Role of the Performer
Celtic woman is known for their revival of traditional Irish songs, which are showcased in their wildly popular performances. The group is comprised of 3-5 Irish female singers and 1 violinist. The founding members of Celtic women are Chloe Agnew, Orla Fallon, Lisa Kelly, Meav Mhaolchatha and Mairead Nesbitt. Celtic woman stays whole as a group by substituting other Irish singers when core members either cannot tour or retire. "Originally, Celtic woman was set to perform a 1 night show in Dublin, Ireland under the musical direction of David Downes" (O'Neill, et al. 2010). The group's performance was so well received by both live and television audiences that the group decided to plan a tour to continue sharing Ireland's music. Celtic woman has been sharing their musical talent and the Irish culture with audiences since 2004.
Celtic woman's role:
"Celtic woman's fresh fusion of traditional Irish music and contemporary song craft celebrates Ireland's rich musical and cultural heritage while reflecting the vibrant spirit of modern Ireland" (Celtic Woman Story). Celtic woman primarily sings a repertoire of their native Irish songs, however they have also included many Western European and American songs to appeal to those audiences. "Celtic woman allows American audiences to re-identify with their Irish roots and gives them a feeling of belonging" (O'Neill, et al. 2010). Celtic woman helps keep the Celtic heritage and culture alive through their modern interpretation of traditional Irish songs. Celtic woman gives their audience a taste of Ireland's musical culture by providing a visual connection between the song and its story when performing. Since most of the traditional Irish songs are sung in their native language, the Celtic women must perform with enormous amounts of energy and intense emotion, in order to convey the song's meaning to their audience.
Music selections:
Téir Abhaile Riú, February 25,2014- Ireland (composer unknown)
Níl Sé'n Lá, March 4, 2014- Ireland (composer unknown)
The Parting Glass, February 24, 2012-Scotland (composer unknown)
Opinion:
Listening to Celtic woman's interpretation of traditional Irish songs invokes feelings of warmth and comfort. The songs also remind me of many of my family's values as we have roots in both Ireland and throughout Western Europe. Their performances convey the Celtic lyrics in a visually exciting and engaging way. The timbre of Irish music varies between a bright, vibrant tone color and a mellow, resonant tone color. The accompaniment of bag pipes, snare drums, and vocalists adds supporting layers to the simple melody. The instrumental and vocal accompaniment can also change the texture throughout different Irish songs. In The Parting Glass, the accompaniment changes the texture from monophonic to homophonic. This texture change is also heard in the song Téir Abhaile Riú. Variations of the melody are sung, creating a complex polyphonic texture before returning to homophonic. There is also an abundance of ornamentation found in Irish music, such as slides and trills. Celtic woman continues to honor and modernize centuries old Irish songs to the delight of their audiences across the world.
Sources:
O'Neill, Aliah, et al. "Celtic Woman." Irish America, 1 Feb. 2010,
Digital, Granite. Celtic Woman Story,
Wow, I was actually thinking of doing this as my blog post. I think you did an amazing job. As someone with Irish roots in their blood, I love listening to their songs. I like how you explained the texture of the songs and how your opinion matched the assignment perfectly. Great job.
ReplyDeleteAmazing job on your blog! I loved reading about these women as I have never really heard of this group before. The first thing that popped into my head when I heard her sing was she tv show Outlander because the theme song is Scottish folk singing that sounds a lot like this, which I always love to listen to because it's beautiful. I have always enjoyed listening to Scottish and Irish folk singing, and this spin on it is super neat and doesn't let those old Irish folk songs die away.
ReplyDeleteHi Olivia! This is very well put together and very interesting to read. I did not even consider presenting information about a performer like this. When I first saw the picture you included here, my first thought was the ladies look like mermaids! These colors definitely stand out and I can imagine they help captivate the audience during the performance. You did a great job selecting musical pieces and mentioning some important details, such as the texture throughout different songs. Great job!
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh! I absolutely love the music you chose! The song Téir Abhailb Riú I've heard parts of before on Tik Tok but never the whole song. Plus watching the one guy do the Irish jig was amazing. I have done Irish jig dancing before and it is not easy. The drum solo at the beginning of Níl Sé'n Lá was some serious talent. My favorite parts were things we would have never gotten without the performers.
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