CELTIC WOMAN, the exceptional Irish vocal group currently wowing audiences in America with their performances of some of the most beautiful and best-loved songs in the musical repertoire, have their debut album, ‘Celtic Woman’, released by EMI in January 2006. The brainchild of musical director, conductor, composer and arranger, David Downes, (one-time musical director of ‘Riverdance’) ‘Celtic Woman’ is the perfect showcase for some of Ireland’s most dynamic new musical talent. Chloe Agnew (vocalist), Lisa Kelly (vocalist), Orla Fallon (vocalist and harpist), Mairead Nesbitt (violin), Maev (vocalist) and Deirdre (vocalist) perform a number of haunting Celtic songs that include traditional standards and uptempo contemporary compositions. Their eponymously titled debut album, released to great acclaim in the US earlier this year, sat at No. 1 for 42 consecutive weeks in the Billboard charts. Currently on tour in the US, the girls have been breaking box office records and playing to capacity houses wherever they go. The tour, estimated to last four months, culminates in a performance at New York’s prestigious Carnegie Hall and Los Angeles’ famous Greek Theatre in November. Celtic Woman is the realisation of a dream for Sharon Browne and Dave Kavanagh, of Celtic Collections Ltd, one of Ireland’s most successful independent record labels. When Sharon and Dave realised they had some wonderful female singers and musicians on their label, they got together with David Downes and the idea of Celtic Woman was born. Formed in September 2004, Celtic Woman’s debut tour received immediate and huge critical acclaim in Ireland and the chance to crack the US market came when PBS decided to broadcast their spectacular 90 minute show from Dublin’s Helix Theater. From then on the girls were whisked off to America for a whirlwind tour where the response was immediate. The CD raced to the top of Billboard’s world music charts where it sat for months with sales over half a million copies.
