The Columbus Dispatch

Celtic Woman to perform Saturday at the Palace

- Peter Tonguette

With internatio­nal travel curtailed during the pandemic, it’s a safe bet that not too many Greater Columbus residents have had a chance lately to visit Ireland and send a postcard back home.

Not to worry: This weekend, a musical postcard from Ireland will be delivered by four phenomenal Irish singers.

On Saturday, Celtic Woman — a Grammy-nominated all-female ensemble presently consisting of Chloe Agnew, Tara Mcneill, Muirgen O’mahony and Megan Walsh — will perform in the Palace Theatre as part of its current North American tour, “Postcards From Ireland” (also the title of a new PBS special that premiered last year).

With bagpipers, a band and Irish dancers in tow, the singers will bring their soulful sounds to renditions of pieces ranging from “You Raise Me Up” to “The Galway Shawl.”

Ahead of the ensemble’s appearance in Columbus, The Dispatch caught up with Agnew, who was part of the earliest configurat­ion of the group upon its formation in 2004.

Eyeing a solo career, Agnew departed Celtic Woman in 2013 but returned two years ago. She spoke by phone from a tour stop in Portland, Maine.

Question: You’re one of the original members of Celtic Woman. How does it feel to be back in the saddle?

Agnew: It’s fantastic. I have to say, I’m loving every second of bringing a bit of the old world into the new one.

Q: Celtic Woman has an identifiab­le sound. With a different roster than when you began, how does the group sound different now?

Agnew: The sound of Celtic Woman has evolved so much over the years, and

is tied to the different lineup of voices and our wonderful fiddle player, Tara (Mcneill). I think that’s kind of the beauty of Celtic Woman: Yes, it has a quintessen­tial sound, but when all of those voices come together, it does vary over the years (with) different tones and textures that are in the music.

Q: You grew up in Dublin, Ireland, with parents in show business. Were you singing from a young age?

Agnew: Music and entertainm­ent and entertaini­ng people was just a part of our livelihood. It was a part of our everyday way of being in our house. I didn’t realize that I was different from

people until later in life. Most people in Ireland grow up in a musical household, but very few people’s actual parents make it their livelihood of how they put bread on the table. I think I was very lucky in having that as my family background going into the business so young, particular­ly with Celtic Woman (which) I started at so young. I didn’t see anything through rose-tinted glasses. I knew the hard work that was required to actually make this your living.

Q: You were 14 when you joined Celtic Woman?

Agnew: I did my first single at 11, my first album at 12 and then my second album at 14. It was later that year that the company that put together Celtic Woman, the creative team, approached me to become part of Celtic Woman. The irony of it is, Celtic Woman was only supposed to be a one-night show. None of us ever anticipate­d it becoming the success that it is today. One thing kind of led to the next for me, but looking back, I wouldn’t change it. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Q: Why do global audiences respond to the music of Ireland?

Agnew: It’s quite special. Looking at that genre of music, a lot of it is great stories. The Irish and (those on) the Celtic isles, we’re great storytelle­rs and our music is all related to the hearth, to the land, to hope, to loss — universal themes that people can relate to anywhere in the world.

Q: What can audiences expect in the upcoming concert in Columbus?

Agnew: We have the classics, the likes of “You Raise Me Up,” “Danny Boy,” “The Parting Glass” — the ones that people all love to hear. Some of them are new arrangemen­ts, so we’re breathing new life into the ones that people know and love. Then obviously we’re featuring a lot of music from the new “Postcards from Ireland” special. The combinatio­n of both — the new and the old — is really very special.

tonguettea­uthor2@aol.com

 ?? KIP CARROLL ?? Members of Celtic Woman, from left, Muirgen O'mahony, Chloe Agnew, Megan Walsh and Tara Mcneill.
KIP CARROLL Members of Celtic Woman, from left, Muirgen O'mahony, Chloe Agnew, Megan Walsh and Tara Mcneill.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United States