It’s hard to express how much attending this concert meant to me without telling the strange story of how I wound up there in the first place. That, in itself, is a pre-Christmas miracle.
The sorrow.As many of you know, I lost my Mom in April. When I thought ahead to Dec. 25th, I cringed imagining my first Christmas without her. There were dark times where I hoped it would just pass me by.
When the Symphony Tour schedule came out, there was nothing within driving distance – but there was Atlanta, GA, just three days before Christmas. I thought it might be a sign: I know people in Atlanta, and if I could somehow get seats, I could actually have something to look forward to this Christmas. So I told my friends that if they would let me stay with them, the tickets were on me.
The day that Atlanta went on sale, I was delayed a couple of hours before I could get online, and everything close to the stage was gone. Admittedly, I reacted like a little kid – I could have bought tickets to just be in the building, but I had my heart set on being close. I pouted. I gave up on going.
But I did tell my friends to watch for HFC to air around Thanksgiving. I figured they would be offering tickets, and that would be our last chance. And then, since it was only September, I forgot about it and started to dread the holidays again.
The miracle. Then, on a random Sunday afternoon in October, it all changed in a heartbeat. My buddy fell asleep watching football. When he woke up, the game was over - so he started flipping channels, and just happened to land on the local PBS station. They were showing the millionth repeat of Believe – and offering pit seats for Symphony.
He tried to call me, but I was playing tennis and had my phone in my bag. He left a voice mail, sent a text, and an email. I didn’t answer. Still groggy, he went in and woke up his napping wife. She made the executive decision to order the tickets, and hope that my offer still stood. God bless her forever.
There’s no way on earth I would have told my friends to look for a membership drive on a Sunday afternoon in October – so the fact that he happened to land on PBS at the exact right time led me to believe that God was smiling on me. It was like someone flipped a switch and the sun came out. I was going to be “home” (with the girls) for Christmas.
The show. When the usher pointed out our seats, I nearly lost my breath. I knew we were in the 2nd pit row, but you don’t realize how close it is until you see it. And in this pit, the rows are curved, so the 2nd row actually wraps beyond the 1st – and since I had seat 1, there would be no one in front of me. My heart started pounding right about then, and the show hadn’t started yet. I’d been thinking about this for months, but only now did it feel like it was really happening. I can’t even imagine what it feels like moments before a meet and greet.
From my spot I had a great view backstage, with all the preparations going on. Mostly it was stage hands and orchestra members, but as I was looking at my program, every once in awhile I’d hear someone whisper behind me, “There they are!” and I’d look up and see one or two of the girls go by. Even from 100 feet away, they still take your breath away. The first time I saw them, I fanned myself with the program, which cracked up my friends.
The house lights went down, and the conductor came out and led the orchestra in an outstanding holiday instrumental medley. Afterward, David came out and thanked everyone behind the scenes, since this was the last Symphony Tour stop. I still can’t get used to his beard, but it was great to see him live for the first time. He really deserves a lot of credit for keeping the quality of the music so high through all the cast changes. It can’t be easy to put voices together so that they work seamlessly, then have to do it all over again when someone leaves. Since I was sitting smack in front of the piano, I had a great vantage point to watch David perform all night.
He did a brief introduction that was similar to what he says at the beginning of the “Bonus Material” on the HFC DVD about how the music of Christmas binds us together like no other time of the year. Then he introduced “who you have all come to see,” and out came the girls – Lisa and Mairéad C from my side, and Susan and Mairéad N from the other. They stopped in the middle of the stage, right near the edge.
In the moment just after, when all was quiet as the conductor was raising his arms, I said a brief prayer of thanks. I know somewhere in heaven, Mom was smiling knowing her son could be happy. And she loved Christmas music.
I won’t go through each number, as previous reviewers have done more skillfully than I could, but there are a number of things that stood out…
The memories.…At my first show, when the lights came up and I saw the girls live for the first time (it was Lisa, Chloe, Susan, and Mairéad at the time), I said to myself: “My goodness, they’re even more beautiful in person.” I had the same reaction Sunday seeing Mairéad C for the first time. She is stunning, and hearing her speak about her favorite Christmas memories, she seems very sweet as well. From what she’s said, she seems to be genuinely humble and honored to be a Celtic Woman. During the show, she even thanked everyone for giving her such a warm welcome.
As for her performance, it left no doubt that she is another perfect fit for the group, and triumph for David. The bar for “Silent Night” was set very high, having been recorded for DVD by the incomparable Méav, but Mairéad did it justice. Even the high notes seemed fairly effortless. Can’t wait to hear the result when she gets her own songs on the upcoming Emerald tour. She has great range.
…For “Danny Boy” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” all the girls gathered in front of the piano. To have everyone, including David, no more than a few feet away performing, was a thrill I’ll never forget. Before, “Have Yourself…”, the girls shared a little of what Christmas means to them. It reminded me of the intimate setting of the “Bonus Material” on the DVD, only it was happening live in front of my eyes. Incredible.
…I’m glad they gave Mairéad N more solos. One of the only mild disappointments I had with HFC was that Mairéad only had Carol of the Bells. But Sunday, she played Shenandoah/The Butterfly, “In the Bleak Midwinter,” and “The Coast of Galicia”. During Galicia, she ran over and stopped right in front of me and launched into one of her trademark whirlwind riffs. I felt like I was hallucinating or something. She was magnificent, and had the crowd rocking the house. When someone throws that much energy into a performance, it’s hard not to get caught up in it. How she has maintained that energy over nearly a decade of constant touring is amazing. The one funny part was when she ran over to the lead violinist in the orchestra and tried to get him to react to her. He just looked at his music and didn't even acknowledge her. Now
that is concentration - I can't imagine anyone ignoring Mairéad.
…I’ve said this before so I won’t belabor it, but I adore Lisa’s version of “Auld Lang Syne”. And before I heard her sing it, I didn’t even like it that much. There’s just something about the way she sings it that elevates it. I’ve heard versions that sound sappy and depressing - but when Lisa sings it, it seems so hopeful that your heart soars. That lovely Irish lilt of hers is perfect for the song. She’s so good at bringing the best out of the material she's given.
…Susan was powerful as usual, especially during my favorite of hers from HFC, “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear.” It was very different without the gospel choir - but it seemed that she tried to compensate for the lack of vocal accompaniment by making her delivery even bigger and more powerful. She pulled it off, too. Most people were standing after that one.
…“Carol of the Bells” (done here as a vocal, not an instrumental as in HFC) and “Ding Dong Merrily on High” showcase the girls’ breathtaking harmonies and David’s flawless arrangements. I could listen to those two songs over and over again.
...It really hit me just how close our seats were after Mairéad came out after intermission and played "Midwinter" to open the second half. As she finished up, the rest of the girls came walking out and I could actually hear the "clip clop" of their shoes on the stage, even over the music. Funny what sticks in your mind.
…Great to see and hear Anthony. In the previous show I saw, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house when he came down the center aisle in a spotlight playing the opening to “Amazing Grace.” His opening on Sunday for “We Three Kings” was equally stirring. I missed hearing Tommy, but relieved that he’s going to be OK and will be on the Emerald Tour.
…Hearing David talk about how this was the last show, and how everyone would be traveling thousands of miles to enjoy Christmas with their families, only reminded me how difficult constant touring must be. I’m grateful that the performers share their considerable gifts with us during the Christmas season.
And grateful for all my forum friends who “get” why this concert meant so much to me. If you haven't already, I hope you all get a chance to experience a Symphony Tour show for yourself. It's very different than a regular tour stop - a more intimate setting, with less elaborate stage decoration and no chorus. During their talk, the girls asked us to imagine ourselves in our living rooms at home near a crackling fire, surrounded by ones we love. Considering the girls were just a few feet away, that's exactly what it felt like.
