipes, it does not mean that I think Chloe and Orla has thin, weak vocals. I just thought Lisa and Meav's vocals really stood out for me.

My most personal favorite song on the album is the gorgeous ballad "Someday" from Disney's "Hunchback of Notre Dame". I was truly moved by Chloe's performance when I saw her sing it on the PBS special. That song along is why I bought this cd. It is a beautiful song that sends chills down my spine every time I listen to it. Chloe also does a stunning job on "Walking in the Air". It is quite a contrast from the heavy metal version by Nightwish. Another favorite song is "Harry's Game" sung by Orla. Her vocals on this song also gives me the chills. I am so glad that "Si Do Mhaimeo i (The Wealthy Widow)" was included on the cd. It is one of my favorite songs from the PBS special. A very playful song. I wish I knew what the english translation were. Another favorite highlight for me on this album is their version of "You Raise Me Up". That really made the hair on my arms stand up tall. It really moved me emotionally, more so than Josh Groban's version. What I found rather interesting about the recorded version and the live version on the PBS special is that the recorded version sounded like it was sung strictly by Meav while the credits listed Meav, Lisa, Chloe and Orla. If you listened to this cd as much as I have (which is a few times a day), you can easily recognize Meav's delicate soprano vocals.

I wish that the cd also included Enya's "Marble Halls" and Bach's "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring". They were simply breathtaking. Other than that, I loved this entire cd. There was not a single song that I didn't like or felt should have been left out. I look forward to hearing more music from the women of Celtic Woman.

202 of 214 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Wild Irish Goddesses in Song April 17, 2005

By Mars Velvet

Format:Audio CD

What a project. If you look back in the 90s, you will see the music industry trying to catch on to as many trends and styles as possible.

There was Ska, there was Swing, there was Latin Pop and other World Music. And due to several factors (Enya's popularity, Clannad's TV clip causing a riot of people to find that song from the VW commerical, the Titanic's soundtrack which featured Irish Music, and of course Riverdance) Celtic Music became the next trend.

But when the new century came, the industry had moved on. Pity.

Until now that is......... David Downes should be congratulated for bringing about this event. He has done it, again! Also kudos go the angels who performed on this disc: Lisa, Meav, Orla, Chloe, and Mairead.

Honestly, this CD had to grow on me, as I didn't get to see the special on TV. Eventually I began to really enjoy this disc. Standout tracks for me:

"Last Rose of Summer/Walking in the Air" sounds like an angel lost in a cathedral. Just gorgeous! Lilting and atmospheric. A new Charlotte Church is found!

"May it Be" is sung slightly different from Enya. Where Enya sings with high airy delicateness. This is sung with strength tempered with softness. Very beautiful.

"Siuil a Run (Walk My Love)" is an old song. It is sung from the point of view of a woman whose love has gone to war. Her voice is sad and beautiful at the same time. Some of the men from the Irish Brigade had gone to fight in France, around the 17th century. They were known as the Wild Geese, and sadly, they never came home. The only other version of this song that measures up is by Clannad, on their album DULAMAN.

"Orinoco Flow" is of course another Enya song. A march of music set to words about wind currents and exotic places. I laughed at this version on CELTIC WOMAN... at first. Only because the choir of voices singing the chorus surpirsed me. This has grown on me, and I love it now.

"Harry's Game" is a Clannad track. A gaelic proverb dedicated to the strife of mankind, and the conflict of Northern Ireland. This version is sung without harmonies and the single voice is plaintive and poetic. A wonderful cover.

"Nella Fantasia", "Danny Boy" and "Ave Maria" all sound beautiful in this Irish setting of voices.

In conclusion, CELTIC WOMAN explores the mysterious quality that is found in the lost legends of the emerald isle and the atmospheric voices of the Wild Irish Goddesses. Enjoy!