Celtic Woman is (from left) Chloë Agnew, Mairéad Carlin, Megan Walsh and Tara McNeill. (Photo by Kip Carroll)
Created as a one-off concert event, the first incarnation of Celtic Woman began 15 years ago, when five young Irish female singers were recruited to perform by David Downes, co-artistic director of the enormously successful stage show Riverdance. Filmed by PBS, the 2004 performance in Dublin was released one year later and received rave reviews. Shortly thereafter, Celtic Woman began its meteoric rise to international acclaim, showcasing Ireland’s rich musical and cultural traditions through instrumentation, dance and song. Pipers, drummers, fiddlers and a chorus of backup singers provide the backdrop as the ensemble of vocalists takes audiences on a journey through centuries of treasured ancient and contemporary Irish music, with the occasional tune borrowed from the Great American Songbook. After time away working as a solo artist, original and at one time youngest member Chloë Agnew has returned to Celtic Woman. Ahead of the group's March 15 performance at the Altria Theater, she discusses life outside the show, the power of Irish music and returning to the fold.
Richmond magazine: You’ve been singing for most of your life. How did it all begin for you?
Chloë Agnew: I started at an incredibly young age, and I came from a musical household in Ireland. Both of my parents were in the entertainment industry, so I grew up singing, dancing and acting. I did my first charity special at age 11, recorded two albums before I turned 14 and it was later that year that I was invited to join Celtic Woman. And the rest is history!
RM: After 10 years, 14 albums and countless world tours, what was it like stepping out on your own?
Agnew: It was one of the most liberating and terrifying experiences of my entire life. I knew I wanted to try different things, but I had no idea what the world would be like. I had been in a Celtic Woman bubble, essentially, for a long time, and I started so young in the show, it was kind of all I really knew for almost 10 years. So, when I stepped out it was a scary time. It’s still a scary time, to be honest. You look at the scale of a show like Celtic Woman, and you’re a cog in this big machine, and you’re very lucky to have an incredible team of people around you, but when you go out on your own, you are your own everything. It was a whole different world, but it was the making of me, because it made me a much better person, singer and performer.
RM: What are your thoughts on the power of Irish music?
Agnew: As far back in our history as you can go, music has been an essential part of our makeup, and how the Irish exist. Whether it be singing, dancing or storytelling, we are very natural creative artists. There’s a song for everything in Ireland. There’s songs about love, loss, hope. There’s drinking songs, songs about milking the cows. In the hardest and happiest times, the Irish always turn to music. That’s why I think it resonates with people around the world. You know, throughout the ages, it’s not just traditional Irish music, it’s all genres. Look at the likes of U2 and Van Morrison. It’s just always the way it’s been in our history, and long may it last.
RM: Which Irish musicians should we Americans be listening out for?
Agnew: Dermot Kennedy, Mark Geary, Gavin James are a few. Declan O’Rourke is one of the finest musicians that Ireland has ever turned out, and his music has really inspired me and my songwriting in recent years. Again, so many different genres — everything from rap to traditional Celtic, folk, singer-songwriter, indie. There are so many young singer-songwriters under the age of 35 in Ireland that are just blowing me away.
RM: What can fans look forward to when Celtic Woman comes to Richmond?
Agnew: We are bringing all the favorites out with us! Some of the old catalogue we are bringing back and presenting in a new way. I think taking the fans on that journey of 15 years of music will be really exciting. I’m part of the original show, and it’s been wonderful to see the other girls carry on the legacy of Celtic Woman in recent years. And, I’ve said it all along, one of the things that makes the show so special is that there is something for everyone. Kids can come along with their parents, and their grandparents. That’s really rare these days … something the whole family can come out and enjoy. If nothing else, with Celtic Woman, the music allows you to just sit back, relax, forget about your worries and just let the music speak to your soul. I think in the madness of the world we live in nowadays, it’s great to give people an opportunity to escape all of that. Just let us do the work and let the music take you somewhere special.
RM: Do you have any ties to or memories of Richmond?
Agnew: I have fond memories of Richmond. I spent a Halloween there when I was only 17! We all went trick-or-treating in Richmond, Virginia, and I’ll never forget it. It still holds a place in my heart.
Celtic Woman Celebration – The 15th Anniversary Tour comes to the Altria Theater March 15 at 3 p.m. $42 to $153.
