Growing up, Celtic Woman were a group I heard a lot of. Their beautiful voices and traditional Irish or classical songs could be heard throughout the house at any time of year. At one particular time of year however, their voices rang even truer, and that’s Christmas time.
The band of Irish women with angelic voices somehow make a special time of year even more magical as they lend an almost etherial quality to the Christmas songs we know and love. In this, their rendition of “Hark! The Herald Angel Sing” they make you ask: “Wait who exactly is the angel they’re talking about when they all sound so heavenly?”
This guy loves his job! The conductor begins the performance enthusiastically.
The orchestra begin, building up to a high which even includes a harp…
…This performance is in Dublin after all!
Then there is a brief lull, before the first of the singers comes in. If you’ve never seen or heard Celtic Woman before, this is the part where you normally decide you’re definitely into it!
Susan McFadden begins her part, introducing the sung portion of the show.
And her voice is stunning!
She, along with the other two singers have such grace and composure. Susan stands with elegance and sings proudly, meanwhile the audience are too captivated to make a noise.
Next up to bat (or…sing… you know what I mean!) is Lisa Kelly. Another incredible voice as the song continues to build, she has such a fantastic vocal agility that you often hear in Irish melodies.
Can they get any better?
Oh you bet!
Méav Ní Mhaolchatha (pronounced MAYV nee WAYL-khah-hah), is the third to join the song with a solo part. While her name may be hard to say to those who don’t speak Irish as their native tongue, her voice is definitely not hard on anyone’s ears.
The song gradually rises hypnotically. The conductor does a tremendous job of controlling the orchestra to compliment the incredible talent of the singers.
Of course, it’s not just the orchestra that add to the weight of the song as it continues to rise…
A full choir add to the ensemble!
A full fleet of choir singers enter the fray, adding a growing warmth and complementing the whole performance with an even more heavenly feel.
Máiréad (Muh-raid) Nesbitt, the fiddler steps forward and does her thing!
This is the trick they’ve been keeping up their sleeve! It wouldn’t be quite Irish enough without a fiddler would it? Máiréad is mesmerizing to listen to play, and she does so with such skill. I could watch her play that fiddle all day! Her fingers move with such precision as she walks forward not even looking at what they’re doing. I can’t event walk and eat a sandwich at the same time…
The show continues to rise in energy, eventually building to a crescendo which leaves you gobsmacked, and the conductor well and truly out of breath.
Watch the full video below to enjoy the unbridled talent of this spectacular group!
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