Customer Reviews

Celtic Woman

5 star:		(205)
4 star:		(26)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

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.

This type of music, this type of performance, is not usually my cup of tea, and I only chanced upon it while channel-surfing through a spate of commericals during a college football game. All I can say is thank God for remote controls. I was smitten in minutes and have watched the repeat of this performance four times in the last four days. Yes, I am newly in love, crushed as goofily, giddily and gratefully as I was back in my schoolboy days, but I profer this with no sexist agenda at all: First, these ladies are sinfully gorgeous --each looks like she may just have stepped off the pages of a fairy tale (most appropriate, given the backlit castle set looming up behind them); Secondly, they move with the willowy grace of the wind through an Irish meadow. Third, and most importantly, collectively and individually, they sound precisely like what I expect (what I hope)to hear when the Pearly Gates swing open for me, a sound majestic, angelic, soaring and soothing. Some things are achingly beautiful: "Danny Boy" (moved me to tears), "Somewhere," "Beyond the Sea", but I found everything to be enthralling and enchanting, hypnotic and mesmerizing, delivered with seamless grace and charm, touching elegance and class.

I've read some negative reviews here. I find that somewhat discouraging. In a world in which "femininity," so-called Girl Power, is cynically and crudely represented by the rephrehensible likes of The Pussycat Dolls, Brittney (sp?) Spears, Madonna, Gwen Stefani (sp?), and those of similarly sleazy ilk, these women, their voices, their performance, is like a lilting breath of proverbial fresh air. I don't know how hard-hearted or headed one has to be the regard this aural and visual splendor with anything other than an adoring eye, but I'm glad I'm not there yet. One of the best, nicest things I've seen anywhere in ages. Bravo. Bravo! BRAVO!!

This was worth every penny. Méav and Lisa's vocals stand out the most to me. 15 Year old Chloe has a great clarity to her voice, but her voice can seem thin at times. Great traditional Irish music, and modern music. Máiréad Nesbitt soars on fiddle just as she did in Maichael Flately's "Lord Of The Dance" and "Feet of Flames". I totally recommend you see the DVD and then get the CD for the music. If you are a fan of angelic voices and celtic music then you will not be disappointed.

My aunt sent me a copy of this DVD as a congrats for getting out of school. I was a bit wary of it, at first, I thought "it's going to be something corny, isn't it." But it wasn't. Since my father's side of the family is richly saturated in everything Ireland (he's 100% Irish) I was awfully moved by all of the traditional songs they did, specifically the ones in Gaelic. The fiddle pieces were fantastic, since I play violin/fiddle I got extreamly excited to see a fiddler showcased.
This DVD is worth the buy, whether it's for you or for a family member who enjoys all things Celtic, the show is energizing and it's really nice to actually see the people singing, instead of just hearing it.

The visual effect of this DVD is strikingly beautiful. Unfortunately, the sound seems shallow and in some cases has some static on the high notes. The CD version has wonderful sound, though. I recommend that interested parties buy both the DVD and the CD.

As per the reply from someone from the Celtic Woman production team, to whom I had written to inquire about the lip-synching issue, the audio heard on the DVD is not necessarily the same that corresponds to the images, meaning that it is dubbed and edited over the video. In addition, the images on the DVD are from different shows, and they are all edited together to make it seem as if they were all from the same concert. Here is a copy of the reply they sent me:

"Putting together DVDs and albums are very complicated and take many months of work. The DVD is shot over a number of performances, and sometimes the audio may come from a different performance and therefore may not exactly match despite the best technical efforts."

So what this means in plain terms, and I explain it for those who are so emotionally overwhelmed by the concert that they can't see straight, is that the DVD editing team took the sound recording of one concert, and put it over the images of another concert, and combined it so that the sound you are hearing as the singers perform on the DVD is not the actual sound that corresponds to the video. Also, as the email indicates, as you watch the concert progress from one song to the next, you could be seeing different concerts altogether that could've taken place weeks or months apart. All this amounts to a reprehensible misrepresentation by the producers of the DVD, in that it misleads the viewers into thinking they are watching and hearing the actual concert as it happened, rather than a dubbed-over production. No wonder there are so many discrepancies between the voices and the images, as the artists 'sing'. It is unfortunate this is so. The music is beautiful, and there certainly is talent there, this is why I am disappointed (In contrast, I could care less about Ashlee Simpson lip-synching on SNL; low talent=low expectations).

I think the producers of Celtic Woman should have just recorded a single concert, with or without flaws, and presented it as is, keeping the post-production editing to a minimum. This is what makes a live concert special; it doesn't have to be perfect, and anyone with half a brain will understand that. If we want a perfect recording that's what the studio album is for. So the bottom line is, if you're going to buy this DVD you should be aware that this is not a true live concert, in that the music you are hearing does not come from the same concert you are watching.

I have been reading many of the reviews in here about Celtic Woman. I personally think they are all very talented women, and the concert is nothing short of sensational.
We are living in a world of recordings that are cleaned up all the time.
They take instruments and voices and electronically make them hit notes and make sounds that they cannot do live.
Many live concets are overdubbed and even have things added later in the studio.
I really belive if I were to go see Celtic Woman live in concert, I would see pretty much what this DVD shows.
I would hear 4 outstanding lady vocalists and a great violinist.
I have listened to this CD and DVD several times in the last week and now find myself buying the solo albums as well.
Anyway you slice the pie, these are very talented women.
I know there are flaws in the DVD, but the voices are nothing short of heavenly.
Lisa in my mind is probably the best of the singers. Meav is one of the finest soprano voices in the world. Chloe is also very talented, especially for such a young woman.
Orla is the most authentic of the 4 vocalists.
Mairead is among the finest violinists in the wold. I would go just to see her in concert alone. I bought the CD and listened to it and curiousity killed the cat and I simply had to see them live. I bought this DVD and have been watching it a few times a week ever since.
So when you read these reviews about the flaws, ignore them and get ready for a concert that will haunt you.
In a day of rap and other types of music that dont resonate, its wonderful to hear 5 ladies with so much talent...ENJOY

Prior to watching this DVD I read several personal reviews here on Amazon which criticized the performers, cuts, and audio quality. All I can say after watching this is that those who criticized the sound quality must own substandard DVD players or audio equipment because the sound quality and balance between the lead vocals, background vocals, and instrumentals was perfect in my studio.

I do agree that some of the the vocalists could have been more animated; however, their physical beauty and vocal talents more than made up for any shortcomings. This DVD -- and the corresponding CD recording -- will hold a high position in my Celtic music collection. Several of the music tracks have an airy quality -- in the style of Enya and other traditional Celtic vocalists -- so this may not be everyone's cup of tea. But for those who appreciate beautiful soprano voices with amazing instrumental arrangements, this is the DVD to buy!!

BTW: The voice of Chloe combined with the musical talent of David Agnew on the Oboe made for an absolutely stunning rendition of Nella Fantasia.

BUY THIS DVD.

The first singer on the DVD is Chole, a 15 year old with a voice that should be illegal for someone her age. What an amazing voice. Next up is Meav with a rendition of "Danny Boy" that is one of the best arrangements and performance of this classic song I have ever heard. Then we get treated to the instrumentalist of this group, Mairead. She dances around a lot (I would guess that comes from her being the lead solo violinist for "Lord of the Dance"), but she can play the fiddle. Then we are introduced to Orla, another angelic voice singing a traditional Celtic song. Then the four join up together for a beautiful arrangement and rendition of "Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring". After I heard it for the first time I said this song is worth the price of the DVD by itself. Next up is the fourth vocalist of the group, Lisa, singing "May It Be" from "Lord of the Rings". I could not believe it. After hearing three fantastic singers, Lisa blew me away. I felt her voice was the best of all. Then Orla comes back and sings a haunting traditional Celtic song and accompanies herself on the harp! And it goes on like this. Track after track of amazing music from these talented women. There is not a bad track on this DVD. You do not have to be a Celtic music fanatic to enjoy this DVD. There is a good mix of different styles of music.

The DVD is well done in my opinon, although I'm sure there are some who will find flaws in it. It does not employ the 3 second edits that I have seen in other DVDs of live concerts that drive me nuts. Instead the camera spends most of time on the performers with quick shots to the orchestra or instrumentalists usually during instrumental breaks in the singing. You get to enjoy seeing the beautiful women that these beautiful voices belong to. There is not a lot of extras, biographies and short interviews with the performers. The interviews do give depth to the performers, though.

I enjoyed this DVD so much it inspired me to write my first review.

This DVD arrived a couple nights ago, and it was so amazing that it moved me to write the following email to the performers.

By the way -- no need to hesitate... you'll love this show!

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To my Celtic friends,

I'm simply at a loss as to how to start this message...

I want to thank you all so very, very much for your angelic, inspiring work in "Celtic Woman." I wish there were some way to box-up the immense joy and gratitude that is pouring from my heart, and deliver it to each one of you.

Together you brought something so Good and True and Right and Pure into this world... something so phenomenally uplifting, that its value could never possibly be measured because its value will remain hidden in how deeply it cleanses and restores the hearts of those it touches. But do know that something timeless, something of the Eternal was conveyed through your work that evening.

What is absolutely remarkable to me is how, while watching the program, one feels extraordinarily proud and honored just to be a human being, simply for what your performance shows is possible from us. It's almost too much to fathom. And what's even more remarkable is how this stirring sense of honor and appreciation is fulfilling in and of itself. How it feels absolutely no need to be anything more than it is. Somehow it realizes and is grateful for the good fortune it has just to be taking part in this tremendous beauty, just to be receiving it, just to be drinking it in. Somehow it stirs within this heart a Love that has no end, no aim, but that is whole and complete in itself, and that holds the entire depth of life within it.

Thank you Lisa, David, Meav, Orla, Chloe, and Mairead for the reminder of what is truly Good, Noble, and Innocent in this life.

With my deepest gratitude,

Tim