Lisa Kelly.

The Gaelic name ó Ceallaigh conjures images of Old Ireland: the narrow shopping streets of Galway; the Hill of Tara in Meath; the domed granite heights, deep glens and wooded valleys of the Wicklow mountains; of beautiful Dublin and Samuel Beckett. But this lovely Dubliner is 100% twenty-first century.

We caught our first glimpse of Lisa during a PBS airing of the Celtic Woman concert, recorded in the Helix Theatre, Dublin in September 2004. Naturally, it was shown during one of the network's frequent "begathons", so it was interrupted frequently for interminable requests for money. But we've always loved Irish music, so we stuck it out. And we're eternally thankful that we did. The show is absolutely magical. If you've never seen it, you don't know what you've missed.

The Celtic Woman performers comprise four vocalists and one extraordinary fiddler. The fiddler, vivacious Máiréad Nesbitt is from Tipperary. The singers, Lisa, Chloë Agnew and Méav Ní Mhaolchatha are from Dublin, while Órla Fallon hails from Wicklow. (The photo shows Lisa, Chloë, Órla, Méav, and Máiréad in the foreground).

A great deal of credit for the success of the show must be given to David Downes, the youthful Irish composer, pianist, and musical director. Although this is an ensemble show, he has highlighted the unique individuality of each performer. Each of these ladies is a singular soloist; yet their voices blend perfectly when they sing together.

But this page is about Lisa. To say that she stands out among this group is a disservice to the others. Each is a wonderful talent in her own right. But Lisa's background in musical theater shows in her every move and expression. She simply has a presence about her; she is so comfortable performing. You feel that she is singing for you alone. Her rendition of Downes' Send Me a Song is spectacular.

We're not going to go into a lengthy biographical sketch here. That ground has been covered very well elsewhere (see the links below). Suffice to say that she is a classically trained pianist as well as singer, has been performing since the tender age of 7, has appeared as Velma in Chicago, Florence in Chess, Laurie in Oklahoma and Sandy in Grease, and was cast in 2000 as the lead female vocalist in Riverdance – The Show. The Celtic Woman CD and DVD are available anywhere. In addition, Lisa has recorded a self-titled CD, featuring songs as diverse as the traditional "Siúil A Rún", "The Deer's Cry" from The Pilgrim, "May It Be" from Lord of the Rings, and the heartrending "Send Me a Song". We finally got to see her live when Celtic Woman played here in Jacksonville, and we were captivated. She has the voice (and the face) of an angel, and we're certain that you will fall in love with her as we have.

(See below for the latest update to this page.)

Lisa sings May It Be

Eric and I drove from Jacksonville to Virginia last weekend, to catch the CW concert at Wolf Trap. It was a magnificent experience; the ladies (especially Lisa) were in wonderful form, and the venue was spectacular (if slightly vertical for my taste). Thanks to the kindness of friends, we sat in the third row in the orchestra pit! We almost felt like we were part of the production. What an experience! I'm still in awe.

In summation:

Watch Lisa sing Dougie MacLean's Caledonia at Slane Castle!

We recently sponsored a little contest on Lisa's message board. The challenge was to tell us, in 250 words or less, why you deserved to receive a free copy of Lisa's wonderful, self-titled CD. The contest ended last night, and we've made our decision.
Click right here to see who won!

Eric and I had the good fortune to attend another CW concert the other night.
I've posted a review here. I hope I did them justice.

We recently sponsored another contest on Lisa's message board. The challenge was simply to design a graphic featuring Lisa, suitable for publishing on a web site. The contest ended Saturday night, and we've made our decision. The winning graphic, submitted by the very talented Sassy Cat, is posted below:

Thanks, Sassy, and to everyone who sent graphics. That was fun!

I saw another CW concert last Friday night, at the Rosemont Theater outside Chicago.
I've posted sort of a combination review and thank you card here.

Links

Lisa Fan Site  |  Celtic Woman Forum
Celtic Woman Official Site  |  Celtic Woman (Japan)