VIP Magazine - February 2006
Interview by Vianca Luykx
Celtic Woman has taken the US by storm. Last March this exceptional
Irish vocal group released their debut album and DVD in America. Called
Celtic Woman, it featured a handful of original compositions along with
unique renditions of songs such as Danny Boy, Timeless classics like
Ave Marie and contemporary songs such as Enya's Orinoco Flow. Sales
have exceeded half a million, and the album has spent 11 months on the
Billboard World Music Chart.
The reaction to the album was so good Celtic Woman undertook a US tour. The show's theatrical production brings to mind Riverdance, but where Riverdance focuses on dance, Celtic Woman is all about singing. There are some common threads, as several members of the Celtic Woman cast worked on Riverdance. The tour visited 35 cities, including 3 sold out shows in Boston's Opera House, and in the prestigious Carnegie Hall in New York. Everywhere they went they played to capacity houses and received standing ovations. Critics raved - "the show is like a visual eclair", said one, "a balm for the soul" said another.
This was music to David Downes' ears. Downes, a conductor, composer and one-time musical director of Riverdance, was the brains behind the whole venture. He approached Sharon Brown of Celtic Collections, one of Ireland's most successful independent record labels, and pitched his plan. She bought it, and using some female singers and musicians on the label, Celtic Woman was born.
The wonderful female singers and musicians that make up the cast of Celtic Woman are Chloë Agnew (vocalist) - Twink's 16-year-old daughter; violinist Máiréad Nesbitt, who was once described as, 'Pamela Anderson with a fiddle'; Lisa Kelly (vocalist), Órla Fallon (vocalist and harpist) and Deirdre Gilsenan, sister of Matthew Gilsenan of the Celtic Tenors. All these girls are not only supremely talented but extraordinarily busy - not only have they commitments to the group, but they all have solo records which will soon be receiving world-wide releases.
On February 18th, Celtic Woman will showcase their talents on The Point stage in Dublin. It will be a nerve-wracking gig, as it's their first ever Irish show, and home crowds are often the toughest to please. In advance of this, VIP met with the gorgeous girls, Chloë, Máiréad, Lisa, Órla and Deirdre in the splendour of the Number 10 Ormand Quay, the magnificently furnished Georgian House, and Dublin's most exclusive, private venue.
Ladies - the success of Celtic Woman must have knocked you
sideways!
Órla: We've been totally blown away by the success, and I suppose
what baffles me most is the audience's reaction. As a performer you
wear your heart on your sleeve, in particular with Irish music as it's
soul music, and in America, they really appreciate that. Every day I'm
getting e-mails from people who have been touched by our shows. It's
a great privilege to be involved.
Why do you think Celtic Woman has been received so favourably?
Lisa: American people are obsessed with Irish culture. Everybody
seems to have an Irish relation.
Deirdre: Also with America going through a sort of depression at the
moment, this music is like a bubble bath to the soul.
How did you get involved, Máiréad?
I was asked to join by Sharon Browne of Celtic Connections and David
Downes, our musical director. They thought it would be a good idea to
get five girls together. We just turned up in The Helix to make the
DVD, which has now gone on to sell thousands. The DVD was shot on the
second night we'd ever stood together on a stage. PBS, the largest
broadcaster in the US with a potential audience of hundreds of millions,
then picked up on the Helix show, and it was aired and re-aired. Then
the CD went Number One. The record company were looking very closely
as to what would happen next - would we be a flash in the pan or not?
We weren't! The album has now spent 11 months in the American charts!
Why tackle America before your homeland?
Lisa: I think the main reason was because PBS wanted to air the show.
We met Simon Webbe, who used to be in the boyband Blue, at a party
recently and he said; "How did you manage to crack America before anywhere?
So few ever do that". Well, we've done it! We just hope people in
Ireland will be as open to us.
Órla: We think there's something in Celtic Woman for everyone. The
arrangements are done in a very modern, contemporary way. We didn't
want them too sickly sweet or sugary. For too long, Ireland has been
portrayed as too diddley-eye, so this is modern contemporary image of what
Ireland is today.
Chloë, you are the youngest member of the group, at just 16-years-old.
Do you miss hanging out with your friends?
You have to run with the moment when it's there, because in this
business you're either 'hot or not'. To be able to turn around and say,
'We've spent 45 weeks in the world music charts' is just phenomenal.
What about school? Celtic Woman toured North America in the Autumn,
you must have been absent a lot?
I have my own tutor - she's 23, and she's a hoot. I was a bit scared
at the beginning, here I was going out on tour with four girls who were
older than me, and I had to have five hour classes everyday with
someone I didn't know. However, I've learnt so much with my tutor. I'm in
transition year at the moment, so what we decided to do was start my
fifth and sixth year revision plan so if I have to miss any school next
year, I'll have a head start.
Your family have experienced a tough time lately with the very public
breakdown of your parents, Twink and David Agnew's marriage. How have
you coped?
We have had a tough time recently, and Celtic Woman has been a good
distraction. I've kind of been able to just run away from it, and when
you're away you don't have to face it every day. But one thing I found
very hard was not being there for my mum who I am one hundred and ten
percent behind, and my sister; the three of us have become particularly
close, especially in the last year. When they would be upset on the
phone, I found it so difficult not to be there for them.
Deirdre, how did you get into music?
I was raised on a farm in Meath, there were five of us and we all were
very musical. My brother, Matthew Gilsenan is now a professional
singer in the Celtic Tenors, but I still thought I would be a farmer!
Each time I come home from a tour, you'll find me milking the cows!
A little bird told us that you sing to the cows!
It's true, I like to practice my singing on the cows! If they're used
to you, they respond! Sometimes after a long tour, they begin to
forget you, but cows are really clever, they are one of the smarter
animals! They even give more milk if they like you.
You toured with Michael Flatley's show Lord of the Dance - what was
that like Deirdre?
It was amazing. I got to see the world, and we even played with the
Rolling Stones. There was a private island hired out and the Rolling
Stones and Ray Charles were there, as was I! By accident we ended up in
Ray Charles's private dressing room! We started lashing into the
Cristal champagne, and just before the show started, in arrived Ray with
his entourage. Let's just say he wasn't too pleased. We were promptly
sent back to the portacabins!
Máiréad, like all the girls, you too have had a very
illustrious music
career. You've worked with everyone from Van Morrison to Sinead
O'Connor.
I have been very lucky. I did a few concerts with Van and that was an
amazing thrill for me, and he wasn't cranky at all! I also was with
Lord of the Dance for about five years, but Celtic Woman has been
possibly one of the hardest tours I've ever done.
Why do you say that!
Because it's so successful and everybody wants to see it. We're in a
different city every night; I didn't do that on any other tour.
Órla, what does your husband think about you flying all over the
world leaving him 'home alone'?
Myself and John will be together 11 years the night of the Point
concert. It's really him who pushed me to do this, because when we recorded
the show in The Helix we really thought it would be a once off, we
never imagined it would be this successful.
Lisa, you too have got a husband and two young sons. How have you
managed and why do you even want to go on the road?
Like Órla, I had agreed to do this thinking it would be for one night
only. Luckily my husband is in the same business - we actually met on
Riverdance - so he's been able to come over with the kids for all the
tours.
You managed to meet your husband on the road, that's handy!
Very! There are quite a lot of Riverdance marriages and babies. Scott
is an Australian Irish dancer, in Riverdance he played the understudy
to the lead. I managed to convince him to give up the sun and the nice
cheap lifestyle and come and live in Ireland!
If Celtic Woman continues to be as successful, will you ever make it
back to school Cloe?
School is so important to me; I want to study child psychiatry. My
mum, who is a huge role model to me, was out on the road at the same age,
and she finished school with flying honours and I've always said if she
can do it, I can too.
Where would you like to see Celtic Woman go in 2006?
Órla: We've a lot of work to do. After the Point we're off to Japan,
then we have a 10-week American tour, then we're back to Japan, and then
Europe. We also have solo albums out, and we're going to be recording
a new solo album each pretty soon too. Us Celtic girls are going to
be busy in 2006! VIP