The Grammy-nominated group Celtic Woman is headed for the Maritimes this spring, stopping in Moncton and Halifax on their “Celtic Woman – A New Era” tour. Originally formed for one night of Irish music, Celtic Woman has been going strong since 2004. Group member Mairéad Carlin says they collaborating with a new musical director, Brian Byrne, for the tour. “He’s working away on lots of beautiful new arrangements for us, breathing new life into songs that people will know, like ‘Danny Boy,’ ‘You Raise Me Up,’ but also composing some new stuff people won’t have heard,” she says. “And of course, we have to bring a bit of fun as well, because it wouldn’t be a Celtic Woman show without a bit of fun.” The “Celtic Woman – A New Era” tour has stops all over North America. Carlin says her favourite part about being on the road is seeing new places and meeting new people. “A lot of people have Irish and Celtic heritage, so that’s kind of why they resonate with it so deeply. So yeah, thank you so much for having us because we haven’t been up your way all that much. We’re so excited,” she says. Carlin their show will have something for everyone. “You’re going to cry because there’s going to be those really heartfelt songs, but you’re also going to be up out of your seats dancing,” she says. “There’s Irish dancing, for starters. We’ve got bagpipes, Uilleann pipes, whistles, piano… lots of guitars. We have percussion and a drummer. So, it’s very much still a spectacle.” According to Carlin, the audience is the fifth member of Celtic Woman. “When the lights go down, it’s just the harmony and the nostalgia and the beautiful Celtic stories,” she says. “If I was to encourage anybody to come to the show, I would just say, you’ll feel like one of us and that’s the way that we always want it.”
