Act II:
Amazing Grace: The song title sums it up pretty well! It starts, as you would expect, with Anthony a little ways back playing the bagpipe. As his solo finished the crowd gave him a well deserved round of applause before Susan begins singing. They wore similar dresses as the one's in Act II of 'Believe' but with different corsets. Those of you who attended the European Tour or the later shows of the American Tour will know what I'm talking about. Having seen photos of them, I wasn't sure I particularly liked them, but they look much better on stage. They're very, very
sparkly! I was completely blown away by just the sheer power of the music coming from the stage.
She Moved Through the Fair: I'll begin by saying that Mairead's expression throughout this song was incredible, something that I doubt any kind of recording could do justice to. While before Chloë left, I was very excited to see it as a duet, Mairead certainly did not disappoint at all!
Broadway Tribute 'I Dreamed a Dream': Susan introduced this song and talked about how they grew up looking "towards the magic and the bright lights of Broadway." This was particularly fitting considering her prominence on the theatre stage. Susan's rendition was, as I had expected, superb, so for me, it was Mairead who completely took me by surprise. If you've heard her sing it, you would understand what I mean, but it is impossible to express in mere words just how
incredible she was in this song. This song actually needs to be re-recorded with them!
Broadway Tribute 'Circle of Life': Lisa was on fire and you could tell she loves performing this song. I certainly enjoyed watching it! It's lively and fun, it's energetic. It is very different to the Lion King's version which I think takes people aback, but for the majority, they enjoy it. We got quite a few Lisa glances in this one which suits me just fine
I absolutely adore the choreography and the lighting, it suits the song perfectly!
Bridge Over Troubled Water: Lisa introduced this song and David started playing the introduction. It was timed perfectly timed. I absolutely loved this version. As much as I thought the 'Believe' version was perfect, I think this solo version, just Lisa and the piano. I suppose it's a bit like a replacement for the solo songs like My Lagan Love or the old version of Danny Boy where it was the girl and the choir. This was one of those songs where the audience just listens, you could hear a pin drop. Oddly enough, even the applause was almost devoid of loud cheering, yet it was just as enthusiastic as any other song. It was just amazing to see how much the song could affect the mood of the entire audience, even after it had finished.
Nil Se'n La: While the girls are getting changed, Ray took centre stage and impressed the audience with his bodhran skills. I think it's nice they give some of the other artists some stage time, they really do have such an amazing supporting cast, who I thinks are oftentimes undervalued. This was a good way to integrate to show some of them off while having a lot of fun. Of course when the girls pop out and are something along the lines
and the choir
, that's when there's some trouble. The choir members take their place on stage, while Lisa comes down a few steps and gives them each a reprimand as they walk past her. She tipped us a wink as well
This is one of my favourite Celtic Woman songs, and while I enjoyed the Songs from the Heart version, the new version really brought this song to life. I love the new choreography as well! I can't wait to see this on the Emerald DVD.
Quick note: Mairead C's dress was the same style as the other girls, but with a different material. I think it was the same one Mairead N used on some TV appearances (the shiny one) but the lighting made it hard to tell.
Shenandoah: This was the first Celtic Woman song I ever heard live (at Westfield Penrith, June 2010) and it was lovely to hear again. I heard a gentleman a few seats down singing the words. I sung the first verse, but I couldn't remember the words after that
Then it transitions into the dance battle. Between Mairead and Craig, this was an incredibly action packed number. It was met with raucous applause.
The Voice: An incredible song in its own right, but with Susan's performance, it was just stunning. Her voice was incredibly pure and agile, but retaining the power we all know and love. The lighting was fantastic as well, and it seemed the stage was a world of its own and Susan a Great Deity. The seasons changed and as the song reached a climax, the world thundered around her as her voice filled the universe.
You Raise Me Up: The show was drawing to a close which of course was very sad, but we were well compensated with an amazing rendition of this song, that has been such an integral part of Celtic Woman. AS you would expect, it was an incredible song to witness. They were joined on stage by the Australian Girls Choir, they added an extra dimension to this show. It's an incredibly powerful song and was treated with a full standing ovation which lasted for a while and took Lisa trying to calm us for it to subside. She said that it sounded like we wanted another song to which we cheered nice and loud. As they started, we took our seats.
The Parting Glass: A fitting end to an incredible show. Something that did give me a surprise was that Mairead gave Lisa a tuning note while we were cheering. I'd always wondered exactly how they made sure they hit the right note and now I have an answer. One of my favourite moments was when Zoe and I were just sitting, singing and swaying from side to side, and Lisa noticed and smiled and swayed with us. It was subtle, nobody else would have noticed, but we certainly did. I loved the acapella part where everybody on stage sings, including, it turns out, Mairead N
which was fun to see, she gave us a big smile too
We were on our feet before the song ended and the audience nearly drowned the ending out.
Finale/Mo Ghile Mear: I was almost a little worried that this wasn't going to happen. It looked like they finished the show with acknowledgements. Sure enough, however, the drums started. Incredible playing from Mairead and the band, some amazing dance moves from Craig who was greeted with massive applause (he really was on fire in Sydney). As the girls made their final entrances on stage we gave them another standing ovation. Lots of cheering, but the definition of bittersweet.
Ceili Playoff: We left them with a very warm send off as they left the stage. They danced around and having their last bit of fun before they left the stage.
We took a few photos with the stage once the show was over, I'm still waiting for those to come through. They started packing up immediately, which really shouldn't have surprised me I guess. After that, it was time to head back home with some fantastic memories. Now all that's left to do is to sit and wait for the next Australian tour I guess, which hopefully, isn't too far off!
I'll add some photos from the M&G soon, and hopefully of us at the end of the show!