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Author Topic: Review: Lisa Kelly's Celtic Christmas  (Read 4666 times)
Scott
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« on: December 14, 2014, 08:58PM »

How do you follow up on an amazing Voices of Ireland concert?  Do a Celtic Christmas concert, of course!

We all had a feeling that Lisa would have a concert at around this time, based on what Scott Porter had asked at the end of the show in May: "Should we do this again next year?  Maybe sooner than next year?"  Sure enough, they announced a show for Saturday December 13th, again at The Fred in Peachtree City.  I knew I'd have to be there, even just based on how the previous show had gone, so I asked Mike to include me at his table.

Around September or so Lisa had an online Q&A and I asked what I considered the most pressing question: "Who will be your guests for this performance?" to which Lisa answered: "The best of the best!"  That might have been her stock answer, or perhaps she considered the source of the question and decided to get my own hopes up that Chloe would be there again.  Not surprisingly, about three weeks later, it was announced that the same cast would be coming back.  Once again this would make my attendance mandatory since I had missed Chloe's performances in Colorado and on her November cruise; I didn't want to miss her again.

For this show very few complications arose before my departure.  My biggest concern at first was the weather; it's one thing to have an outdoor show in May, it's quite another thing to have such a show in December.  Discomfort due to rain wouldn't have bothered me, such a result would have merely made the show all the more memorable later in the reminiscing.  My concern was postponement due to cold rain conditions a la Red Rocks 2007.  Even if it were postponed just one night, I would be out of luck as I would be flying back to Houston on Sunday.  As the weeks dwindled to days, I checked the weather constantly, and I breathed a sigh of relief that the forecast called for clear skies, daytime highs of 60 and nighttime lows of 35: near perfection!

I rose before 5am on Friday morning.  Roy arrived to drive us to Houston Intercontinental Airport.  Normally this airport is traveller's purgatory, but for once the place behaved; I even had free wi-fi in the United Airlines terminal!  This would be a direct flight, Houston to Atlanta, for us.  Roy and I would be on separate flights, departing and arriving within a half hour of each other (as I boarded, a passenger in first-class saw my t-shirt and said "You don't look like a Seltic Woman!"  Yes that's how he pronounced it.)  Once we arrived at Atlanta, our roles reversed; now I would chauffer Roy around the Peachtree City area.  This was the first and only time I was not satisfied with my rental experience with Enterprise Car Rental, but I accomplished my primary objective of dealing with them - I had wheels.

We drove down to PTC and I dropped Roy off at his hotel, then drove the 13 miles to check in at my own Americs's Best hotel in Newnan, Georgia.  I had hoped to be able to meet up with Rachel, Tink, and Coren but with everything else I was running much too late.  I drove back to rendezvous with Mike at his hotel; we sat and talked until dinnertime.  We went across the street to Longhorn's Steakhouse, the scene of the preceding-day dinner in May.  This time we had myself, Mike, Michael Britt, Roy, and others, with Scott and Tony arriving later.  I had to excuse myself as soon as I finished eating, as I had to make the run back to the airport to fetch Sarah Danielle.  She was yet another person I'd been talking online with for years without meeting prior to this.  She and I were sharing the same hotel facility so I knew where to bring her to, and after dropping her off I went back to spend several hours talking to the Legendary Gang over at the Hampton Inn, staying until past midnight before heading back to my own hotel for the night.

For Saturday, the day of the show, I awoke from less than four hours sleep to get Sarah and meet Eric for breakfast at the Newnan Golden Corral.  I had patronized them in Texas but didn't know they served breakfast, which was quite good.  We talked extensively of CW experiences before driving to the Hampton Inn.  Here I found the usual suspects in the lobby and met Chris Hohl, a fan from Missouri, for the first time.  It was decided that I would shuttle myself, Sarah, Roy, and Clifford for the day; first to the Forum get-together at Georgia Shrimp Company, just like in May.  For this occasion we had about 40 people in all, which is not bad for a Christmas concert.  I made sure Tony got a picture of Sarah in front of Lisa's Voice Academy; this was also Tony's first chance to see the front of Lisa's shop as well.  Walking back into the restaurant, I spent much of the time talking to Chris and with dear old friend Ryan; Chris and I talked at length about "The Voice" and indeed about CW girls covering each others songs (our conversation was eerily prescent, as the show would feature that very issue).  A note about the Georgia Shrimp Company: their servers are absolutely accomodating, but I dislike this place for a gathering as it is too cramped, the prices are exorbitant, and, just as in May, my first choice from their menu was not available that day and my second choice was not available served the way I wanted.  Too bad Lisa couldn't lease out her studio room in the Voice Academy for use as a hall, even if she had someone else handle the opening and closing of it for her.

The Fred is an outdoor amphitheater nestled into what appears to be a natural hillock, with tables placed near the stage.  The biggest factor this time was that this was a 4pm show in mid-December.  We were fortunate to have clear skies the whole time, but by showtime it was getting chilly with an occasional wind.  Outside the venue many of us mingled; I finally caught up with Rachel, Tink, Coren, Cindy, and Donna - all of us veterans of West Coast Symphony tours past: the hug I get whenever I greet Cindy is beyond priceless.  I was also pleased to meet again Dee and Don whom I had met in the northeast in years past.  Mike and I waited outside the venue for his last ticket-holder to arrive before we went inside.  We went past a gaggle of young carolers dressed in scarfs and mittens and pom-pom hats; yes, this was to be a Christmas show!  We scouted the merchandise table and found perhaps the most tantalizing poster ever available for sale.  Being as this was an outside venue in December, the water fountains were turned off, much to my disappointment.  I was at table B, over to the piano side.  I had Mike to my right, Jim slightly to my front-left, and table full of wine-and-cheesers to my right.  Further to my left were Scott, Tony, both Roys, Mark, and new friend Eric.  I had donned my pink Chloe shirt for the show but had my jacket handy.

The entertainment began with American Hope, three pre-adolescent boys performing what you might call Heartland folk rock; clearly talented kids, I can imagine what they'll be like in years to come.  They were followed by James Casto on the piano again.  His performance tonight was a good intro for the main course, which was introduced by the bearded Scott Porter.

Then out came Lisa, our Yule Jewel... "Winter Wonderland" was joined by the musicians and now five black-dressed choir ladies; Lisa was wearing a sleeveless, fairly low-cut dress, yet she didn't seem to be freezing... then the song many of us had been waiting eagerly to hear: "Christmas Everywhere!!!!!"  Done in an arrangement much like the video she had shared with us, this song was brand new to several of people in the fan community; a rousing standing ovation made the thing complete... "Silent Night" began with Lisa, and as Chloe entered several of us die-hard Chlovers gave her a standing ovation; fanastic rendition!... Lisa certainly had fun doing "Santa Baby"... Paul Byrom gave us some of his side-splitting humor before singing "White Christmas"... we had "The Prayer" from Chloe and Paul much as we'd had in the spring; it underscores yet again how Chloe's talents with certain kinds of music are unmatched; the standing ovation they got was almost universal... in a hilarious twist, Lisa and Chloe presented what Lisa called a  "Southern Christmas Carol: Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer"... Chloe and several Voice Academy Singers performed The Carpenters' Christmas standard "Merry Christmas Darling" which I have never liked (though I do like a lot of Carpenters' songs); but as often happens when Chloe performs, this song was very good and I would like to hear her do it again.

Lisa returned to the stage as her resident piper began playing; my view of that part of the stage was obscured by a speaker but it sounded like the Irish Whistle, which creates one of my favorite sounds in the music world.  Lisa began singing "The Wexford Carol," my second-favorite Christmas carol.  The arrangement was almost entirely Celtic, and it was exquisite.  Not only was this one rendition the finest performance of this song I've ever heard, but it was arguably my favorite performance of any Lisa song EVER.  I was on my feet applauding before the music finished; thank you Lisa, from the bottom of my heart.  In that moment I felt so blessed to have been here for this one song; this was magic, indeed.

But Lisa wasn't through yet.  Joining her on stage were Paul and Chloe, and I heard the first strains of my favorite Christmas carol and what I consider one of the finest songs ever written: "O Holy Night!!!!!"  Chloe during the first chorus, Paul the second, Lisa the third, with rousing harmonies.  On this occasion the lack of brass in the instrumentation didn't bother me.  I was just happy to hear this song live again for the first time in two years.  Tears of joy made it hard to see as I leaped up to give a standing ovation.  No back-to-back combination of Christmas songs could possibly have made me more happy.  Wow... and I mean, WOW!!!!!

The crowd was good, but not anywhere near as crazy as the one in May.  Sound was every bit as great as in May or at any concert you might ever see.  Lighting was mostly simple and restrained; the music was doing the talking tonight.  I spent the intermission talking to everyone I could collar: Ryan, Sarah, Rachel, Tony, Roy, Chris.  It was chilly enough now to start wearing my jacket, and in fact some people were lighting candles on the tables, giving the show even more of a Christmas feel, as if such a thing was needed.

DERMOT!!!!!  He stepped out and performed "Puer Natus est Nobis" in Latin, though my Latin was much too rusty to interpret it; no matter: thank you Dermot for giving us a glimpse of you singing in spotlight for once... Lisa entered and the music segued to "Do You Hear What I Hear?" which is another Christmas carol that I like to hear... Lisa introduced the next song as the "Elsa version" of "Let It Go" though I didn't notice much difference from the version she did back in May, which placed me in variance to her young accolates at the Voice Academy who convinced Lisa that a different version was needed; likely this is proof that I am too old to understand haha... Paul came back out for "Panis Angelicus"... now it was Chloe's turn again for "Believe" from Polar Express; I don't know the song but since I liked her version I should probably seek it out... "When A Child Is Born," sung by Chloe, Lisa and Dermot, was anther song I didn't know but did enjoy; also, this song is proof that, yes, Chloe Agnew is fallible and really just like you... Lisa and Paul did a spicy "Baby, It's Cold Outside" which melted any ice that may have developed in the amphitheater that night... Aaron came out and did a tap joined soon enough by Scott's Irish dance as each once again tried to persuade the audience to see his point of view; hilarious, just as the similar dance "contest" in May though this one was set to Christmas carols... Lisa did "The Christmas Song"; not my favorite carol but it is for many... "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" was fun with Lisa and Chloe... "Let It Snow" with Lisa and Chloe morphing into Paul's "Singing In the Rain"??  Only this team could do this and pull it off, which they did!!... the close fans at the tables stayed standing through "All I Want For Christmas Is You" as we all sang along... and as the lights came up, the concert and my 2014 show experiences concluded.

Those who hadn't been to a Lisa show before, such as Tony and Rachel, were very satisfied.  In fact, no one was dissatisfied and couldn't have been; this was a fun, vibrant production that in some ways was even better than the one they had put on back in May.  I was very satisfied for myself; I think the decision to not perform "Danny Boy" and "You Raise Me Up" might have been the right choices tonight, and although I wished they had found a way for Chloe to do "Walking In the Air," I will not complain about what we did get, which was an amazing evening.  

We talked about the show as we walked out; I wasn't even saying my goodbyes to some of the fans before fans Susan and Melissa found me and gave me hugs on the way out!  If there was any real regret about tonight, it was about not meeting up at this show with Cait Kuhn, who I had chatted online with off and on since 2007 and have still never met.  Some of us headed for an early after-show at IHOP; we had at least twenty people for this one, with again many interesting insights into the show and show experiences past.  The circle closed a bit with the departure of some of the gathering as we left IHOP and some of adjourned to Tony and Scott's room at The Hampton.  Here we talked about the very early days of the fan gatherings, watched Lisa's "Christmas Everywhere" video, and posted comments online about the show.  Finally the time came to say goodbye to Scott, Mike, and Tony, three of my best friends in this world.  I drove Sarah back to the hotel, as we talked about our mutual favorite, Chloe Agnew.  I got to bed and obtained five hours of sleep before heading back into PTC to drop Sarah with Jim since she had a later flight, and I brought Roy and myself to the airport.  We boarded our separate flights and arrived within minutes of each other and he drove me home.  I'd had an incredible trip but I was looking forward to a good night's sleep.  But I wasn't just back home; I was in many places: I knew that I would be carried in the hearts of my dear fan friends, just as they are carried in mine.



NOT-EXACTLY-A-RETROSPECTIVE

Since each show that Lisa does now stands alone as a singular event, there really cannot be a proper retrospective unless and until she declares a show to be the "final" show, an event that I hope I never suffer, but upon which time a proper wide-angle analysis can be made.  I will say with regards to the Kelly/Porter Productions, they have tweaked the show and will likely continue to do so, making the show incrementally better with each figurative curtain-raising.  It's already among the best you'll find anywhere.  As long as Lisa keeps bringing Chloe back, I will want to come back again and again.  

I can't really give a fair retrospective of Celtic Woman either, as I only had two shows, none with Lisa Lambe and none on the now-current Symphony Tour.  This was the first tour since Summer 2006 that I have missed.  They didn't make it easy by scheduling shows far from me and none close by.  Of the shows I did have, Mairead Carlin made a great impression on me and proved that she belongs with CW and not just as a replacement player but as the virtuoso that she is.  Tulsa was an especially fun experience and one that I badly needed at the time.

I had other shows with other performing acts, but even these must be taken in one context: I was there watching those other performing acts with the fans that I have met and made a part of my life through my association with Celtic Woman.  Our shared experiences have at times helped to inspire me and at times helped to sustain me.  I love any chance I get to spend time with the friends that I have been all over this country with.  But also... even after all these years as a fan, I still find it enjoyable to talk for the first time in person with fans the way I did on this trip with Eric Sterling, Sarah Danielle, and Chris Hohl; I could have talked to them for ten hours about what they loved about their show experiences and about what is beautiful and good in a world where we are challenged to find beauty and goodness.  

As each get-together begins, so each must also come to an end.  But even if the event ends, our friendships continue.  Though those times together are short and the next event seems so far off, we look forward to the times that we shall gather again, to be part of something bigger than ourselves, something that continues as long as we are a part of it.  The fan community is stronger than ever.  We didn't become fans expecting something like this to happen, but here we are; we have each other and that's all that matters.  So to all my fan friends, old and new, I thank you for enriching my year and bringing joy to my life.  Mike and Tony, thank you not just for obtaining tickets for me, but thanks also for helping me to be at the events where our family of fans gather.  Your generosity to me, and to others, is much appreciated.



CONCLUSION

And thanks again to those who take the time to read my reviews, wherever they might be posted.  I hope the few shows that I expect to have next year will be monumental performances, but I will take what comes.  Until that time... may a light shine into your heart this Christmas, and may it shine a light into other people's hearts... maybe, a light of Christmas morn'.  Best wishes til next time.  "Good people all, this Christmas-time/Consider well and bear in mind/What our good God for us has done/In sending His beloved Son."

Celtic Woman.  Forever!
« Last Edit: December 15, 2014, 09:03PM by Scott » Logged

Tiffany Gray
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I love Celtic Woman and soft sweaters.


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« Reply #1 on: December 15, 2014, 12:03AM »

That's a really beautiful review! I REALLY wish I could've been there. Unfortunately, I can't travel alone due to my disabilities, and I can't afford tickets and hotels. But, I have been to the Believe taping back in 2011, and the fan get-togethers are amazing. I just wish I could be a part of that more. Maybe sometime in the future...
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Trouble
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Play with Fire.


« Reply #2 on: December 15, 2014, 04:45PM »

I googled the words that Dermot posted on twitter and its a song called Puer Natus est Nobis


Puer natus est nobis et filius datus est nobis: cuius imperium super humerium eius:
et vocabitur nomen eius magni consilii Angelus.
Cantate Domino canticum novum quia mirabilia fecit.




A child is born to us and a Song is given to us:
Whose government is upon His shoulder:
and His Name shall be called, the Angel of Great Counsel

Sing ye to the Lord a new song for he has done wonderful things.


More can be found here on the song http://www1.cpdl.org/wiki/index.php/Puer_natus_est_nobis_%28Robert_Hugill%29
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Thanks Lindsey
Jim M.
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« Reply #3 on: December 15, 2014, 06:33PM »

Another great review, Scott.  Thank you. Smiley
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bobh56
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« Reply #4 on: December 15, 2014, 10:39PM »

Scott,

Thanks, my Friend, for another of your outstanding reviews.  As always, you make me feel as though I was there.

I'm sorry that our paths didn't cross during 2014 because I always enjoy your company and our discussions.  I hope we'll see each other during the upcoming 10th Anniversary  Tour .  With that in mind, any chance of you getting to Syracuse, NY on 3/6/15; Manchester, NH on 3/17/15; and/or Wallingford, CT on 3/21/15?

Be well,

Bob
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Scott
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« Reply #5 on: December 16, 2014, 12:28PM »

Scott,

Thanks, my Friend, for another of your outstanding reviews.  As always, you make me feel as though I was there.

I'm sorry that our paths didn't cross during 2014 because I always enjoy your company and our discussions.  I hope we'll see each other during the upcoming 10th Anniversary  Tour .  With that in mind, any chance of you getting to Syracuse, NY on 3/6/15; Manchester, NH on 3/17/15; and/or Wallingford, CT on 3/21/15?

Be well,

Bob

BOB!!!!! Smiley  I thought of you Friday evening... some of us were sitting around in a hotel room discussing the second day Believe taping in 2011 (which was the day that most of the finished film was taken from), talking about where we sat and such.  I remarked that I had sat with you for that show, then I thought back to the pre-show dinner the first night that you, Roy, and I had.  And I thought of our long conversation we had at breakfast in the diner on the second morning.  Wonderful, wonderful memories! Smiley

Unfortunately, I won't be making it to the Northeast for the early shows.  It pains me to miss Wallingford; to me it's nearly holy ground as that was the site of my first show and I have met so many great people there.  And it's too bad I can't do Manchester for St.Patrick's Day, I even have family that I could stay with there but the cost for one more flight is just prohibitive.  There is an outside chance that I may attend Lynn Massachusetts in June, again because I could stay with family to reduce costs, but all the best seats are gone and I don't know if that flight will be feasible either.  My two shows in the spring will be San Antonio and Red Rocks - with Lisa's upcoming show in May thrown in too.  Any chance you might attend Lisa's show or Red Rocks?


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