Aontas Choral Group mentioned!

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Five Celtic Women Soar as Single ‘Woman’...Mostly

By Nick Michalski

Celtic Woman
Celtic Woman
Manhattan

Celtic Woman is actually five Irish women: four singers and a violin/fiddle player. The group was created by Sharon Browne and Dave Kavanagh of Celtic Collections Ltd., one of Ireland’s most successful independent record labels, along with composer, director, conductor and arranger David Downes.

Browne conceived of the group to showcase the talents of young singers Chloë Agnew, Lisa Kelly, Órla Fallon, Méav Ní Mhaolchatha and violinist Máiréad Nesbitt. David Downes brought in the Irish Film Orchestra, Aontas Choral Group and other Irish musicians, including percussionists Ray Fean and Robbie Casserly. What results is a soaring collection of newer Irish tunes and classic ballads, one which will certainly lift the spirits of the listener, should dreamy ballads of love and solidarity appear on the menu.

Alternating between solo vocal performances by one of the singers and group performances of three or more, Celtic Woman begins with the mystical sounds of the Irish Film Orchestra, with a lead vocal by Chloë Agnew. The organic sounds and mythical lyrics of mountains and monsters hark back to Led Zeppelin’s "Misty Mountain Hop," without all the guitars and rock ‘n’ roll.

The potent orchestration, led by Downes, binds each track and creates a soothing but purposeful tone for the album. Most of the songs here are pretty ballads: inspiring, relaxing, and sometimes dull. "May It Be," sung by Lisa Kelly, is a lullaby to paralyze, allowing the listener to forget about earthly cares and soak in the peaceful melodies and Kelly’s angelic voice. The gentle bedtime sounds of "Isle of Innisfree" follow in this pattern, a song about the intangible evanescence yet vital importance of dreams in our lives.

A beautiful, sonorous but slightly tedious version of the Irish classic "Danny Boy" gives way to "One World," a lament about our divided and fragmented world. Its magical sounds are a highlight of the album, with all four singers of Celtic Woman contributing. The Aontas Choral Group also pitches in to give the track a rich fullness. An uplifting tune hoping for love and brotherhood, "One World" is perhaps the most ambitious song on Celtic Woman. A competent version of "Ave Maria" follows, which leads to "Send Me a Song," a charming woebegone plea for a wonderland where love knows no pain.

"Orinoco Flow," an Enya cover, is a spirited multi-instrumental tune with some interesting musical tension bubbling under its surface. The uilleann pipes, percussion and keyboards on the track and vocals from three of Celtic Woman’s singers create a marvelous, stirring concoction. "Someday" is a fine flight of wild fancy, a hopeful dream for a selfless world. Its abstract thoughts of reverie perform a pleasant and anticipative application.

"The Butterfly" features a kicking performance on violin by Máiréad Nesbitt. The energetic romp brings a new life to Celtic Woman, a welcome change of pace. It’s somewhat unfortunate that Nesbitt’s skills were not utilized to a greater degree; she only appears on four of the 18 tracks on the album, two of which are live recordings tacked on to the end. The overly sweet tones of "The Soft Goodbye," though with thumping drums, introduces the swan song of "You Raise Me Up," a sleepy appreciative ballad composed by Rolf Lovland of Secret Garden and lyricist Brendan Graham. All five members of Celtic Woman perform on "You Raise Me Up," which is a fine sappy sucker, but the name of the record and the group suggests that perhaps the tone of the songs should be more self-contained and self-propelled.

The cover of Celtic Woman features thumbnails of each member as well as a generic picture of a red-haired young woman. As much as dreams, longing, desire, and wishes for a united world are legitimate subjects, it’s slightly curious that there are no statements of bold independence or self-realization. Not that the women of Celtic Woman are not courageous and successful musicians in their own rights, but the material that appears on this album is far from striking or fearlessly charting new territory. Instead, it seems almost like the group was manufactured like an American boy band, but with Irish women and traditional music.

The last two tracks on Celtic Woman are perhaps the most exhilarating and real. "The Ashoken Farewell/The Contradiction," the first of two live tracks, exhibits gorgeous violin from Nesbitt and a musical "battle" with bodhrán drummers, the audience enthusiastically clapping along.

Recorded at the The Helix in Dublin, the track brings to mind visions of the fast-paced action of an exciting live show. Celtic Woman closes with "Sí Do Mhaimeo í (The Wealthy Widow)," sung in Gaelic, with violin and drums pounding. A Celtic Woman DVD of live performances is to be released along with the CD in March of 2005.

Celtic Woman provides a forum for the voices of its four singers and violinist, as well as backing musicians. It’s the beautiful voices and orchestration that are really on display here. For those looking for authentic Irish traditional sounds or status-quo-be-damned female expression, it will not be found in the safety net of Celtic Woman; most of the songs were written by men.