CelticWomanForum.com

As we know, after Celtic Woman, we're going to get Celtic Man in march. The site is up (http:celticthunder.ie), with some nifty clips (this week, they have the opening number, Heartland), Amazon is pre-selling the cd and dvd (you can listen to the CD clips as well). So, what do you think? Will it be as much a success as Celtic Woman? How would you rate the choice of songs? And the singers themselves? Enquiring minds want to know.

My intial reaction is...mixed. One of the "secret" reasons why Celtic Woman works so well (and this was best expressed in the Green Man Review,
http://www.greenmanreview.com/live/live_celticwoman_2_18_06.html
which I still consider to be the most perceptive piece that anyone has written about CW) is because every element of the show is quintessentially feminine, from the lovely dresses to the lyrical singing to the settings (think of Chloe in her DVD, singing by a waterfall).

This Celtic Man idea could work, but it would have to be quintessentially masculine, and I think this Celtic Man show, the way it looks right now, it's maybe a bit too "soft." Looking at the one video that's provided as a sneak peek ("Heartland"), something about it seems too much like a "boy band" (shudder).

The "thunder" angle is interesting and is a strong, powerful idea; but by contrast, the background of the Web site is a lyrical waterfall -- not a very manly image.

Now, as the for songs, is it just my imagination, or is there a complete absence of classical repertory? The fact that Celtic Woman does many classical pieces adds to the beauty of the show. A few powerful baritone/bass classical numbers would strengthen the quality of the Celtic Man selections (e.g., the "Mors stupebit" from the Verdi Requiem). As it stands, there are an awful lot of contemporary pop songs -- again, putting the show in danger of becoming an "Irish boy band."

In a way, I guess I'm saying that the show needs to "toughen up" a little, if you see what I mean. It's the "man" in "Celtic Man" that needs to be brought to the fore -- and I don't mean in terms of age. (At least that little boy looks suitably serious in the provided "Heartland" video -- but is he actually going to be singing "Puppy Love"? GAG!)

But that's just a first cursory impression. I've only heard one of their tracks and seen one of their videos. The show as a whole could be better than it looks at a first glance. I'm willing to give it a try...but I'm a bit pessimistic.

I will say this, though. When I first heard about this idea, I thought it was a write off. I am now about 30% interested, whereas before, it was 0%.

As we've already discussed elsewhere (http://www.celticwomanforum.com/index.php?topic=2914.msg111196#msg111196 (http://www.celticwomanforum.com/index.php?topic=2914.msg111196#msg111196)) - there is no connection between Celtic Woman and Celtic Thunder.  I was even asked by CW Ltd to post something to this effect, because of the volume of emails they've received on the subject.

No one can ever replace Celtic Woman for me.

I do not like the fact that they are singing Caledonia in the show. LISA IS CALEDONIA!

Could CW LTD comments be the reason that they have changed the name from Celtic Man to Celtic Thunder? To make sure there is no percieved connection?

That would make sense.

jim

They can call them anything they want but CW has my heart and always will. I am a rabbit fan and always will be.

Is that rabbit or rabid? Quick Rich get the immune globulin out.

Jim

hahahaha!

It's rabbit, because everytime I see a CW show advertised I go hopping down the road to see the ladies.

Sharon Browne is with CT.

Good comeback Flags<g>

Jim

I am in basic agreement with member Celeste. I haven’t read Green Man Review yet but have written in at least one other post that a huge part of what makes Celtic Woman so special is the stars exhibit classic femininity and virtue on stage and while being interviewed, etc. <Please reader; don’t reduce classic femininity to some concept of girly girl. Classic femininity is loads richer and much more interesting.> This along with their geniune talent, devotion to their art, brilliant song lists and supporting musicians and choir has brought well deserved success.

As for Celtic Thunder I have avoided peeks and will wait for the thing in full context. My first thought when I heard there was something called Celtic man afoot (and High Kings for that matter) was it could find conventional success if the stars exhibit classic masculinity and virtue with a healthy dose of chivalry. But the songs will have to be carefully chosen along with everything else.

But what if conventional success is not the organizers goal? If Celtic Thunder has one foot as an Irish Boy Chorus could it be the organizers are hoping to net some teenyboppers in a strategy to get the younger music fans interested in Celtic music? Mere speculation on my part.

I’m just an unsophisticated voice from the American wilderness who considers Ms Browne a creative genius. Therefore, I will try to keep an open mind and hope for a good outcome.

with 2 new groups taking up time and energy, is there a new CW show  in the works ..... ANJ theme can't last forever or can it?...
Let me Know...
Bill

As Rich stated above, Celtic Woman Ltd. is not affiliated with Celtic Man. And I'd imagine there are separate groups of people that work on The High Kings and on Celtic Woman, so I don't imagine their would be a conflict there. To answer your question, I am under the impression that the CW will be working on a new show during the summer.

http://www.celticwomanforum.com/index.php?topic=2332.0

 ;D

I posted this way back in October.  Nothing has changed since then.  http://www.celticwomanforum.com/index.php?topic=2332.0 (http://www.celticwomanforum.com/index.php?topic=2332.0)

I can't wait for this one!!!!!

Ok so I feel a little behind. Let me get this straight. David Downes and Sharon Browne put together Celtic Woman than each has gone and done their own guys group. And CW is promoting David's. Am I right? Because I could be way off here. The whole thing still kinda confuses me. While I'm asking questions, which do you guys think has more promise just based on what you've seen?

Okay, one more time.  Sharon created Celtic Woman, with David as the musical director.  Sharon left Celtic Collections prior to the New Journey concert.  She and Phil Coulter are now producing Celtic Thunder.  Celtic Collections is producing The High Kings.  I'm not going to speculate or try to predict the success of either one.  Both groups are made up of talented, professional performers, and have great production teams behind them.

I personally feel that talking about "replacing" CW is unnecessary - neither of the two new groups, Celtic Thunder OR the High Kings have to replace CW.  I don't see why we can't just like them.  They don't have to be our new favourites and they don't have to replace the Celtic Woman girls.  For most of us Celtic Woman will always be our favourite.  But I also already love Celtic Thunder very much, and am interested in the High Kings.  So, I'm just going to happily like all of them.  I think they all deserve success and I'm proud to say I'm a fan of each of the three.  Whether or not one ends up being a bigger hit is not my business to speculate.

Did someone say something about "replacing" CW?

I didn't mean replace them professionally, but as a favourite.  I believe someone said something to that effect earlier on in the thread.

I assume this is the post Siobhan was referring to.

Oh, gotcha. That clears things up. I didn't mean to make it sound overly competitive when I said promise. I just meant as far as their similarities to CW goes, not that it matters that much in the long run. I think they both look like amazing groups.

I went and checked out both of gents sights and saw there demos. Thunder site clip is very impressive. Good looking guys
great voices but there is just one thing. To cookie cutter. The guys and the camera angles made me laugh. Lots of glitz here.They remind me of a"boy band" or male models on the cat walk. When I read  that Phil Coulter was in charge I laughed again. Everything began to make sense now. He gave  us young girls (years ago)The Bay City Rollers. Probably the very first boy band to hit the states. (And if my memory serves me right was he not accused of some questionable buisnes dealings with those boys?)

My overall view of Celtic Thunder is .....schmaltz. I only hope the rest of the show helps us find there own identity. How convenient that they found a 14 year old boy  a la Chloe. He is cute I will give you that but does he have to sing Puppy Love? As it is now I just find them as a knock off of  the our beloved Ladies.

As for the High Kings. Wow, what a complete change from what we all experience wth the Girls yet just as exciting. However just as fresh and exhilarating. Truly another facet of David Downes that sparkles at every note.
And these ladies in my humble opinion are MEN!!!!!! Not some GQ cover boys.

When all is said and done I think each group of men will find a very loyal fan base. I will say this I just dont think one can or should try and re-create for capital gain a special gift that was created in Celtic Woman.

Americans are fiercly loyal......maybe thats the bit o'irish left in all of us.  ;)

Best of luck Gentleman.

HAHAHAHA! Too funny.

CW is forever!

i just heard about the new CW show in the planning last week ......mention of it has been out for several months in an obscure thread.....something this important should have it's own topic under important announcements or a news article header off to the side of the home page with date and location to be announced, right under the Deirdre tour info or above it...... or should this be strictly CW Ltd. only information to be annouced on CelticWoman.com

If you're talking about Celtic Thunder - that is the Sharon Brown/Phil Coulter production, it's been discussed at some length on the forum (http://www.celticwomanforum.com/index.php?topic=2914.0) (http://www.celticwomanforum.com/index.php?topic=2914.0)), and it has absolutely nothing to do with CW or Celtic Collections.  The new show from Celtic Collections is The High Kings, and we've added a new category and new boards dedicated to that show.

I like both groups from what I have seen, but High Kings is above CT.

Jim

I would like to mention that this group is sort of in competition with CW and I am asking if they should even me on this forum. They really have nothing to do with CW.

I like the Clancy's also and they have nothing to do with CW except a son is in High Kings

I'm not sure which group you're talking about flags.

But in regards to The High Kings, they are part of Celtic Collections, as is Celtic Woman, and Celtic Woman Ltd. is showing them (The High Kings) a lot of support. It's my understanding that in support of Celtic Woman Ltd. we, as a forum, are also supporting/promoting The High Kings.

I would also like to suggest that any discussion of The High Kings is taken over to their subsection in the forum so that this thread can remain to be about Celtic Thunder.


I don't see why/how they're in a particular competition with CW. At least not any more than any other Celtic group in existence. Also there are multiple threads about multiple other Celtic artists on the forum, and I think it would be unfair to ban all talk of Celtic Thunder because we feel like they might be a threat or in competition with Celtic Woman. Also, I think that Lisa, Orlagh, Chloe, Mairead, Meav, Hayley, Deirdre, Lynn, and soon Alex as well as the entire CW chorus and crew have more than proved what amazing performers they are. Nothing and no one can or will ever change that, especially to the fans.

I thought Celtic Man was the name of the Group, and Celtic Thunder was the name of the Show?

In either case it is confusing, as there is already a Group called Celtic Thunder, and a CD called Celtic Man.

I am not persuaded to go see them.......unless they come to Orlando and I've nothing else planned for that night.

I will definitely go see the High Kings if they come to FL.

I wasn't referring to Celtic thunder or The High Kings....... i heard that this spring is the final ...A New Journey tour.... That it's in the works for a new CELTIC WOMAN show to be taped this summer... i just thought that there show be a sepate header for any future info concerning this...somewhere easy to find.....

Well, Bill, you put your post in a thread called "Celtic Thunder - Your thoughts" - so it's easy to see why folks were confused by it.   :D

Anyway - believe me, we WILL make a big deal of it when more information is available.  I was authorized by CW Ltd back in October to announce that there will be a brand new concert taped this summer, probably in August, exact site and location TBA.  There has been no news since then.

Hey, I am confused most of the time anyway so it really doesn’t matter!

What is to news?

Oops.  "NO" news.   :-\

I'm mixed on this group too.  Did anyone else notice they have a woman drummer?  I thought that was cool...

 

I am spending my $$ on Celtic Woman only and I am sure some others have to make a choice when it comes to tickets, travel, etc. too.

(http://www.ropescorner.com/cw/ct_article.jpg)

I saw the You Tube clip and caught the show on TV. They still say Damien is 14. He turned 15 after the DVD was recorded and will turn 16 in Spetember. After watching the DVD and the recent shows, the boy has started to get growth spurts, IMHO.

HK and CT are as different as CW and HK. Each brings their stamp on Celtic Music. I actually like all three and CT has a couple of powerful songs like The Island, the Old man, Ireland's Ca;; and the DVD Bonus of Yesterday's Men.(Anyone who has lost a job due to a closing can relate)

Jim

This thread is new to me, as I havent been following it. But a few thoughts....

To me, these various Irish groups do not appear to be in direct competition. I guess they are in a way, but there seems to be a cooperation as well. I mean, when you see bios of some of these people, their resumes almost always include Anuna or Riverdance / Lord of the Dance. Anuna seemed to be very successful within a limited way, within the Irish music lover community, but they didnt really 'break out' and become popular. But CW did! And now some think that they can replicate success with other groups in slightly different angles, i.e. using men instead of women, since maybe they think CW sort of has a lock on the women angle and they cant go there.

But I dont think its going to work. Celeste made a good point at the very start. CW has a feminine quality to it that makes it special. You ladies like it in one way, (dresses, hair, Chloe's nail polish, etc.) and we guys also like it because, hey, they are attractive ladies but they are also very talented, unlike some female acts that completely depend on looks or a sleazy aspect to a show to gain attention. Its not a perverted kind of thing, but a respectful appreciation for beauty. Some of you may think "yeah right' or 'thats a bunch of bull', but its not. It sounds kind of cliche though I guess.

If they wish to replicate success of CW they have to do 1 of 2 things.

First, form a second group with just ladies, like a second troupe, with CW. It could be called some other name, but they would coordinate when / where they would appear to maximize their efforts. They certainly would never appear in the same town on the same night. They would also have to use familiar faces, Deirdre, Meav, Alex?

Second, some type of mixed gendered group. Maybe 3 guys & 3 ladies. Do a lot of duet type stuff. Have maybe one of one gender sing a solo, backed by all 3 of the other gender as a type of chorus in some songs, etc. And again utilize familiar faces. Some of you might say "hey thats Anuna". Nope. Anuna has too many people and the McGlynns get most solos, while others get none. 6 people could get solos, as well as share in group efforts.  There would be that balance with that, much like CW has.

To be honest, the all male groups just dont grab my attention. I dont mean that in a bad way, they certainly have a lot of talent. But I have to say that i somewhat agree with Flags on this - time &  money is for CW, not these guys. I disagree with flags on forum space though. Some on this forum will like them, as they like Anuna or other like groups. Again, there is strong connections. The amount of interest, I would think, would justify the forum giving these other groups attention.

Even with CT, CW and HK, there really is a conncetion with Sharon's involvement with CW and CT. There is room enough for all of them as the Irish Music lovers vary in their tastes.

I was pushing CW last night to a lady who said she doesn't mind teh music but can't bear looking at them. (I didn't push as I know there are some issues there) What was shocking was that she had never heard of the Clancy Brothers.

Yesterday morning I was speaking to another friend in Florida and She was unaware of HK and CWW even though she watches PBS. Well she knows of them now (Sent her the You Tube links)

Jim

1.  This forum devotes quite a bit of space to "other groups."  We even have an "other artists" thread which is quite popular.  A few people have even noted that they were introduced to new performers by the posts in that thread.  (People may even be tired of me posting about Luan Parle!)
2.  One of the things that has made CW so popular is that that feminine element has been missing from the Celtic group genre in the past.  There have been some very popular women as individual performers, but CW was ground-breaking in bringing together strong soloists into a single group.  But all-male Celtic groups have been packing venues here and abroad for generations.
3.  THK is an excellent group, formed by the producers of CW.  They are included as a major attraction in this forum because I personally assured Celtic Collections that I would do anything I could to help promote them.

Having mairead and Ray as Drummer and Fiddler with THK on the View gave BOTH groups exposure on National TV.

Now I wonder if the HK will perform in kilts <g>

Jim

I love all three, but nothing will top my love for CW ;).

I do prefer looking at the ladies. <g> especially Lisa and Orla

Jim

Are any of you familiar with an old song entitled "If you're gonna play in Texas" by Alabama? The lyrics go:

If you're gonna play in Texas, ya gotta have a fiddle in the band
That lead guitar is hot but not for "Lousiana Man"
So rosin up that bow for "Faded Love" and lets all dance
If you're gonna play in Texas, ya gotta have a fiddle in the band

Change those lyrics a bit to:

If you're gonna play in the U.S. ya gotta have a lady in the group
That tenor voice is hot but sopranos rule the troupe
So rosin up that bow for Butterfly and Granuaile's Dance
If you're gonna play in the U.S. ya gotta have a lady in the group

 ;D

AMEN. I'm not crazy about Celtic Thunder, but I do love THK! At the end of the day though, the ladies come first! They are my favs for sure and certain.

yes, celtic thunder is a talented group, but nothing will ever be better than celtic woman in my book!  ;)

Cash, That is great  You could even redo it to show The lady fiddler<g>

Emily, what's teh matter CT not old enough for you? George is 40.I know Damien is probably a little young (15 going on 16)

Ilike both HK and CT because they have different styles of Irish Music. But you are right, teh Ladies come first. (LISA, LISA, LISA)

HK reminds me of the Clancy brothers, without teh Rebel songs. in fact some of the songs that are on the DVD, I learned from the Clancys over the years.

Jim

Ladies first !!!!.........but I love Celtic Thunder and the High Kings a lot !



Zee

I like CT (not as much as CW of corse); not all that they do, but they are all good. For some reasong THK don't click with me. Well, come to think of it CT didn't click innitally as well. Unlike CW i don't like all their songs; only some. But with CW i like ALL the songs!

I love CT!!! Not as much as CW though. They're great but nothing will beat CW.

The High Kings clicked with me right away.  Their harmonies are amazing, and they connect vocally.  My jaw dropped when i heard them the first time.  I also enjoyed the more informal nature of the concert.  I felt like they were singing in my living room.  I felt like they had a spontaneity and joy that was wonderful to watch.  

Okay, i know this is a CT thread, but I'm not hijacking, honest.  I thought there were some good moments in CT, but it seemed too staged to me, and it didn't connect with me like CW or THK.  I loved the rendition of 'The Old Man', very beautiful.  Phil Coulter used that song on a spoken album by Roma Downey (Touched by an Angel), where she spoke the words.  A very moving song, sung beautifully.

Celtic Woman will always have a special place in my heart, they truly are a gift!  I agree with Zee, ladies first, but THK is right up there too.  :)  I think its great that we are blessed with all three groups.  I think the variety is great! 

::) ::) ::) :P ;D

Of course CW will always be numero uno for all of us, but I really like CT as well. I don't find the show staged at all, and I like their solos as well as their group songs. There's nothing wrong with them physically; quite the contrary! I enjoy THK and I pledged for their concert, but they are  entirely different from CW and from CT. It would be like comparing apples, oranges, and mangos.

Dianne

A few more thoughts on CT I think are interesting:

1. Today (03/30) I see ads in both our major papers here for their 10/24 show. Tickets go on sale tomorrow (Monday) at 10am. For those of us interesting in marketing and advertising, this is a totally different approach from other Celtic / PBS type shows. For one thing, I dont remember seeing newspaper ads for other shows so early. With CT they start 7 months in advance. The usual formula is to use PBS to sell as many tickets as possible, then throw some newspaper ads into the mix say a month before, and maybe again a week before.

2. The venue is the Pedersen Events Center, which is the University of Pittsburgh's basketball arena. They do have concerts there. I went to see Carrie Underwood there and it was a great show. But, it IS a basketball arena. Usualy the PBS type shows are more performing arts type venues. I think CW was put into Mellon Arena, our hockey / major concert arena, just because they needed more seats for the show on this tour. CW sold more tickets than our smaller performing arts venues could hold. So I wonder....maybe they expect a lot more to attend? Or maybe the performing arts type venues already have shows scheduled, and maybe they needed to schedule CT at certain dates according to their tour schedule, so the only alternative was this venue? Or maybe they are just giving this venue a try. It is a very new building. Lots of space. Its just more 'athletic' than 'cultural' so the show's ambiance might not be the same for those who care about such things.

I think they're pretty good.

I mean, if you just look at sheer talent alone, they've got it. For example, while Paul Byrom's voice is nothing special in the field of classical opera singing, it's still undeniable that he's very talented.

I think they can do better in song selection, though. In response to some of the other members in regards to Damien singing Puppy Love, I think that it's actually a pretty good fit for him. He's of a young age and it's very marketable for him and appealing to sing something that even further bolsters his cuteness and attractiveness. I do also think that they're using too many pop songs though, as somebody mentioned earlier, although it is understandable because there are only so many traditional Celtic/Irish that exist and can be performed. Just my opinion, but I'm just not nearly as moved about certain songs as others.

And their version of Caledonia is alright. I think that it may sound better sung by one person, or three, but it seems like the essense of serenity and the longing for home is lost when all the voices mix together and everyone's singing.

Lastly, I do find Keith's song selections to be quite good. Lauren and I is just incredibly catchy (extra points to him, because he wrote the song), and his version of Mountains of Mourne is astounding as well. However, I'm mixed about him because his image of being a surfer and writing rock songs seems to make him the odd man out of the group. I may just be theorizing, but it seems like he's using the group more to enhance, popularize, and gain media attention on himself. He's a young guy, and he's got a great career ahead of him, but his Myspace page is a little suggestive of perhaps some secret arrogance.

I think CT's style of show calls for a arena type venue. They may even have some additional staging that a theatre type venue wouldn't be able to accommidate.

Their show is going to be totally different from CW or THK.

That is a good thing as no one can say they are knock offs or copycats.

All three are good and can appeal to a multitude of fans

Jim

I think Sharon said that the show setup will be the same as on the DVD except without the orchestra pit. She also mentioned having a four-piece string section come along on the tour.

Tickets for 1/2 the shows went on sale today.

My problem is that I love women and the men just don't do anything for me so I am passing on CT and THK.

I love the girls and the guys just won't do it for me.

I love the sound of good strong male singing. HK reminds me so much of the Clancy Brothers. Throw in a few Rebel songs . . . <g>

But I also love good strong female voices and their looks don't hurt either.

Jim

I love them now like CW! They are awesome! Keith Harkin is my favorite. His voice is really good and I just love it

Keith does have a distinctive sound. I thought that most singers lose the accent when singing, but he doesn't. George has a great deep voice and I love Old Man and yesterday's Men, especialy. Wish it was on the CD. I think Damien is about ready to have his voice start cracking <g>.

Jim

I actually love Ryan's raspy voice  ;D

If you listen to Danny Boy on youtube, Jim, I think you'll find Damian's voice is already a load deeper than it was during the DVD filming!   ;)

It's already changed...it's a bit deeper now  :D

It sounded a wee bit on the St Patricks Day clips, but sometimes that is hard to hear. he did seem to have grown about an inch

Jim

I am glad to hear such positive remarks about CT! The guys are great when they sing solo or as an ensemble. I like Keith the best, too, but the others are also very talented. I already pledged as I want to get good seats for: CW, CT, and THK. , even though that means tutoring after teaching a full day.  Have any of you visited their discussion board?

Dianne

I visit it all the time!!  The guys are so funny!   :D  It's unbelievable that they, Sharon, and Zara, spend so much time with us.  Other people who have visited are their photographers, their merchandising guy Declan (who asks for suggestions), George's wife Carolyn, and obviously the webmistress Eileen.

I just joined up. I had registered before they had it up, but guess I needed to re-register. Now need to figure out where to start lol

The forum is new, you had to re-register for that.  The discussion still exists.  George and Damian are on right now.   ;)

Is Damian on the Discussion or the Fan forum?

Discussion!

I'm there (as you can see, lol)!

Damian was on today???

you're right, he was!

does anyone have all his post numbers????

btw I joined both forums & my username us Eastern_Aurora

I absolutely love Keith! His voice is so good and so are the others

I absouluely love Keith too! For one thing he is sooooooo cute!

I like Damian the best, lol.

You are right

same here

by the way I saw some of your posts on the old discussion board

You did?

I decided to have the same username from here, lol.... It's easier for people that are on here and on there.

yes, I did.

I too am a member of both those forums, but my username is Eastern_Aurora. I've recognised a few usernames from here and other forums

I have not joined the forum but I do check out the site.

Jim

I've joined the Celtic Thunder forum.  It's awesome.

ok so I joined

So, Celtic Thunder has been growing on me a bit and I notice that they'll be in South Florida in November. Should I go and see them? It's not too terribly far from my house and wouldn't be hard to get to (minus rush hour traffic). Tickets go on sale through Ticketmaster in June, and consider this isn't Celtic Woman I wouldn't really be going crazy about not having ~*the greatest seats in the house*~. Maybe I'll go and take my Mom. I'm needing some concerts.

Hmmm. At least I have until June to think about it.  ;D

Emily, you should totally go.  It's going to be an absolute blast.

Everyone, I just remembered that Paul and Hayley did a duet concert in December.  I listened to it and they sound pretty good together!  It's a Christmas concert, featured here:

http://www.rte.ie/radio1/inconcert/1098414.html

It's called "The Christmas Song" but if you click CTRL+F and search Paul Byrom you can find it.  There are duets with the both of them and solos too.  Hayley sings some non-Christmas songs from her repertoire as well.  Very lovely!

I didn't care for them at first but they really do grow on you.  My kids knew all the words to "Heartland" before I knew it or even tried to teach it to them.  Of course, all the little fourth grade girls love Damien!

I did not  think I would llike them, but to my pleasant surprise I really like them alot. I bought the DVD and thoroughly enjoyed watching it. They seem to have the same style as CW in the way that each song is presented in a threatrical style. Of course, no one can replace CW, but they are good. I would see them if they came to my area.
Joan

I got their DVD and CD a few weeks ago, but I haven't really watched it since I first got it, lol......

They're good, but I like CW MUCH better!

Yes its good you have some time, because maybe CW will announce where the big dvd recording will take place and if you wish to attend that, but have limited financial resources that might allow you to attend only one show, CW or CT, you can opt for CW. Also, remember if CW follows the normal way of doing things, they will do a fall tour too. So you may wish to travel to a nearby city to see them do their new show! So, it might be prudent to hold off on CT until after CW announces the dvd info and fall tour info.

I've come to the conclusion that I don't really like it. I think the song selection was rather strange... I mean it was ok, I guess, but it didn't hook me.

same here. they're talented but i guess they just aren't my cup of tea..

Well... My thoughts are really mixed on them.

I hadn't been paying to much attention to the "Celtic Man" information and then I saw "Celtic Thunder" listed as being on the Baltimore PBS station.  Having heard Celtic Thunder  in the past I thought wow, the Baltimore station is finally going to showcase a local group that's been around for years.   Needless to say this wasn't the Celtic Thunder I remember, not even close.  ( The Celtic Thunder I remember, has been around since the 70's.  See: http://www.terencewinch.com/ )

I listened to most of the concert that first time while reorganizing my sewing room (I did hear it all eventually, in bits over several airings) and while some of it was good, most of it didn't impress me at all.  Now it's possible that it will grow on me, but I'm not so sure (eally... Puppy Love?).

But "The High Kings" is a different story, they got it right!

Don...

 

Both CT and HK appeal to diffeent segments of the Celtic Music. Me I like both groups and intermingle CT, HK and Clancy Brothers, that way I have good strong male Celtic music.

I am not a fan of Puppy love but there are some good ones. the Old Man and yesterday's men, Ireland Calls,Mountains of Mourne, The Island, The voyage, Brothers in Arms, Come by the hills are my favorite CT songs.

Jim

I'm not a fan of all of their song choices, but that doesn't mean I can't be their fan.  They're extremely talented and also extremely nice and funny!   :D

I can't decide whether I like them or I don't, I think it's just about song choice. That's kinda why I'd like to see them live...to see if that would sway me one way or the other! LOL!  :D I still haven't decided whether or not I want to...so much depends on where CW will be in the Fall, as Cash said.

I love em all!!! - Celtic Woman, The High Kings, and Celtic Thunder. They each offer something that appeals to me. If you are a purist, i suppose Celtic Thunder wouldn't appeal to you but ,I think there is plenty of room for everybody.



Zee

Well said, Zee   ;)

I think it is very obvious that they are lip-synching too...  :-\

I'm not saying that their music was bad (much of it was good), just that for me several were questionable choices and that the show didn't really "hook me"/"drag me in".  We'll see if they grow on me.

I can't say if they were lip-syncing either as I mostly listened rather than "studiously watching" while I was working on setting my sewing room back up (we just finished renovations on the basement). 


... It probably didn't help that I had just played/watched the ANJ DVD on the new HDTV & Surround system I put in during the renovations either.  After all, I really had to test the surround sound out properly (I still can't get Caledonia out of my head.)

Don...

I LOOOOOOOOOOVE PUPPY LOVE...

But then I have adored Donnie Osmond since we were kids in the 60's  ;D

As for lip-syncing....they are *not*.

Sharon Browne herself put this one to rest.  I would like to find the quote that she made about it but I don't remember where it is so I'll try to give you the general gist of it.  Anything that looks like lip-syncing is all because of what happens in production.  Sometimes they slow the video down or something like that to cover a slip, and thus the lips get off a little.  The whole thing was performed, and recorded, live.

I'm not sure about that...  ::) (*lol*) I still kinda think they are... ha ha. The recording on the d.v.d. and the c.d. sound so similar... Maybe I'm just being picky because I don't care for the group... I think I'm just biased towards Celtic Woman...  :-\

Hey, CW get accused of lip-syncing on their DVDs all the time, and we know that's not true.  Sharon helped produce CW as well as Celtic Thunder.  I believe her.   ;)

After having seen a show being taped, I can now understand what Sharon was saying. I have seen where something isn't quite in sync, and we see this a few times on ANJ. Some wide shots, the girls look like they are not singing the right words. Most likely due to the wide shot not being the exact shot as the words being sung. It's all about editing.

The other reason I believe the DVD and CD's sound similar, is the CD is most  likely eithe recorded in the venue, just not with any audience or just means they are very professional, plus again, there is that editing and redoing a song till it's 100% right. Can't do that at a live show.

I have seen enough CW shows to know it's all live  ;)

I have just spent the last six weeks editing a new DVD. Believe me when I tell you that cutting together different focal lengths can certainly cause what is known in the business as lip-flap. Just adjusting a clip a few frames can cause this.

-Kit

BTW...don't you all hate it when other sites take pot shots at Celtic Woman? or write nasty reviews? Let's not be like those people in our discussion of other artists.

Well said, Kit!  It is obvious to me that CW, THK and CT all are very passionate about bringing the highest quality of music to their fans, as well as being kind, approachable and funny.  Each of us has songs and performers or groups that have touched our lives, and our personal tastes may vary. 

Let's extend the same courtesy to them that they have shown to us, their fans.   :)  :)

"The Old Man" is a personal favorite of mine from CT.  It always makes me think of my grandpa, who passed away in 1990.

Willow, George's rendition makes me think of my Father who passed away in 2002 on St Patrick's Day.

I also love Heartland, The Voyage and Yesterday's Men, among others. 

A sfor anyone who attacks or casts dispersions on the Ladies (and the guys) makes me want to reach for my Blackthorn. <eg>

Jim

I don't think any "pot shots" are being made at all... it's simply an opinion. That's what forums are here for.

The C.d. is recorded in the studio in Dublin, The gals are just excellent singers and can nail it, i'm sure! :) I've seen my shares of live shows too and I've noticed although the girls do change to try and change the songs a little bit, they still maintain wonderful pitch, which is a sure sign of an excellent musician! :)

I just checked out Celtic Thunder's forum and couldn't believe in the short time they have been around their forum fans have got us beat 2 to 1, where are all the people we speak to at concerts and tell about our site. Do they just not join?

Theirs is an "official" forum, with a link from their main web site.  Sharon Brown posts on it personally, quite often.  They attract a lot of casual fans who register, post once or twice, and are never seen or heard from again.  Take a look at their stats for topics and posts.  Both totals are far fewer than ours.  They're a fine group and I wish them every success.  But comparing a fan forum to an official one is like apples and oranges.  Since we are unofficial, CW does not promote us and our members have to seek us out.

And we do a great job also. besides, we got Rich

Jim

yes a lot of people sign up just to do it to be a fan then dont post. On MySpace, the carrie underwood page has 17,000 fans, but few ever seem to post. On a MySpace political discussion group that I am in, there are 336 members but only like 10 post with any consistancy. The statistics can be deceiving at times.

My thoughts? Well, it's intresting. I was in the tub when my parents (and the rest of the family) were watching it. I like it. I'm not sure about the youngest. He looks like he's 11, though he's 14. Or 13. I liked their voices. I liked their version of That's A Woman, and, I was a bit sad that the original guy didn't get the girl.


Anyway, very good job, Sharon, and the rest of the gang!!!!


LKF

That's A Woman is sorta like CW At the Ceili. The guy you don't expect gets the girl! ;D

Damian is actually 16 now I believe, and his voice has been changing lately.... growing deeper, which I'm sure will just give it an even nicer sound, and richness to it. Yes it is kind of sad Paul doesn't get "the girl" (name is Zara Curtis), but I love the slap she gives Ryan Kelly "The dark destroyer" in Heart breaker..... and according to her, it was all real too.  :D ;D

Damian will be 16 in September.

I haven't paid much attention to the group after my initial excitement about another celtic group. To me, nothing can come close to CW, though.

I'm still not sure about CT.  ??? Maybe I'll join their forum and see if anything happens. I'm debating on wether I should buy their cd or not. (But THK finally have got me hooked!) ;D CT's talent is amazing to be sure. I guess the song selection is sorta (no offence intended)... odd? I mean the majority of it isn't even celtic! Maybe if I can somehow get past the "celtic" part i'll like them better.

I like Celtic Thunder - there is no reason we can't enjoy both groups as well as THK.  It has been said already that comparing them is like comparing apples and oranges, we all have our favorite, but no reason why we can't have, and enjoy both - or all.  After all there is enough difference in men and women already - but we definitely need both !    C.W forever !!!

I kept getting snaches of Celtic Thunder on PBS. So I bought the DVD to get the whole picture.  I absolutely love them.. Keith is my favorite. Each singer is a unique talent.
I don't think I have to choose between one group or another. While CW will always be dear to my heart, there is room for other groups to be enjoyed too. " Ireland's Call " is a real show
stopper.

Rosie

Watch the entire DVD (and extra's), through the eye's of the family's and friends that were at the filming and appreciate the individual talents of these men and boy's.
The Orchestra and Band directed by Phil Coulter is fantastic. True it may be a mix of personalities and music that's a little Celtic and a little bit Rock N' Roll, but it works. I didn't know
these five talented singers before Celtic Thunder was released, but I'm very happy to be entertained by them and be introduced to new singers, young and younger.
They all seem energized and thankful to be selected to sing as a group and individually, under the direction of Phil. I've heard he's....let's just say difficult at times, but the
music he writes and piano he plays is the message I want.

Is it me or do they so almost country?

Alas, I have some very bad news, which I haven't seen on this forum. George Donaldson passed away on march 13th, victim of a heart attack.

http://www.celticthunder.ie/node/1026758 (http://www.celticthunder.ie/node/1026758)

 :(  :'(

He will be sorely missed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofz-v7FdzE8 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofz-v7FdzE8)

Already posted. Sorry. :(

Watching Keith is like Lisa Kelly
Watching George is like Meav
Watching Damian is like Chloe or Mairead C
Watching the new members like CW's New Member's.

I'm not comparing by the singing, but just in performance expression. ;D

Celtic Thunder has just released a new album, called Inspirational, featuring many religious and spiritual songs, such as "Crying in the Chapel", "The Preacher and the Stranger" (if yoiu don't cry while listening to this one, you're dead), "Down to the River to Pray", "Kindred Spirits", "How Great Thou Art", and "You'll Never Walk Alone". A very good album, which I listen to these days while going to and returning from work.

https://www.amazon.com/Inspirational-Celtic-Thunder/dp/B074ZSC4L3/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1506872586&sr=8-1&keywords=celtic+thunder (https://www.amazon.com/Inspirational-Celtic-Thunder/dp/B074ZSC4L3/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1506872586&sr=8-1&keywords=celtic+thunder)

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/519yE-cmvdL._SS500.jpg)

Look's like I'm a real Fan now... :) ;)