Getting sorta’ back on topic, I think the Celtic Woman phenomenon’s full potential is still over yonder. Even in my little corner of rural America I still see new fans joining the ranks. Despite PBS’s reach millions still don’t know of them. Many cities, especially small to mid-sized cities have not been visited. I firmly believe Management, David Downes and the Performers can continue with artistic triumph and financial success if they chose to do so. I hope they do.
I have been encouraged to post the following story. Although anecdotal I offer it here as evidence of the above:
I’ve had the privilege of introducing
Celtic Woman to many people with positive results. The following account is the most extreme example- but only slightly. The funny thing is I didn’t even target him- it just happened.
Another couple invited my wife and I to dinner the Friday before Christmas last. The invitation came with the condition that I bring my
A Christmas Celebration DVD which they hadn’t seen yet. I was only too happy to comply with this requirement because a) they have an excellent sound system
to go with a big TV and b) its Celtic Woman!
When we arrived I was pleasantly surprised to learn a mutual friend, Billy Bob was invited also. We guys sat down to watch
A Christmas Celebration while dinner was cooking. Billy Bob has seen a few Christmas concerts in his 7 plus decades and wasn’t much interested in watching another. As soon as the DVD started his whole demeanor changed instantly. He began making positive comments after each of the first three numbers. I told him the best is yet to come.
After Òrla Fallon’s stunningly beautiful solo of
Away in the Manger Billy Bob declared that this was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen or heard. His eyes expressed disbelief and awe when I told him this was the third of three projects the organization has produced to date.
Now please understand that Billy Bob was in the US (Fleet) Navy for a 23 year career followed by a 25 year career in the US Merchant Marines. He has been to ports o’ call all over the world and seen a lot. Ironically, his ports o’ call never included Ireland!
Over dinner Billy Bob wanted to know more about Celtic Woman and where he could purchase the DVDs. He was especially interested in the tall, staring lady with short blond hair!
As you might expect I was only too happy to tell him some of what I have learned about Celtic Woman. I also suggested some stores that carried Celtic Woman DVDs but warned they were usually sold out. Half joking I told him music of this high quality deserves a good sound system. To settle for TV or simple shelf speakers would be like sacrilege I scolded!
We had him over for breakfast on Christmas morning. To demonstrate the importance of a good sound system I sat him down to my computer and headphones and played several numbers from the
A New Journey DVD. He was mesmerized. Then I gave him that DVD for Christmas.
The next day Bob went to town and came back with the only DVD he could find in stock- the debut
Celtic Woman and a $900.00
Bose DVD player/sound system for his TV and phonograph/cassette player. Yes, he has loads of vinyl albums, many of them quite good, and still uses his record player.
His Bose sounds sooo good I bought him a DVD copy of
A Christmas Celebration a couple of weeks later.
Today he is a huge Méav and Celtic Woman fan and thanks me all the time. I simply tell him,
don’t thank me thank Celtic Woman!He wants to go to a live concert, but only if they come to Reno, Nevada- which is one of those mid-sized cities CW has yet to visit.
