European Tour - Sept/Oct 2007

[mkc]

fusilier23 said:

I stand by what I said. Sorry if you disagree, but I'm not changing it.

I'm not asking anyone to change their views. I'm just asking you to think about how you'd feel if you came into a forum that you genuinely liked and then found they had now respect for HWI. If y'all want to open up a thread where you just vent and bash CW LTD, CW themselves, or the CWF by all means go ahead and I'll just avoid it, but really what does the CWF and all it's fault have to do with the actual topic of this thread?

[roger]

Hi mkc,

You make a valid point about starting a new thread to "vent and bash" CW Ltd. However, it is not our intention to vent and bash anybody. I am sure all regular visitors to this forum are fully aware of what has happened; at least to the point that has been made public, and I am sure we all know how we feel about it. To persue the arguments any further will achieve nothing.

I would now request that everyone withholds any further bitterness that they may have towards all parties and await any further announcements from the right and proper channels. If there are none, there is nothing that HWI or its members can do about it.

Thanks,
Roger

[Caitlin]

All the pieces of the puzzle are coming together now.
from the Celtic Woman official site:

Hi Everyone,


Meav has decided to take a full time break from touring with Celtic Woman, to spend time with her family and to focus on recording a new solo album.


As a result of this we are very excited to introduce, our wonderful new Celtic Woman,

Lynn Hilary.

Lynn Hilary trained as a classical soprano at DIT College of Music in Dublin, graduating with honours in June 2004. She has been a member of the renowned choir ‘Anúna’ for 5 years, performing with them as a soloist on 'Songs of Praise', 'BBC Proms in the Park', and numerous other television appearances. With 'Anúna' she has traveled to all corners of the world and features as a soloist on many of their albums.

Lynn was the lead vocalist for 'Riverdance’ at the Special Olympics opening ceremony, performing to a live audience of over 85,000 and a television audience of millions. She has also been the lead vocalist for 'Riverdance' at the Gaiety Theatre in Dublin for a ten week run and on tour in the USA, Canada and Europe, including six consecutive full houses at Radio City Music Hall, New York. She features as a soloist on the 'Riverdance' 10th Anniversary CD and DVD. Lynn has worked with many artists such as Daniel O' Donnell, Luka Bloom, Jerry Fish and the Mudbug Club, and Don Mescall, to name but a few.

Lynn has already started working with the Girls readying herself for her debut performance on the 10th October 2007 in Estero, Florida, USA.


At this time we would like to thank Meav for her contribution to Celtic Woman over the last three years. We know Meav will be missed by Celtic Woman fans as much as she will be missed by us. We wish her every success in her Solo pursuits and we look forward to working with Meav in the future.

www.celticwoman.com/viewSection.asp?idSection=226

[alcan1]

Yep I saw that posted on Lisa's forum. Frankly Im not surprised at all and in fact I expected this was going to happen. Meav....like Hayley and Deirdre have been toyed with and treated terrible since the inception of Celtic Woman. I knew this was going to happen the second they announced the alternation between Hayley and Meav on the spring tour. Contrary to what anyone thinks MEAV didnt have a choice in that. As I stated almost 8 months ago Celtic Woman has peaked and its only a matter of time before their luster is totally gone. Loosing 2 members in a couple of months shows exactly where CW is headed. They may continue to perform well into the future but as with other acts the binding force that made this group special has been destroyed. Many of the longtime fans that were supporting CW from day 1 have felt this way for awhile now. Its really sad but I will say this.....If MEAV tours solo or joins another group Ill be the firs to travel across the country and maybe even the world to see her. She is my favorite in many ways and Ill look forward to seeing her in the furture.

[fusilier23]

No one is trying to solve a puzzle. There was some curiosity as to what was going on behind the scenes here, and CW chose not to let us know what was going on till now. A puzzle would imply that there were pieces you could put together to get the picture, but this was just a matter of speculation. What happened now is pretty obvious: at some point toward the end of the tour or maybe afterward, Meav gave notice, and I'm not sure I blame her, things aren't as neatly arranged for her as they are for Lisa. This last tour was probably hard enough on her family, and it showed in that a lot of the fans who met the girls said Meav was the serious one or the least happy.

Most likely Hayley was then "offered" the spot full-time, with the qualification that if she didn't take it, her association with the group would end, and I don't blame CW for that, if they were going to have to cast about for another alternative they might as well cast about for a new full-time member. I think we all know and knew that Hayley wasn't about to abandon her solo career, she never had any intentions of so doing, least of all to give up her established UK fanbase to do endless US and Japan tours as part of a group. So she declined, as was presumably her right (we'd be hearing about litigation if she had no such right), and that unfortunately killed the possibility of a tour right now, as either doing it with only four girls or bringing in a new fifth would have meant relearning harmonies and rechoreographing the larger-scale pieces, something you can't do overnight. So they went with bringing in a fifth, who is an unknown quantity at this point, and who is not known at all to the audiences.

On Hayley's end, I think she did the right thing. Her solo career would have suffered had she become a permanent part of CW, not to mention there being all kinds of issues with Universal, who I believe she owes two more albums to. The whole deal never involved her leaving them in the lurch, and who wants to get a reputation as someone who backs out of a deal before it is complete because another offer comes along?

I don't doubt Lynn is as good a singer as the rest. Further, I have no particular attachment to Meav, never met her, never saw her live. In fact I considered her the most bland and dispensible of the lot, with no defining trait like Orlagh's chattiness, Mairead's energy, Lisa's charm, Hayley's purity, or Chloe's bubbliness.

However, this second change is problematic. The Irish Tenors survived John McDermott's initial departure, they wanted Finbar Wright from the get-go anyyway and he wanted to be there, but contractual obligations got in the way. They sort of survived Ronan Tynan's departure and John's return, but it was obvious their sound was diminshed, to replace an operatic-level tenor with a balladeer just isn't the same, not to take anything away from John as an artist, and John's second departure, to be replaced by the total unknown Carl Scully has, I think, sent them into decline. Too many changes make for the appearance of a revolving door, and audiences get unsteady with that sort of thing. I think this may have the same effect in the long run, I know Meav had a lot of fans, particularly in Japan, who won't turn out if their fave isn't there and will make unfavorable comparisons. On the other hand, be thankful it isn't the loss of Mairead, I think her loss would cripple the show.

P.S. $10 says that anyone who DOESN'T welcome Lynn with open arms gets drummed off CWF.

[alcan1]

fusilier23 said:

P.S. $10 says that anyone who DOESN'T welcome Lynn with open arms gets drummed off CWF.

Heck Ill up that to $100.

But you are correct in the rest of your post. Ive been chatting with other fans and they all say the same thing. CW is done...the majic is gone. Lost forever. I look forward to seeing Meav solo. Ill make plans in the future to see Hayley solo too. Ive seen Deirdre with the Celtic Tenors last March and want to see her again as well.

It just so happens that exactly 2 years ago today I recieved my firs CW DVD in the mail and after watching it all the way through 1 time never haveing seen it before I decieded to travel 8000 miles to see them live. Alot has happend in those 2 years. It was a good run while it lasted. Ive made many friends because of CW. Friendships that cant be matched in anyother way. Ive traveled the country and done and seen alot. Danielle and another forum member married and are having a baby and ill be going to see them. All of this wouldnt have occured if it had not been for CW. CW has touched many lives in a positive way. Too bad that elements from within worked so hard to destroy that. But Ill never forget or take for granted how CW was able to touch me in a good way. I wish CW luck but it not likely that Id ever see what has become a overly commericalized production again.

[Natasha]

Well, I for one don't think "the magic is gone" I LOVE Celtic Woman as a group, and obviously a great fan base agrees! I also loved Meav, and I'm really sorry she had to leave but it's my understanding that from the beginning of the tour till now she's been taking these breaks, unlike the other girls because of her family, and it just makes sense to find someone who can be around more often. Without her Celtic Woman won't be the same, I think Meav was an incredible vocalist and very charming and beautiful in her own way and she will continue to be a wonderful solo artist.

I'm very much looking forward to their Christmas special and will treasure the DVD even more because it's also a goodbye to Meav, who was at one point my favorite vocally from the group. But I do look forward to seeing Lynn. I think she has a beautiful voice and she will fit in very well. And isn’t she Irish as well?

[fusilier23]

Haha, fans on CWF are already going into a case of the vapors about this and they've already locked a thread that posited to look into "the real reason why Meav left," before it had a chance to go anywhere. Hail CW! (gives palm-down salute and clicks heels like a German stormtrooper)

I was born in the afternoon, but I wasn't born yesterday afternoon, and I've got news for you folks,when anyone, I mean anyone at all, says they're leaving to "spend more time with their family" or "pursue other options," it means either they up and quit, or they were fired, and I'm inclined to believe Meav up and quit. Use your brain here, they wouldn't have scheduled all this stuff when they did if they had known there'd be this problem and they'd end up with egg all over their faces, which they certainly have. Also, they themselves have admitted this was due to "unforeseen circumstances."

I said in another post that Hayley probably declined the full-time spot because it wasn't the initial understanding and she wasn't going to led herself be taken where she didn't want to go. It's also entirely a possibility that with Hayley out of the picture CW tried to strong-arm Meav into returning full-time, and her response was to quit rather than be away from her family for months straight. If she was going to strike out on her own and knew it things would have happened like they did with Ronan Tynan: there would have been rumblings of it for a while, eventually an announcement sometime during or before the start of her last tour, and she herself would probably have addressed the audience from the stage and said something like "This is my last tour with the girls, all good things must come to an end, and when doors open sometimes you have to walk through them. God bless," and on her last night they'd have given her a big bouquet of flowers and there'd have been a big outpouring of love. None of that happened here.

Nobody just up and quits unless things have become intolerable, I been there done that. Given CW's track record: kicking Deirdre Shannon to the curb on a few hours' notice when they decided they couldn't use her anymore and now driving Meav to quit, I think it's better that Hayley decided this wasn't for her, and Lynn may find very quickly it isn't for her either.

There's really a question in my mind if I can continue to support this enterprise. I'm not talking about pulling my support from the girls themselves, they are all good people, but I wonder if they want to continue to be associated with this management.

Oh, and one other thing, I'd be careful about whooping it up too much that Meav reset her prorities or other mindless nonsense like that. Never mind disappointed fans, there are real people who had real money and business interests tied up in this who are going to all take a financial hit as a result of this. Meav herself is likely to take a financial hit, not just now but going forward, once a quitter, always a quitter. You do not want to get a reputation as someone who does not see things through.

[Stephany]

Hi everyone,

I created a new topic about Lynn Hilary joining Celtic Woman as a full-time member.
Please continue the disccusion about her arrival in the appropriate thread : Lynn Hilary - new CW member!.

May I recall that this is not a 'bashing CW Ltd' thread so we would appreciate it greatly if you could keep this one on topic. Thanks!

Stephany

[Jeff]

Fusilier, you make some interesting points. Although it was disappointing that Hayley didn't come to my home town on the CW tour, I for one won't be supporting an organisation that treats people in such a fashion. Did I read somewhere that in the US CW charged $500 for a meet and greet ? Anyone who had the nerve to do that can go and whistle !

[alcan1]

jeff said:

Fusilier, you make some interesting points. Although it was disappointing that Hayley didn't come to my home town on the CW tour, I for one won't be supporting an organisation that treats people in such a fashion. Did I read somewhere that in the US CW charged $500 for a meet and greet ? Anyone who had the nerve to do that can go and whistle !

Jeff that is correct. The meet and greets ranged in price anywhere from $300 to $1200 depending on the venue. I personally bought meet and greets for 4 different venues. The one in Boston was the most expensive at $500. That was also the one where Celtic Woman cut it short and then denied they did that. I luckily recorded the event to counter their claims that they followed through with the event as laid out in advertisements. Its a sad situation but I also will no longer support CW again either. If something could be done as to the managment style then I wounld but they arent going to change.

Fusilier is correct in his perception. I think that was exactly why they cancelled the tour. They tried to strong arm MEAV as they did on 2/17/06 and this time she quit leaving CW in a major bind. MEAV is getting out at the peak and thats good. As light is shed on these events which will in time be covered by critics in papers all over the world I think the reviews moving forward wont be as positive. One think that made CW special is how they emulate themselves in their shows. Fans everywhere are going to be disapointed once they learn of these events.

PS Fusilier ..... i laughed so hard when i read your line....... gives palm-down salute and clicks heels like a German stormtrooper. That clasic and the truth.

[roger]

I refer to the post I made yesterday:

roger said:

I would now request that everyone withholds any further bitterness that they may have towards all parties and await any further announcements from the right and proper channels. If there are none, there is nothing that HWI or its members can do about it.

Thanks,
Roger

Clearly, certain members have chosen to ignore my request. This morning, I received an email from a member who is, understandably, very concerned about some of the things that are being said. We all know that the Celtic Woman Management Team are not well-known for giving full explanations and reliable information and, not surprisingly, feelings amongst the Celtic Woman fans are running high.

The fact is, none of us know the true reason why the tour was cancelled, or the reason why Meav has left (other than what she said in her own statement). All possible reasons given by members of this forum are therefore no more than conjecture. There may be a lot of truth in what you say, and there may not - we simply don't know. Any attempt to explain the situation based on your own supposition, could be very misleading, offensive and even libelous. At the very least, it is likely to inflame the situation even further. Had those claims been factual, a link to the source should have been included.

Furthermore, it is unprofessional to criticize the Celtic Woman forum. No forum is perfect but, if you have any complaints, please address them to the CW forum administrator and not start a slanging match on this one.

Because of what has been said (here) recently, we now have members who prefer not to read the Celtic Woman boards, some choose not to read posts by certain members, and at least one has even considered leaving. For one or two individuals to drive members away like that is unnecessary and totally unacceptable.

I am sure Meav has good reason for leaving CW. She has said it is to pursue her solo career. For her to be criticized and dubbed a "quitter" is outrageous. Thousands of singers have left groups so pursue solo careers for as long as I can remember and many of them have achieved great success in doing so. Meav has made a brave but professional decision and HWI wish her every success.

Any further criticism of Celtic Woman, their Management Team, their Forum or any individual associated with them that is merely conjectural, made to this forum from now on will be deleted at the discretion of any of our Moderators, and any further action will be taken as we deem necessary.

Finally, I would remind members that the Celtic Woman boards will be moved later today in accordance with the announcement I made earlier in the week.

Thank you,
Roger

[grant]

The following Email from Ticketmaster was waiting for me when I got home this afternoon. I have also had the same as a recorded message. This, after I queried with Ticketmaster what I should do because they were showing the show as 'cancelled' and I received an Email requesting I return the ticket for a refund which I have done.

Celtic Woman - Royal Albert Hall

Dear Ticketmaster Customer,

Due to circumstances beyond our control, all UK and European dates for the Celtic Woman tour are being postponed. The organisers are in the process of rescheduling all dates and looking at adding additional cities to the tour.

Your tickets will remain valid for the new dates once they have been confirmed. If you wish to obtain a refund then please return your tickets to the following address;

Ticketmaster
P O Box 798
Manchester
M60 1WY

If your booking was made in person at a Ticketmaster Ticket Centre please return to the original location where you purchased your tickets and ensure you take all the tickets plus the till receipt with you.

[grant]

This is priceless!!

I have just received an Email from Ticketmaster advising that my tickets have been despatched!!

I have sent them a very strong Email in response.

Best wishes
Grant

[Stephany]

The following statement appeared in the 'Manchester Evening News' :

MANCHESTER
18 August 2007
Manchester Evening News (c) 2007

Chart-topping Irish band Celtic Woman has cancelled an upcoming concert. The group set a new record of 81 weeks at the top of the US album chart last year and had planned a British tour with new member Hayley Westenra

[/color]. They were due to perform at The Bridgewater Hall, on Saturday, September 22, but have now cancelled all of their concert dates.

A spokesman for the venue said that the cancellation had been beyond their control. "We apologise for any inconvenience caused - and all patrons who have booked will have the value of their tickets refunded," he said. Anyone wanting information about a refund should contact The Bridgewater Hall box office on 0161 907 9000.
[/size][/quote]
I still haven't received anything from The Bridgewater Hall.

Stephany