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Post by comet on May 30, 2010 12:38:40 GMT
Hi again, I'd love to hear your opinions on Isle Of Hope, Isle Of Tears. Haha it actually sends chills down my spine (good chills though! haha) even though I have absolutely no Irish ancestry. It's one of my dreams to visit Ireland one day!  cheers, Joanne I'd hold off on the visit to Ireland at the moment  The whole place appears to be broken  Celtic Woman have to go to the States to earn a living and get bit of respect, Huh ! We can't even win the Eurovision any more, Not to mention the World Cup... bahhhhhhhh :2fun: Hand ball  |
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Post by Richard on May 30, 2010 14:00:40 GMT
What language is Non C'e Piu in though? Is it Italian? Hello Joanne!  I'm fairly certain the song is in Italian. I've found a thread about 'Non C'e Piu' on Celtic Woman's forum HERE. Richard  |
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Post by Libby on May 30, 2010 19:41:31 GMT
Both in the solo parts and in the group parts, her voice is the fullest one and she quite outpowers the other singers (this didn't use to happen in the old group, the voices were balanced and if in one part one of them shined beyond the others, it was becuase it was meant to be like that). Also she has an overhwlming stage presence, only rivalised by Máiréad, but in Lisa it's in a very sweet and warm way, it's such a pleasure to see her on stage, always with her sweet smile. I also love her voice and the way she sings, it also gives that sweet and warm feeling, a tenderness of a caring mother. Definately, a very talented singer, I think she has become my favorite of these new Celtic Woman. I would highlight her rendition of Sting's great song Fields of Gold. Chloë has made a very big improvement, her once very thin voice has gained fullness and deepness and it's now a very haunting and beautiful voice. Lynn is a very good singer (and she is damn attractive), her voice and technique are far away from the perfectness of Méav, but she is very fine. However, in most of the Celtic Woman songs she doesn't use fully her voice power and her beautiful high voice, as she used to in Anuna and Riverdance. But, where I like her most is in her solo album, where the sound is very different from Celtic Woman, however it sounds very honest and close to the listener, I love the arrengements and sound of this album. Highly recommended. As for Alex... well, I keep my opinion, she sings just fine but in my point of view, she doesn't add much to the group, a rather ordinary voice with an ordinary rather pop singing style. Michal, I disagree slightly about Lisa (I'll explain in a min.), but I do agree about Alex. I wasn't crazy about her solo numbers, especially the one from the cartoon movie. Her departure doesn't sadden me. I really, really hope that Orla comes back!  I miss her soft songs with the harp; they are among my favorite CW songs ever. As for Lisa, I agree that for the most part she has a very nice, pleasant voice. However, recently in the lower notes her voice sounds really husky and rough. So, I don't agree that she has the best vocals anymore. It's Chloe who does. I, for one, loved Chloe's delicate voice on the first 2 DVDs, but I also enjoy her more developed voice, too. In my opinion, she is the best vocalist. As far as leading roles, I think Lisa and Chloe both are more leading than the other singers, because they are part of the original group, whereas Lynn and Alex are not. I like Lynn, because her voice is very similar to Meav's, so you don't miss Meav as much. I thought all the girls had the same number of solos, which is 2. That was certainly the case on the New Journey DVD. Michal, d*mn is not an appropriate word for forums, at least not in my opinion. I'm pretty sure the Official forum would automatically edit it out. Okay, it's not the worst word there is, and I'm probably the only person in the world who prefers not to use it, but this and Grant's use of the B word is making me wonder what words aren't allowed on this forum.  |
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Post by mihizawi on May 30, 2010 22:45:24 GMT
Hi Libby... first of all, I admit I didn't use the best word to express what I meant and I would edit it if I was in time. However, I think words can be better or worse, but what matters more is the meaning you give to them, and I clearly wasn't using it in an offensive way. I am not saying I was not wrong, I just mean that you can use right words with a bad meaning, which is way worse than using a wrong word to express something good. However, I appologize to you and to anyone who could get somehow offended, and I will try to be more careful from now on.
And about Lisa... Well, my mom has said to me that it's in her higher notes that she sounds a little unpleasent to her, so I guess it's a matter of tastes whether you like or not her voice. I think I did not notice anything wrong on her low notes in the Songs From The Heart videos... However, I'll listen carefuly to her singing next time to see if I agree or not. What actually haunts me about Lisa is the sweet passion I see on her stage presence and on her singing.
As I said, Chloë, who was my least favorite of the old Celtic Woman, has gotten much better, I like her voice much more now... But yet, I think she has not the fullness and power of Lisa.
And about the number of solos, I didn't mean Lisa has more songs than the other girls, I just said that in the group songs ,she has some of the most important parts, specially some endings. Oh... and you are wrong in one detail, it is precisely on the New Journey DVD where Lisa's got more solo songs than the other artists, she's got 3: Caledonia, The Blessing and The Voice.
And Joanne, about the song Isle of Hope, Isle of Tears, although it is so clearly oriented to an American audience, I actually find it one of the nicest group songs in Songs From the Heart. It is very emotive. And, that's one of the songs where Lisa sings the ending, and she does sing it in such a beautiful, sweet way. One detail I like too from that video is a moment where Lisa and Chloë look at eachother and smile in a very honest and natural way, which used to happen in New Journey so much, but I think there's no such a natural understanding between the new members.
Oh, and I am in love with Scotland and Ireland... Scotland is where my mom and dad went when they first met and fell in love, in London. I love Irish culture and I will definately visit both these countries very soon.
Michal
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Post by Libby on May 31, 2010 4:00:08 GMT
I do like some of Lisa's songs, like Caledonia, and I agree that she sounds really nice in Fields of Gold. I forgot about The Blessing. It bores me. Just some of the group numbers in lower notes she sounded husky. I don't remember whether she sounded that way on the DVD too, or just the tour. Maybe the tour makes her tired, and therefore more likely to reflect that in her voice. I will say, though, that I do not like her version of May it Be. It doesn't sound good to me. I'm used to Hayley's pretty voice, and Enya's beautiful, ethereal tones in that song. Lisa didn't compare to them on that song. Chloe's delicate soprano was lovely to me, because it just gave an innocent, exquisite quality to whatever songs she was singing, particularly Nella Fantasia. Now she has more of a pop ballad singer voice. I was afraid that would cause her to pursue that type of career, but at the concert recently, she looked so delighted to be there, that I don't think there's any danger of that happening anytime soon. Oh, and I love Isle of Hope too! It's exciting to hear the drums played live, too, and the bagpipe for Amazing Grace and Galway Bay was really nice. For Amazing Grace, the bagpipe player started playing in the back of the audience, and slowly made his way up to the stage. I liked that!  At first when I heard the bagpipe starting up, I wasn't quite sure what it was, partly because I couldn't see him. And it's not often I hear bagpiping. Sorry, I wasn't offended by your use of the word so much as the forum's allowing the word to be used. As I say, the official forum automatically blocks out words that are deemed inappropriate. It just worries that me that sometime someone will say something worse than the word you used, and it will still go through! Saying "very attractive" would've been expressive enough, too.  |
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Post by joanne on May 31, 2010 10:50:55 GMT
I'd hold off on the visit to Ireland at the moment The whole place appears to be broken Celtic Woman have to go to the States to earn a living and get bit of respect, Huh ! We can't even win the Eurovision any more, Not to mention the World Cup... bahhhhhhhh Hand ball I'm sorry to hear that! Haha and about you losing your marbles too And just as well though, I don't have the means to visit Ireland yet; I'll start working only in 5 years time! Haha Michal, hope you get to go there soon I realised that they sang a lot about the 19th century Irish immigration (I think) and thought it might be because the songs are directed at the American market. And as you said: Celtic Woman have to go to the States to earn a living and get bit of respect, Are they somehow not as well received in Ireland as they are in the States? Ooh and thanks for the link and lyrics, Richard!! I don't have this particular DVD and since EMI doesn't allow the videos they uploaded to be played in Singapore, I've only managed to see a couple of songs plus the PBS trailer for it. But from the trailer, I agree with Michal, that Lisa seems to be leading the group i.e. kind of the centre of attention when she's on stage, with the two new girls having more of a supporting role (btw, I think Lisa looked so radiant and happy, maybe it's the whole motherhood thing  ) And Chloë's role has changed too, from being the youngest to being a veteran of sorts (okay I guess she still is the youngest) P.S can someone please tell me who sang When You Believe? It sounds like Chloë but somehow different from what I remember. Thanks! cheers, Joanne |
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Post by mihizawi on May 31, 2010 11:26:31 GMT
About the songs bbeing directed to the american market, for me it is so clear and actually one of my very first criticism on this new album, they kind of lost their musical roots, that haunting celtic folk-based new age style with some classical influences (in my opinion somehow inspired in Clannad or Enya) they had in many songs, and now the arrangements and sound is much more Hollywood-like. Also the song choices arre much more American-oriented, I think. But, oh, well... that's only my opinion, and I guess that's natural that it turned that way, as they've been so successful in America. And who knows, maybe their next works will get back to the origins.
Hmm... And this is pure sepculation, without any basis, and I don't even think that would be possible (as I think she is very attached to the Anúna project), but, thinking of a new Celtic Woman replacing Alex... how about Lucy Champion from Anúna? Would be a nice voice in the group, somehow between Méav and Órla.
And, Joanne,I think Lisa's always been so radiantly expressive, and that's something I love about her... And, yes, When You Believe is sung by Chloë in Songs from the heart, but in a more pop voice than the one she uses in other songs. Sounds quite nice, but for me not spectacular. Actually, there's a song where she really surprised me. It is from Chrismtas Celebration, the song Let it snow, I was so surprised about discovering how good she sounded in that jazzy sound (and Méav too, but I've always loved Méav in any song, so I was less surprised).
Michal
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Post by comet on May 31, 2010 14:17:48 GMT
Celtic Woman have to go to the States to earn a living and get bit of respect, Are they somehow not as well received in Ireland as they are in the States? Joanne Celtic Woman seldom perform on a commercial basis here in Ireland, As in most countries the music buying public are generally younger (10 to 25 years old) Much younger then CWs fanbase would be. Although at least two of the DVDs were recorded here, Slane Castle and The Helix in Dublin. The music is probably aimed at people with Irish ancestry in the States and other countries, The Irish nostalgia market,(Leprechauns, thatched cottages, donkeys and carts, that sort of thing) some who may have had grandparents or great grandparents who left Ireland during the potato famine (1847). |
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Post by Libby on Jun 1, 2010 3:42:12 GMT
I agree about the songs being more American than Celtic/Irish. I like the songs like O America and Isle of Hope, but they do seem to be singing more and more pop songs. I think part of it is the absence of Meav and Orla. Meav sang Gaelic songs (Si Do Mhaimeo I and Dulaman), and Orla sang lovely Celtic songs on the harp. Now that both of them are gone, none of the other members do that. Sure, Lynn still sings Dulaman very nicely, and they do sing a few Celtic-type songs, but they just don't seem Celtic enough anymore without Meav and Orla. At least Mairead plays fun Irish sounding tunes. Comet, here in the U.S, there are lots of fans who fit into the age range you give, including me. And I think leprechauns are creepy. I still think Orla should come back. But if she doesn't, they need to get someone different from the rest, just to bring some variety. |
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Post by fusilier23 on Jun 1, 2010 18:19:13 GMT
They were never intended for anything other than the North American market, at least not after the initial concert from the Helix. Like other crossover acts it was all about marrying conventional beauty (leaving Chloe's stockiness aside)and easy sentiment to attract the PBS audience, somewhat like PBS and Sony tried to market Charlotte Church as the perfect granddaughter (boy, they must CHOKE on that now).
I can't read the minds of the current people of Ireland, but I get the sense that they don't find the accents cute as we Americans do, snce they hear them all the time, and they don't romanticize their homeland, any more than I romanticize mine, since they see it every day. I daresay the "forty shades of green" probably get boring after you've seen all forty, and I can tell you from my own experience that historically significant places can lose their luster when you pass them every day on the way to work.
At this point CW are starting to lose their Celitcism, and I wonder if it's by choice. Meav and Orlagh were in fact the most Celtic of the group, and they were replaced by Lynn, who's essentially a contemporary singer-songwriter, and Alex, whose background is in musical theater, like Lisa's. It might interest you to know that I chatted with Lisa and suggested she sing the song "The Foggy Dew," a genuinely Irish anthem of the Easter Rising and the historical (if morally gray) times that followed, and she told me she had not heard of it, since she did mostly theater. With Alex out now (she did not want to do the extended tour this year), who knows what will follow?
And Libby, I'm sorry to dash your hopes, but the chances of Orlagh returning are almost certainly nonexistent. In a recent interview she opened up about her reasons for leaving, and said she didn't like being away from her husband (John Comerford) for six months at a time and felt like she was missing too much at home when she was touring constantly. Frankly if I was similarly situated to her husband I'd have made some noise, I didn't take my vows to a ghost, I took them to a living person.
Hate to say it, but in a lot of ways CW can chew up singers and spit them out. I think it's obvious that, whatever went on behind the scenes, the act was not a good fit for Hayley, and is a tough mantle to wear for anyone.
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Post by joanne on Jun 2, 2010 19:03:22 GMT
Wow, I had no idea it was so.. complicated Sort of. I started with their first CD, which my dad picked up, before Hayley joined them. I figured those songs were pretty Celtic and I liked them. Hayley's guest appearance in ANJ re-introduced me to CW several years later, and I really love that album and DVD. But by this album, after nearly half the original members have left, I found the whole deal less appealing. What originally drew me to them is kinda gone. I mean, really? A cover of Tarzan's theme song? It's nicely sung, sure. But not really what I was hoping to hear. Which is why I only bought the album, rather than both CD and DVD (Nil Se'n La was a big factor in my actually buying anything at all). Another thing, I don't really feel a connection to the new girls. No offense at all to them, but sadly, they feel more like substitutes than replacements. But perhaps their styles are more appealing to the American market than Orla's and Meav's  Naive me had no idea it was the whole target-market-business-money thing till I started following this thread! I'd always thought CW was a group of Irish singers and a violinist who'd made it big on an international scale. Well, I guess there's nothing for it but to watch that space and see how it goes. Haha perhaps by some happy chance they'll drift back towards their original style. Thanks for expressing all your opinions! I think I learnt a lot haha. Not entirely happy stuff, but enlightening nonetheless! cheers, Joanne |
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Post by mihizawi on Jun 2, 2010 20:04:39 GMT
Hmm... About your opinios on the new girls, Joanne, I kinda feel the same, but I also tell you should give Lynn a chance outside of her work with Celtic Woman. Check some of the songs she sung with Anuna (like the Wild Song or a very young Lynn singing Pie Jesu) or the Riverdance at the Special Olympics opening ceremony video... I think you may like it better. But, also, although a little different, once again, I highly recommend her solo album, it's a very nice, close sound.
Michal
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Post by Libby on Jun 2, 2010 20:07:24 GMT
But by this album, after nearly half the original members have left, I found the whole deal less appealing. What originally drew me to them is kinda gone. I mean, really? A cover of Tarzan's theme song? It's nicely sung, sure. But not really what I was hoping to hear. Which is why I only bought the album, rather than both CD and DVD (Nil Se'n La was a big factor in my actually buying anything at all). Another thing, I don't really feel a connection to the new girls. No offense at all to them, but sadly, they feel more like substitutes than replacements. But perhaps their styles are more appealing to the American market than Orla's and Meav's I agree completely about the dumb Tarzan song. The DVD doesn't have it, though. But she still sings it on the tour. Or sang, I should say. Joanne, they didn't get rid of Meav and Orla, they left. So they didn't think Lynn or Alex would be more appealing, they just thought they would be good singers to add to the show. They're nice, but they're just not the same. Nil Se'n La was the reason I finally decided to order tickets to the show! Otherwise, I figured the show would be pretty much the same as the one last year. And it was very similar, but with a couple newer songs, but missing some others. Fusilier, the reason I keep talking about Orla coming back is that a member on the other forum said that he thought she'd said she was just taking a break and that she would come back. He might've been mistaken, or she might've changed her mind. As I said, they at least need to bring somebody more unique, and more Celtic, back to the show. Orla's first solo album was wonderful, but her newest one isn't quite as good, either. Are they trying to Americanize her, now, too? |
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Post by mihizawi on Jun 2, 2010 22:04:54 GMT
Orla's first solo album was wonderful, but her newest one isn't quite as good, either. Are they trying to Americanize her, now, too? Hi, Libby, I've got to listen to the songs on Orla's New Album, and yes, I found the switch to pop very, very surprising, and maybe at first a little disappointing too, but then, I quickly changed my mind about the last thing. Yes, it is pop, not something that you would expect from Órla, but musicaly, it has the quality that Órla deserves. Actually, I found many songs a little similar to The Corrs style, which is a group I like a lot. About if the switch is made to content the American audiences... Well, I think it could have been an influence, touring so much there with Celtic Woman made America her safest market,, but, although it's only my opinion, I feel the change came rather from within her than from being obligued... Dunno, maybe she felt like doing a pop album, as Hayley did with HSJS 1 and 2... Maybe that's not a permanent change or maybe it is, but I am sure she has more artistic freedom now than in Celtic Woman. Michal |
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Post by joanne on Jun 3, 2010 0:07:48 GMT
No offense at all to them, but sadly, they feel more like substitutes than replacements. But perhaps their styles are more appealing to the American market than Orla's and Meav's Joanne, they didn't get rid of Meav and Orla, they left. So they didn't think Lynn or Alex would be more appealing, they just thought they would be good singers to add to the show. They're nice, but they're just not the same. As I said, they at least need to bring somebody more unique, and more Celtic, back to the show. Oops, I didn't mean what I said to be construed as that Meav and Orla had been gotten rid of!  I know that they left on their own accord  I meant rather that instead of finding singers who are more Celtically-oriented as Meav and Orla, they chose more contemporary singers, Lynn and Alex to be part of CW. Out of the original CW, Orla was my least favourite (I like her too! Just not as much..), but after she left, I realised how much I missed her presence, harp and all, in the group. Meav is just.. really, really cool. She's so at ease with all the Gaeilge songs and has a lot of showmanship! All those expressions; raised eyebrows, looks of dismay etc. I repeat, so cool! Michal, I like Lynn! I loved how she sang Carolina Rua, unfortunately it wasn't included in the CD. It's on Amazon.com as some exclusive mp3 download thing, which I can't get either ): I've no choice but to hit YouTube everytime I feel like listening to it. Which reminds me, I haven't heard it in a while haha. I think I'll check out her album. Ooh. It has Carolina Rua on it! I'll think about getting her album (: Thanks! cheers, Joanne |
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I miss her soft songs with the harp; they are among my favorite CW songs ever.
At first when I heard the bagpipe starting up, I wasn't quite sure what it was, partly because I couldn't see him. And it's not often I hear bagpiping.
) And Chloë's role has changed too, from being the youngest to being a veteran of sorts (okay I guess she still is the youngest)
I know that they left on their own accord 
I meant rather that instead of finding singers who are more Celtically-oriented as Meav and Orla, they chose more contemporary singers, Lynn and Alex to be part of CW. Out of the original CW, Orla was my least favourite (I like her too! Just not as much..), but after she left, I realised how much I missed her presence, harp and all, in the group. Meav is just.. really, really cool. She's so at ease with all the Gaeilge songs and has a lot of showmanship! All those expressions; raised eyebrows, looks of dismay etc. I repeat, so cool!