Celtic Woman
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Movie Reviews of Celtic Woman
Movie Review: Such beautiful voices
Summary: 5 Stars
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.Movie Review: No ifs and buts about it, they sound good to the ears.
Summary: 5 Stars
A lot of really good performers have come out of Ireland lately. But nothing beats these Celtic women.
Orla Fallon's rendition of `The Isle of Inisfree' is a thing of sheer beauty. Achingly tender and haunting, it perfectly captures the feeling of longing for one's homeland. Not only can the lady sing, she plays the harp so perfectly as well. How so much talent can reside in one person simply escapes me.
Johann Sebastian Bach and Charles Gounod's `Ave Maria' has always been my favorite piece from the classical era and Chloe Agnew's performance surely does not disappoint; her pure, crystal-clear soprano is astounding. She may have out-charlotted Charlotte Church in this one!
Meav's performance of `Danny Boy'? Effortless and simply breathtaking, lending more credence to a tune that has literally become Ireland's national anthem. Her rendition of `The Wealthy Widow' is driving and catchy in its liveliness, no doubt further enhanced by the percussion section's vigorous and insistent beat. It's a very enjoyable number to listen to due to its very upbeat rhythm and easy to follow melody, though I don't understand a word of it (was it in Gaelic?).
Lisa Kelly's rendition of `May It Be' is how a song of this type must be sung - simple and straightforward - without the need for unnecessary embellishment or, as one observer accurately put it, vocal acrobatics. Indeed, a song need not be performed with much fancy and adornment to produce the desired result that comes easy to a listener's ears. Lisa has shown that a singer does not have to twist and bend notes to reach an audience. Simplicity is beauty.
What can I say about Mairead Nesbitt's talent as violinist? Lively and infectious, she is such an animated instrumentalist. She shows how a public performance must be done if a performer ever hopes of catching the audience's attention.
Exemplary as soloists in their own right, the ladies are also outstanding singing as a group. Their acapella rendition of `Somewhere', a Leonard Bernstein masterpiece from West Side Story leaves nothing more to be desired. So perfect is their rendition that they practically turned their voices into four different musical instruments.
If there's a way to rate these Celtic ladies' performance above the 5-star rating, I want to know.
Movie Review: It Blew me away!
Summary: 5 Stars
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.
Movie Review: Angelic... Stirring... Absolutely Phenomenal!
Summary: 5 Stars
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!
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
Movie Review: Absolutely enchanting
Summary: 5 Stars
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!!