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Celtic Woman tours steadily over St. Patrick's Day and year-round Date published: 3/11/2010
BY ANDREW LEAHEY FOR THE FREE LANCE-STAR In Ireland, St. Patrick's Day is a public holiday--a time to stay home from school, attend church and throw family parties. But for the members of female Irish ensemble Celtic Woman, the occasion pretty much guarantees a gig across the pond. This St. Patrick's Day, the group will perform at Fairfax's Patriot Center. During a recent phone interview, member Lisa Kelly explained, "I've been touring for nearly 10 years, and I think I've spent one Paddy's Day at home. The rest have all been in the States." That's not to say the group needs St. Patrick's Day to help secure gigs, though--it's done a fine job with that on its own, quietly becoming a major contender on the world-music scene. Their recently released album, "Songs from the Heart," debuted at No. 9 on the Billboard 200 chart. "The latest bit of news is that we knocked Michael Jackson off the No. 1 spot on the Billboard DVD chart," Kelly said. "Things like that make you stop and think, 'Oh my god, this is really huge.' We're very, very lucky." Kelly joined Celtic Woman in 2004. A talented vocalist, she previously established herself as a member of Riverdance. The birth of her first child made touring difficult, however, and the expectation of a second convinced her to leave the show. As a favor to her music director, David Downes, Kelly agreed to take part in a one-night performance of Celtic music before focusing on her duties as a mother. Downes also extended offers to four other female vocalists. Held at Dublin's Helix Theater in September 2004, the concert was a success, and the women traveled to America in early 2005 to promote a recording of their performance. By the end of their first week, the album had climbed to the top of the world-music charts. Celtic Woman hasn't taken a break since. "None of us expected it to reach this level," said Kelly, who now brings her three children on tour.
Date published: 3/11/2010
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