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Celtic Woman | 
| Artist: Celtic Woman
Label: Manhattan Records
Category: Music
List Price: $18.98
Buy New: $6.91
You Save: $12.07 (64%)
New (50) Used (23) from $6.00
Rating:  363 reviews
Sales Rank: 392
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 4.9 x 0.5
MPN: 60233
UPC: 724386023322
EAN: 0724386023322
ASIN: B0007GAEGC
Release Date: March 1, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Tracks:
| • | Last Rose of Summer (Intro)/Walking in the Air - Traditional | | • | May It Be - Brennan | | • | Isle of Inisfree - Traditional | | • | Danny Boy - Weatherly | | • | One World - Downes | | • | Ave Maria - Traditional | | • | Send Me a Song - Downes, D. | | • | Siúil a Rún (Walk My Love) - Traditional | | • | Orinoco Flow - Ryan, Roma | | • | Someday - Menken, Alan | | • | She Moved Thru' the Fair - Traditional | | • | Nella Fantasia - Morricone | | • | The Butterfly - Traditional | | • | Harry's Game - Brennan | | • | The Soft Goodbye - Downes, D. | | • | You Raise Me Up - Loveland, R. | | • | The Ashoken Farewell/The Contradiction - Unger, J. | | • | Sí Do Mhaimeo Í (The Wealthy Widow) - Traditional |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
Fueled by healthy public appetite for traditional melodies and quasi-ethnic roots, the crossover genre continues to flourish with this debut release from Ireland's Celtic Woman ensemble. The brainchild of Sharon Browne, Dave Kavanaugh (founders of Ireland's successful Celtic Collections label) and young Riverdance touring company musical director David Downes, CW's five young women musicians and vocalists offer up an ever pleasant, Eire-savvy fusion of folk, pop and classical influences. Avoiding the intrusive, club-beat/sex kitten window dressing of Bond, the ensemble tackles material that ranges from the expected (spare, lovely covers of "Danny Boy" and "Ave Maria") to more adventurous fare like "Nella Fantasia" (Ennio Morricone's vocal adaptation of his rapturous theme from The Mission) and Enya's "Orinoco Flow." Elsewhere, "The Butterfly" offers up fiddle-fueled take on their Riverdance parallels (which also get a workout on the live bonus tracks), if renditions of Downes' originals like "One World" and "Send Me a Song" and "Someday" from Disney's animated Hunchback of Notre Dame hew slavishly to the middle of the road -- which largely seems the album's easy-listening intention. --Jerry McCulley
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| Customer Reviews: Read 358 more reviews...
 Truly enchanting March 23, 2005
Erica Anderson (Minneapolis, MN)
273 out of 292 found this review helpful
I recently discovered Celtic Woman courtesy of my local PBS station that aired their performance that is already out on dvd. I just fell in love the mix of classical and celtic music. What really struck me was the clarity of the women's vocals were. Lisa, Chloe, Meav, and Orla sang with great restraint and did not go down the Celine Dion route and oversing each high note known to mankind. While I do think that Lisa and Meav has the strongest set of pipes, it does not mean that I think Chloe and Orla has thin, weak vocals. I just thought Lisa and Meav's vocals really stood out for me.
My most personal favorite song on the album is the gorgeous ballad "Someday" from Disney's "Hunchback of Notre Dame". I was truly moved by Chloe's performance when I saw her sing it on the PBS special. That song along is why I bought this cd. It is a beautiful song that sends chills down my spine every time I listen to it. Chloe also does a stunning job on "Walking in the Air". It is quite a contrast from the heavy metal version by Nightwish. Another favorite song is "Harry's Game" sung by Orla. Her vocals on this song also gives me the chills. I am so glad that "Si Do Mhaimeo i (The Wealthy Widow)" was included on the cd. It is one of my favorite songs from the PBS special. A very playful song. I wish I knew what the english translation were. Another favorite highlight for me on this album is their version of "You Raise Me Up". That really made the hair on my arms stand up tall. It really moved me emotionally, more so than Josh Groban's version. What I found rather interesting about the recorded version and the live version on the PBS special is that the recorded version sounded like it was sung strictly by Meav while the credits listed Meav, Lisa, Chloe and Orla. If you listened to this cd as much as I have (which is a few times a day), you can easily recognize Meav's delicate soprano vocals.
I wish that the cd also included Enya's "Marble Halls" and Bach's "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring". They were simply breathtaking. Other than that, I loved this entire cd. There was not a single song that I didn't like or felt should have been left out. I look forward to hearing more music from the women of Celtic Woman.
Wild Irish Goddesses in Song April 18, 2005
Mars Velvet (Green Tree, Blue Earth...Deep Space)
164 out of 173 found this review helpful
What a project. If you look back in the 90s, you will see the music industry trying to catch on to as many trends and styles as possible.
There was Ska, there was Swing, there was Latin Pop and other World Music. And due to several factors (Enya's popularity, Clannad's TV clip causing a riot of people to find that song from the VW commerical, the Titanic's soundtrack which featured Irish Music, and of course Riverdance) Celtic Music became the next trend.
But when the new century came, the industry had moved on. Pity.
Until now that is......... David Downes should be congratulated for bringing about this event. He has done it, again! Also kudos go the angels who performed on this disc: Lisa, Meav, Orla, Chloe, and Mairead.
Honestly, this CD had to grow on me, as I didn't get to see the special on TV. Eventually I began to really enjoy this disc. Standout tracks for me:
"Last Rose of Summer/Walking in the Air" sounds like an angel lost in a cathedral. Just gorgeous! Lilting and atmospheric. A new Charlotte Church is found!
"May it Be" is sung slightly different from Enya. Where Enya sings with high airy delicateness. This is sung with strength tempered with softness. Very beautiful.
"Siuil a Run (Walk My Love)" is an old song. It is sung from the point of view of a woman whose love has gone to war. Her voice is sad and beautiful at the same time. Some of the men from the Irish Brigade had gone to fight in France, around the 17th century. They were known as the Wild Geese, and sadly, they never came home. The only other version of this song that measures up is by Clannad, on their album DULAMAN.
"Orinoco Flow" is of course another Enya song. A march of music set to words about wind currents and exotic places. I laughed at this version on CELTIC WOMAN... at first. Only because the choir of voices singing the chorus surpirsed me. This has grown on me, and I love it now.
"Harry's Game" is a Clannad track. A gaelic proverb dedicated to the strife of mankind, and the conflict of Northern Ireland. This version is sung without harmonies and the single voice is plaintive and poetic. A wonderful cover.
"Nella Fantasia", "Danny Boy" and "Ave Maria" all sound beautiful in this Irish setting of voices.
In conclusion, CELTIC WOMAN explores the mysterious quality that is found in the lost legends of the emerald isle and the atmospheric voices of the Wild Irish Goddesses. Enjoy!
 Celtic Lite January 26, 2006
B. Niedt (Cherry Hill, NJ United States)
22 out of 30 found this review helpful
Put me in the "unimpressed" camp of listeners to this album. As a fan of REAL Celtic music (Chieftains, Altan, et al.) I too find this an amazingly bland performance. The vocals are uneven - Lisa Kelly's voice, for instance, is pleasant and warm enough, but Chloe Agnew, who seems to be touted on this CD as a headliner, is no Charlotte Church - her teenage voice is thin and tentative. The orchestral arrangements are at times sappy and overblown, sounding like "Riverdance Lite". Some of the instrumental work is competent, like Orla Fallon's harp and Mairead Nesbitt's fiddle, but it's not like I haven't heard better elsewhere. My overall impression is this was an assemblage of pretty faces whose primary purpose seems to be to create another popular PBS pledge-drive special. Pardon me if I offended anyone - if this happens to be your cup of Irish tea, please indulge. As for me, I'm going to put on an Altan CD.
Wonderful!!! March 19, 2005
M. DETWILER (Martinsburg, PA)
19 out of 21 found this review helpful
This is simply a beautiful CD. These Irish women's voices are so angelic, so ethereal, that it is simply a joy to listen to. No, it is not pure Celtic. Yes, it is a bit glam, but, you can't deny that these ladies can sing. I saw the Celtic Woman concert on PBS and looked for the CD. Was delighted when I found it on Amazon and didn't have to shell out the big donation to my PBS station for it. I have many Celtic CD's and this is one I will listen to over and over. Don't be narrow-minded. It is worth a listen.
 Very dull and cheesy March 24, 2005
Carlo Mercuri (M IAMI, FL)
19 out of 40 found this review helpful
As a big fan of Enya, Lorenna McKennitt and other celts, I was very dissappointed with this CD. These women's voice have no depth or character, they sound like 12 year-old boys. Doing covers without adding anything new or intersting is a waste of money. Especially the cheesy remake of Orinoco Flow. I was very let down.
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