Hope everyone has had a great year and Happy Holidays to everyone a new updated blog post will be coming soon as Scott will post this one not me!!
Take care
Dave
Friday, December 25, 2009
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Baltimore St Patricks Day
After RCMH the guys returned on Sunday. Some of us decided to go see Riverdance. I've never seen it except on TV neither has Scott aka MP. Even as a life long resident I'd never been to The Hippodrone so this was my first time. It's very pretty like RCMH and a smaller venue too. Dwight was having misgivings about not going to the 2 CW shows with us after that night. Later others would too.
Night one
We were dead center third row and that's really close at this venue. Joining us was Susan Z and her mom. We met her one year ago at the show across the street at First Mariner Arena. Somehow we knew this would be a special show. The stage was smaller and we were really close. But, it was even more special than we thought. The Girls gave us some incredible looks! The events of MaireadFest and Evansville had touch us all and the ladies too!! Helen looked at me at one point and mouthed THANK YOU!! This happened several times from Lisa and Lynn too! The show was wonderful as always. No two are the same. So much for those who think CW cans the show. Let me tell you this is not true!!!
The Meet and Greet
We were led back stage using a long route. Interesting we got to the room and there were five chairs. How could this be? The letter said 2 CW ladies not 5. They switched things up and I was going to get to talk to lisa. I needed to do this so much since when I met her and her boys 2 years ago I was so in shock I never introduced myself to her! I've felt bad about it... so Ok its my turn and I talked to Lynn then Mairead and Chloe. Someone was with Alex so I went streight to Lisa!! To my surprise she said HI Dave!! She not only remembered me and where we met but she knew my name!! How does she do that?!!!! This made my night and tomorrow would be even more special!!!
Dave
Night one
We were dead center third row and that's really close at this venue. Joining us was Susan Z and her mom. We met her one year ago at the show across the street at First Mariner Arena. Somehow we knew this would be a special show. The stage was smaller and we were really close. But, it was even more special than we thought. The Girls gave us some incredible looks! The events of MaireadFest and Evansville had touch us all and the ladies too!! Helen looked at me at one point and mouthed THANK YOU!! This happened several times from Lisa and Lynn too! The show was wonderful as always. No two are the same. So much for those who think CW cans the show. Let me tell you this is not true!!!
The Meet and Greet
We were led back stage using a long route. Interesting we got to the room and there were five chairs. How could this be? The letter said 2 CW ladies not 5. They switched things up and I was going to get to talk to lisa. I needed to do this so much since when I met her and her boys 2 years ago I was so in shock I never introduced myself to her! I've felt bad about it... so Ok its my turn and I talked to Lynn then Mairead and Chloe. Someone was with Alex so I went streight to Lisa!! To my surprise she said HI Dave!! She not only remembered me and where we met but she knew my name!! How does she do that?!!!! This made my night and tomorrow would be even more special!!!
Dave
Radio City CW in New York
After Mairead Fest many forum members made the trek to New York. Yours truly short on cash stayed home. They all had a great time in New York and brought back something special for me! A autographed photo that Jim printed from the Christmas show of Lisa,Helen and Amy awwww!!! Lisa and Helen signed it for me but it still needs one more. hint hint!!!!! Here is some of Scott's review:
Dave
OK, so I never had a burning desire to go to New York City, but RCMH+CW+5 girl meet & greet+reasonable price= I'm going! Not just for one night but two!
Night one
We arrived the day of the show by bus from Baltimore. It didn't start out well as there was a major accident that blocked one of the harbor tunnels so we missed the bus. We caught the next one and made it in at about 1:30 and then caught a cab to our hotel. Four of us, Scott-N3sjh, Dwight, Walter, and I met JimM and Sara-07NWgrad. After depositing stuff in the rooms we head over to Applebee's for lunch/dinner. Sara isn't feeling well and goes back to the room to get a nap. Upon my arrival back in the room she seems to be feeling better. Good since this is a special show. Off to the show about 7:15 to the venue about 2 blocks away.
RCMH is all it is billed to be. Large, ornate, great acoustics and comfortable. We take our seats in pit AAA which are about two feet from the stage at stage left. I chat with folks around me and promote CW and Mairead along with a few words abnout Liv.
The show begins with that dream vision and haunting strains we have all come to know and love. The stage is very large and so Mairead will get a workout tonight! I'll not go into song details much as we know them pretty well by now. Some highlights though.
All the artists obviously love this place and were just beaming. They had great fun and had great energy. No snags on any songs save one little almost indetectable stumble by Lynn. David is still at the piano. That always makes it special. The ladies had an early day what with the Today Show appearance so must have been tired by the end of the night. Sure didn't show on stage. I would have great interaction with all of the artists tonight but obviously the most from Mairead. Oh my. Des and the others were getting a kick out of it too! It really was fun to have that with each of them and that makes for a very special experience.
Lisa. Well, I had not really had much chance to interact with you since Red Rocks in '07 the second night. Lisa just nailed it tonight and most of all on her signature piece, The Voice. You ARE the voice Lisa.
Lynn. You just continue to captivate me with Dulaman, Carolina Rua, and that red dress. A few little looks and wow.
Chloe. You just shine every night, but even more so in a venue so special like this one. You were having fun as you always seem to do, and are a lovely spokes person in saying thank you to New York and introducing Oh America. That song just always brings tears and a standing ovation and thank you from me and other forum members.
Alex. That blue just suits you. I find myself more and more enamored with True Colors each time. Gotta love Nick on the Conga drum too.
Mairead. Oh you have no idea how wonderful it feels to have such attention from the one who inspired so much in me. That was so much fun. Your artist friends up there seemed to be getting a kick out of it too! You nailed every air tonight. We both got a little teary eyed on You Raise Me Up. Yes I was singing it to you.
The meet & greet was about 50+ people and as billed had all five girls. PBS took candid shots and will send copies via email. I met a few folks in line, made some Liv connections, and passed out some Mairead forum buttons including to a mom with a daughter named Mairead. I gave Rachel another bundle of things to have signed. She gave me back the ones from WB prior to the show. Thank you so much Rachel. That's the last of them for forum members. All the girls were in their photo dresses which are just lovely. I finally met Lisa and was able to thank her for starting me on the journey. A kiss on Mairead's hand and lovely comments from Chloe about WB were other highlights. Off to the bar and this review and then night two tomorrow.
Dave
OK, so I never had a burning desire to go to New York City, but RCMH+CW+5 girl meet & greet+reasonable price= I'm going! Not just for one night but two!
Night one
We arrived the day of the show by bus from Baltimore. It didn't start out well as there was a major accident that blocked one of the harbor tunnels so we missed the bus. We caught the next one and made it in at about 1:30 and then caught a cab to our hotel. Four of us, Scott-N3sjh, Dwight, Walter, and I met JimM and Sara-07NWgrad. After depositing stuff in the rooms we head over to Applebee's for lunch/dinner. Sara isn't feeling well and goes back to the room to get a nap. Upon my arrival back in the room she seems to be feeling better. Good since this is a special show. Off to the show about 7:15 to the venue about 2 blocks away.
RCMH is all it is billed to be. Large, ornate, great acoustics and comfortable. We take our seats in pit AAA which are about two feet from the stage at stage left. I chat with folks around me and promote CW and Mairead along with a few words abnout Liv.
The show begins with that dream vision and haunting strains we have all come to know and love. The stage is very large and so Mairead will get a workout tonight! I'll not go into song details much as we know them pretty well by now. Some highlights though.
All the artists obviously love this place and were just beaming. They had great fun and had great energy. No snags on any songs save one little almost indetectable stumble by Lynn. David is still at the piano. That always makes it special. The ladies had an early day what with the Today Show appearance so must have been tired by the end of the night. Sure didn't show on stage. I would have great interaction with all of the artists tonight but obviously the most from Mairead. Oh my. Des and the others were getting a kick out of it too! It really was fun to have that with each of them and that makes for a very special experience.
Lisa. Well, I had not really had much chance to interact with you since Red Rocks in '07 the second night. Lisa just nailed it tonight and most of all on her signature piece, The Voice. You ARE the voice Lisa.
Lynn. You just continue to captivate me with Dulaman, Carolina Rua, and that red dress. A few little looks and wow.
Chloe. You just shine every night, but even more so in a venue so special like this one. You were having fun as you always seem to do, and are a lovely spokes person in saying thank you to New York and introducing Oh America. That song just always brings tears and a standing ovation and thank you from me and other forum members.
Alex. That blue just suits you. I find myself more and more enamored with True Colors each time. Gotta love Nick on the Conga drum too.
Mairead. Oh you have no idea how wonderful it feels to have such attention from the one who inspired so much in me. That was so much fun. Your artist friends up there seemed to be getting a kick out of it too! You nailed every air tonight. We both got a little teary eyed on You Raise Me Up. Yes I was singing it to you.
The meet & greet was about 50+ people and as billed had all five girls. PBS took candid shots and will send copies via email. I met a few folks in line, made some Liv connections, and passed out some Mairead forum buttons including to a mom with a daughter named Mairead. I gave Rachel another bundle of things to have signed. She gave me back the ones from WB prior to the show. Thank you so much Rachel. That's the last of them for forum members. All the girls were in their photo dresses which are just lovely. I finally met Lisa and was able to thank her for starting me on the journey. A kiss on Mairead's hand and lovely comments from Chloe about WB were other highlights. Off to the bar and this review and then night two tomorrow.
Mairead Fest!!! Wilkes Barre Pa March 11th!
OK, It' been awhile. My job has kept me busy.
Many of us made the trek to Wilkes-Barre on March 11th. A whole mini van full of forum members left my house midmorning on the 10th. We picked up JimM in Harrisburg PA as he came in on a train. Glenn and Tony came in to Boston on a plane. Others came by car. About 10 of us were there that night and many more arrived the next day. Here is part of Scott's review. enjoy!
Dave
The night of the 10th we had dinner together. Some at a nice Japanese place and others at the place across the way that had more standard fare. The Japanese place was new and the chef put on a good show cooking it right at our table. Mmmmm, Filet and scallops. Nice onion volcano! It was a great night with wonderful conversation.
Some of these folks I have never met before but only knew through the forum. I have to say I am so impressed with these guys. All have been such great supporters and contributors of the enchanted forest and most especially to Mairead. These guys really are honorable men who have great respect for Mairead and all of the artists.
The day of the show arrives. Breakfast and then time to start getting ready with all the gifts and things to have signed. Organizing the event has been 7 months in the making. Now all the detail work. I had printed several nice Mairead photos out before I left home. Some would be for forum members and others to be signed for forum members who had made requests for their kids as well as overseas members. I brought a copy of the Mairead calendar we had printed up for charity donations to Oxfam and gave it to Scott T since it contained mostly his work. Also were the new DVDs and CDs that PBS sent as gifts. I brought a Christmas CD with ornament for a door prize. Also, Dave burned some copies of the WGBH PBS show last fall where Mairead, Lynn, and Orlagh appeared, and gave them to members. I brought three copies of Mairead CDs to have signed for forum contests. I had 20 fiddler crossing signs made up and laminated to hand out to forum members for the show. I also brought three copies of Tamberia's poetry book to sell, but one as a gift with Card for Mairead. There were 20 copies of Liv's CD to sell, and also an envelope for donations to Mairead's birthday gift. I spent time putting post-it notes on photos so they could be personalized to those they go to.
Folks start to arrive at the hotel while Scott-N3sjh and Dave delivered gifts and things to be signed that night ahead of time to the venue. This is a good time to thank Stephen Poremba from Wachovia arena for asssiting us in getting things in ahead of time. Rachel was so helpful with making it happen too.
Kim/KAJ and her parents arrived at the hotel and we all started to gather at the room I booked for our event about 30 minutes before to set things up. We have a nice cheese platter, vegetable platter and soft drinks to tide us over until dinner at five. Folks shared so much of the memorabilia they had and there was great conversation at the various tables. I popped in the Olivia DVD from her Ourimba concert as background for awhile. Door prizes were drawn. New member and first time concert goer Edtom wound up with Starman's ticket, so his first event is second row with meet and greet. Starman we missed you but thank you so much for your kindness. Dinner was ordered at 4 as pre-arranged and then served around 5. After dinner time to get ready. Oops, MeavMan, sorry it took so long to get you into the room!
Off to the show in three vehicles. We arrive and as pre-arranged drop off cameras for later with Rachel. She was in such a happy mood. The security folks at the arena were very helpful and all went smoothly. Wickie brought some gifts and all were set aside along with our goodies from earlier for the after concert event. We make our way to our seats which are in the first three rows on the floor. I gave some of the better seats to others but row C was still pretty darn good. The lights go down and we know what comes next.
To a person, every member present said this was the most amazing experience and far and away the best meet & greet ever for them.
First, it appears that WVIA sold a few more meet & greets than one was led to expect. Close to 50 I would figure. However, no big deal. It brought a little question in my head about the pre-arranged plans though. Well Ginny did just fine but she sure was finding it a challenge to herd all the cats! We get to the room and they have free refreshments. I wait for that though to chat with PBS and venue people about the course of events. Some are a bit unclear but OK. We look around for our boxes of stuff and they aren't there so I inquire from a venue person and they get the things brought down. Rachel brings the remaining items to us. We've really given her added work throughout all of this and she has been so gracious and accommodating. They keep a large tote of nuts in shell, dried fruit, and specialty chocolate brought to the venue earlier. We have one tote of gifts and items to be signed that we all put items in. Tony brought a huge CW Christmas poster that we all signed either at the hotel or did so here. I grabbed a fiddler crossing sign that we all signed as a thank you to Rachel. Cameras are returned to us and we wait for another group to get through with their part of the meet & greet.
We start as I present Rachel with her signed fiddler crossing sign. Mairead and Chloe as well as Rachel light up on that one. Next three of us unroll the huge poster and I say happy first MaireadFest and merry Christmas to Mairead. They're all a bit shocked by the size and seem very touched. So, now everyone gets in line and starts making their way through. Scott N3sjh and Jim Allen handle the photography but many join in as they get through the line. Candid, but not posed photos are allowed for this special event. No shortage of flashes going off! Each person has a highlight of their own from this. But a few bear a special comment here.
Wickie brought some really sweet stuffed critters for all the ladies to snuggle with in their bunks. I can't wait to see the photos of Mairead snuggling with her critter. Another special one was Glenn/Rotten Rebel who flew, wheelchair and all, from California to give Mairead the most beautiful real rose dipped in porcelain and gilded along with a lovely pendant. He then gave Chloe a very pretty cross pendant and earring set with what appeared to be amethyst stones. Wonderful sentiment! By far the most special though was the meeting of Kim/KAJ and Chloe. So many have had a hand in making this possible, and so many prayers went up. Oh my there were a lot of wet faces in that room. Kim told some sweet stories to Chloe and Mairead and gave them some gifts. A night that not many, least of all Kim, will not soon forget. Scott has his Mairead calendar signed and she was able to connect to the one whose graphics helped create them. She received one from the forum at the signing in Baton Rouge.
Well, my own turn came last. I brought some gifts from forum members and gave them to Mairead. I had a stack of stuff to have signed but just did a few things. The first grasp of hands lasted quite awhile and she was just lit up. She still has quite a grip that I remember from the last meeting. There were close to 20 photos to sign for kids and foreign members, so Rachel took them for her to sign prior to my seeing her again in New York City. Two special pieces to sign though. One was a gift from Scott Taylor of a Skate For The Heart program, and the other an old fiddle missing some pices but with the body still intact. She signed both and I told her they would be put on auction with the proceeds going to her Oxfam charity in her name and that of her forum. I moved over to Chloe and it was my first meeting with her. She is just delightful. How could you not love her?!
During all of this tons of photos were being taken. I saw a few Mr. Peabody took and they are lovely. A couple of really special ones though. I gathered the gang for our group shot. Before that though Mairead and Chloe wanted to say something to us. They both said the most wonderful things about our group there and the Mairead Forum in general. Their graciousness in doing that will rest forever in the hearts of all those present. Thank you so much. Naturally we had Chloe next to Kim, and Wickie was next to Mairead with me in the middle of those pairs and Glenn in his chariot in front of us. I can't wait to see those. The other group of fans was awaiting the girls so Rachel was ready to move on to them. Not before a really amazing hug from Mairead though. Her hug is as strong as her grip. Thank you Mairead so very much for that lovely embrace.
We made our way out and everyone was just beaming, each with their own special momemt from their encounters with these two gifted artists. We had been given a great gift for which we will be forever grateful. One final part to wrap it up.
Many of us made the trek to Wilkes-Barre on March 11th. A whole mini van full of forum members left my house midmorning on the 10th. We picked up JimM in Harrisburg PA as he came in on a train. Glenn and Tony came in to Boston on a plane. Others came by car. About 10 of us were there that night and many more arrived the next day. Here is part of Scott's review. enjoy!
Dave
The night of the 10th we had dinner together. Some at a nice Japanese place and others at the place across the way that had more standard fare. The Japanese place was new and the chef put on a good show cooking it right at our table. Mmmmm, Filet and scallops. Nice onion volcano! It was a great night with wonderful conversation.
Some of these folks I have never met before but only knew through the forum. I have to say I am so impressed with these guys. All have been such great supporters and contributors of the enchanted forest and most especially to Mairead. These guys really are honorable men who have great respect for Mairead and all of the artists.
The day of the show arrives. Breakfast and then time to start getting ready with all the gifts and things to have signed. Organizing the event has been 7 months in the making. Now all the detail work. I had printed several nice Mairead photos out before I left home. Some would be for forum members and others to be signed for forum members who had made requests for their kids as well as overseas members. I brought a copy of the Mairead calendar we had printed up for charity donations to Oxfam and gave it to Scott T since it contained mostly his work. Also were the new DVDs and CDs that PBS sent as gifts. I brought a Christmas CD with ornament for a door prize. Also, Dave burned some copies of the WGBH PBS show last fall where Mairead, Lynn, and Orlagh appeared, and gave them to members. I brought three copies of Mairead CDs to have signed for forum contests. I had 20 fiddler crossing signs made up and laminated to hand out to forum members for the show. I also brought three copies of Tamberia's poetry book to sell, but one as a gift with Card for Mairead. There were 20 copies of Liv's CD to sell, and also an envelope for donations to Mairead's birthday gift. I spent time putting post-it notes on photos so they could be personalized to those they go to.
Folks start to arrive at the hotel while Scott-N3sjh and Dave delivered gifts and things to be signed that night ahead of time to the venue. This is a good time to thank Stephen Poremba from Wachovia arena for asssiting us in getting things in ahead of time. Rachel was so helpful with making it happen too.
Kim/KAJ and her parents arrived at the hotel and we all started to gather at the room I booked for our event about 30 minutes before to set things up. We have a nice cheese platter, vegetable platter and soft drinks to tide us over until dinner at five. Folks shared so much of the memorabilia they had and there was great conversation at the various tables. I popped in the Olivia DVD from her Ourimba concert as background for awhile. Door prizes were drawn. New member and first time concert goer Edtom wound up with Starman's ticket, so his first event is second row with meet and greet. Starman we missed you but thank you so much for your kindness. Dinner was ordered at 4 as pre-arranged and then served around 5. After dinner time to get ready. Oops, MeavMan, sorry it took so long to get you into the room!
Off to the show in three vehicles. We arrive and as pre-arranged drop off cameras for later with Rachel. She was in such a happy mood. The security folks at the arena were very helpful and all went smoothly. Wickie brought some gifts and all were set aside along with our goodies from earlier for the after concert event. We make our way to our seats which are in the first three rows on the floor. I gave some of the better seats to others but row C was still pretty darn good. The lights go down and we know what comes next.
To a person, every member present said this was the most amazing experience and far and away the best meet & greet ever for them.
First, it appears that WVIA sold a few more meet & greets than one was led to expect. Close to 50 I would figure. However, no big deal. It brought a little question in my head about the pre-arranged plans though. Well Ginny did just fine but she sure was finding it a challenge to herd all the cats! We get to the room and they have free refreshments. I wait for that though to chat with PBS and venue people about the course of events. Some are a bit unclear but OK. We look around for our boxes of stuff and they aren't there so I inquire from a venue person and they get the things brought down. Rachel brings the remaining items to us. We've really given her added work throughout all of this and she has been so gracious and accommodating. They keep a large tote of nuts in shell, dried fruit, and specialty chocolate brought to the venue earlier. We have one tote of gifts and items to be signed that we all put items in. Tony brought a huge CW Christmas poster that we all signed either at the hotel or did so here. I grabbed a fiddler crossing sign that we all signed as a thank you to Rachel. Cameras are returned to us and we wait for another group to get through with their part of the meet & greet.
We start as I present Rachel with her signed fiddler crossing sign. Mairead and Chloe as well as Rachel light up on that one. Next three of us unroll the huge poster and I say happy first MaireadFest and merry Christmas to Mairead. They're all a bit shocked by the size and seem very touched. So, now everyone gets in line and starts making their way through. Scott N3sjh and Jim Allen handle the photography but many join in as they get through the line. Candid, but not posed photos are allowed for this special event. No shortage of flashes going off! Each person has a highlight of their own from this. But a few bear a special comment here.
Wickie brought some really sweet stuffed critters for all the ladies to snuggle with in their bunks. I can't wait to see the photos of Mairead snuggling with her critter. Another special one was Glenn/Rotten Rebel who flew, wheelchair and all, from California to give Mairead the most beautiful real rose dipped in porcelain and gilded along with a lovely pendant. He then gave Chloe a very pretty cross pendant and earring set with what appeared to be amethyst stones. Wonderful sentiment! By far the most special though was the meeting of Kim/KAJ and Chloe. So many have had a hand in making this possible, and so many prayers went up. Oh my there were a lot of wet faces in that room. Kim told some sweet stories to Chloe and Mairead and gave them some gifts. A night that not many, least of all Kim, will not soon forget. Scott has his Mairead calendar signed and she was able to connect to the one whose graphics helped create them. She received one from the forum at the signing in Baton Rouge.
Well, my own turn came last. I brought some gifts from forum members and gave them to Mairead. I had a stack of stuff to have signed but just did a few things. The first grasp of hands lasted quite awhile and she was just lit up. She still has quite a grip that I remember from the last meeting. There were close to 20 photos to sign for kids and foreign members, so Rachel took them for her to sign prior to my seeing her again in New York City. Two special pieces to sign though. One was a gift from Scott Taylor of a Skate For The Heart program, and the other an old fiddle missing some pices but with the body still intact. She signed both and I told her they would be put on auction with the proceeds going to her Oxfam charity in her name and that of her forum. I moved over to Chloe and it was my first meeting with her. She is just delightful. How could you not love her?!
During all of this tons of photos were being taken. I saw a few Mr. Peabody took and they are lovely. A couple of really special ones though. I gathered the gang for our group shot. Before that though Mairead and Chloe wanted to say something to us. They both said the most wonderful things about our group there and the Mairead Forum in general. Their graciousness in doing that will rest forever in the hearts of all those present. Thank you so much. Naturally we had Chloe next to Kim, and Wickie was next to Mairead with me in the middle of those pairs and Glenn in his chariot in front of us. I can't wait to see those. The other group of fans was awaiting the girls so Rachel was ready to move on to them. Not before a really amazing hug from Mairead though. Her hug is as strong as her grip. Thank you Mairead so very much for that lovely embrace.
We made our way out and everyone was just beaming, each with their own special momemt from their encounters with these two gifted artists. We had been given a great gift for which we will be forever grateful. One final part to wrap it up.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
The Evansville review by Scott Manke aka Moscapoet
OK, folks here is part one of the review for the dress rehearsal.
Some of us have been here for a few days to conduct some forum business. The anticipation built. During the three days or so leading up we caught a glimpse of some choir and band members but as per proper decorum did not approach. Eight forum members in all were there including myself, Dave, Scott M, Dwight, Jim Allen, Don/papagood, Starman, and Thomas. All these guys were just great and fine folks to attend a concert with. No shortage of enthusiasm either.
WNIN, the local PBS station set up a dinner prior to the show at RiRa's Irish pub. There were 20 meet & greet people there plus PBS. Thanks so much to Sheryl for arranging it all. She received a gift of an Olivia CD. Prior to that though, Thomas gave me a lovely gift with a Skype video conference with Liv and Kim in Australia. It was so lovely. Thanks Thomas, that meant a lot. We also did a few photos. I spent plenty of time at the pub promoting Celtic Woman and Olivia. I also met a gent named Ken Tucker who gave me some great leads I can use for Liv.
It had been rainy and windy most of the day but just cloudy as we made our way to the venue. We waited in the lobby for about a half hour and I picked up a new program. Very nice! I also picked up three Mairead CDs for future forum contests. Sadly, no individual photos were available of the artists. So, if you want photos of individual artists signed you better print up some of your own. We go in and take our front row center seats and wait. The set has a round disc at the back for projecting videos. There are white curtains and sashes around the edges and above the stage. A purple Mairead silhouette is projected on the side curtains as we wait. The disc says Isle of Hope on it as we wait. The announcement comes and the lights dim. we've seen the set list but be warned it is in alphabetical order and not order of performance. I found that out a bit late and so had to write down the order as best I could. The first act that follows in part two may not be quite in the right order as a result but it's close. The second act in part three of this review is in the right order. So, in part two we'll have act one.
Part two. Act one.
Well, for anyone who might doubt the wisdom of David Downes, don't! David wisely has left The Sky, The Dawn, and The Sun. There she was, standing in mist, bow raised in the air, and yes, again dressed in white. The other ladies come out and are dressed green for Chloe, blue for Alex, orange for Lisa, and red for Lynn. The choir is in black. Very nice. Great start and a relief for many who love that song. Hi to you too Mairead! Sigh.
Next up, Lisa comes out and sings a lovely cover called Fields of Gold. I've never heard this pop piece done better. Lisa looks just lovely. Oh, and David himself is behind the piano.
OK, what's this. There is Mairead. Oh, what is this? It's a bit of a Latin flavor and and very peppy. It's called The Coast of Galicia. At least that's the only title I can figure be process of elimination. She's back running around and just beaming. Oh, Mairead thanks so much for the looks. I love this new air. Very fun and perfect. Mairead forum standing ovation.
Lynn comes out and I really like the red dress with the ruffle wrap around. She performs a song from her album, Carolina Rua. Cool! She has fun with it and is so relaxed and smiling. Oh, Lynn, a piece of your own. I love it! Thanks David!
Ahhhh, Orinoco Flow!!!!! Do I need to say more? Only three guys and three gals in the choir though as Amy and Julian have gone on to solo work. Still so much fun.
Alex comes out and sings a cover called True Colors. She does this very well. Again, she does this better than the pop artist who made it popular.
Chloe comes out now and sings a just beautiful piece called When You Believe. This brought tears to my eyes. It's just beautiful and Chloe again makes some eye contact with me. I've never had her at a meet & greet but she sure seems to know me. Awww, thanks Chloe. Folks, you'll love this song.
Now here comes a group piece. Isle of Hope, Isle of Tears. Oh my, this is beautiful and again gets me teary eyed. Throughout this so far we get video images on the round disc behind the stage that fits the piece. Really lovely song. Keeper for sure.
Uh oh, here comes Lisa over to the piano. Yep, The Blessing. Sigh. Afterwards she gets David and gives him a kiss and they take a bow, just like on the Slane DVD. What a pretty song.
YES!!!!!!!!!!!!! Granuaile's Dance! Here comes that feisty fiddler in white! It's just as it always is with Mairead having so much fun with Eoghan, David, Ray, Nicky, Des, and all of us. Awww, could your smile and expressions be any more sweet! More looks to all of us. Yes, she knows there are Mairead forum folks in front. This air just never gets old. Sigh. Mairead forum standing ovation.
Now we have Lynn, Lisa, and Chloe singing a cover called Goodnight My Angel. My, that's a lovely song and very pretty harmony. It says this is a Billy Joel piece. I sure like these ladies better!
Danny Boy. Um, not your usual Danny Boy. This is four part harmony a capella. Wow, does that bring tears to your eyes! I'm not wild about that song usually, but I am now! WOW!
We wrap up act one with, yes, wait for it, Mo Ghile Mear!!!! BOOM!!!!!! All the elements to fire you up and get you on your feet to leave you pumped and ready for act two. Flying fiddler, dueling drummers, and lovely voices. YES!!!! Standing ovation.
I ask the guys to help me get the set in order, but again, some of the above may not be quite in the right order. Catch our breath and time for act two. Part three next.
Part three. Act two.
All the elements are in play as they start the second act with The Call. This is a great song to lead in the second act. Beautiful. I notice something though. No costume change. Cool, Mairead stays in white.
Oh, out come the drummers. Yep, Dulaman, and Lynn. She now owns this song as the sultry girl next door. This is just perfect for her and she has fun with it.
Next up is Alex and a cover from Phil Collins called You'll Be In My Heart. Very pretty and zippy at times. Nicky comes out and plays Conga drum. Good percussion and Alex has a great time with this.
Here comes Chloe and the strains are familiar. Last Rose of Summer. Lynn comes out and they renew the beautiful rendition from the last tour. They are just a lovely duet.
The answer to both Don's and my prayer is yes. Here comes Mairead and she does her stunningly beautiful and gut wrenching instrumental version of that which they call Last Rose Fantasia. . I am just flowing with tears. Thank you Mairead and CW for hearing our pleas. Now when the new DVD is done this beautiful air will be preserved forever. Praise God!!!!!
We insist on applauding at the above even after Mairead leaves and Chloe takes the stage for Nella Fantasia. This is a signature song for her and she does it beautifully as always.
Out come the other three girls dressed in wraps but frillier than previously for the fun piece At The Ceili! Mairead is still in her white. So much fun and a crowd favorite.
Mairead is back and yes it is Shenandoah. She just feels this piece and we know it is one of her favorites. No better honor could the state of Virginia have than her playing their state song. The guys come out and here we go with The Contradiction. Ray gets hoots and hollers from us and acknowledges it with a smile and a bow while he's playing. This just never gets old! BTW, this is not in the set list. Must be a typo. Standing ovation from the Mairead forum.
Out come the ladies now in a costume change. They are wearing dark, very full dresses with a lot of metallic fabric over parts of it. Stunning! I will say however that those might get very hot at outdoor venues late in the tour. The song is Have I Told You Lately. I think that is a Rod Stewart cover right? Very nice.
Lisa stays and out comes Mairead in her new change of costume similar to the other ladies for The Voice. Yep, Lisa and Mairead back for this powerful piece that brings the house down. Yep, standing ovation.
Here we go with that fun song, Sing Out! We just love this and so do the ladies. Yep clapping along.
All the ladies now do a new song called Oh America. Wow!!!! OK, tears flow again. What a lovely tribute to our country. This is just beautiful. What a great addition.
The ladies then move and go right into You Raise Me up complete with the extra verse and the extra Mairead bit. As usual Chloe says her "Thank you, You've been a lovely audience". The crowd stands and they take some bows.
This goes right into Mairead's smoking Mo Ghile Mear reprise (again not in the set list) and the ladies coming out and taking their bows as well as the other artists. Oh give me Mairead over Jimmy Hendrix any day! Squeallllllll.
The encore is Spanish Lady as before. Fun and the ladies are all smiles and the crowd clapping along. More bows and out then with a wave of her bow Mairead ends the show for another night.
Don't doubt for a minute the genius of Mr. Downes and the professionalism and hard work of all of these artists. This is a show that retains the best of what they've done and adds some really great new pieces. While I'm generally more a fan of original work than covers, the latter is done better than the pop artists who made them popular. Well, maybe I'm just biased about it. Next part, the meet and greet.
OK, folks here is part one of the review for the dress rehearsal.
Some of us have been here for a few days to conduct some forum business. The anticipation built. During the three days or so leading up we caught a glimpse of some choir and band members but as per proper decorum did not approach. Eight forum members in all were there including myself, Dave, Scott M, Dwight, Jim Allen, Don/papagood, Starman, and Thomas. All these guys were just great and fine folks to attend a concert with. No shortage of enthusiasm either.
WNIN, the local PBS station set up a dinner prior to the show at RiRa's Irish pub. There were 20 meet & greet people there plus PBS. Thanks so much to Sheryl for arranging it all. She received a gift of an Olivia CD. Prior to that though, Thomas gave me a lovely gift with a Skype video conference with Liv and Kim in Australia. It was so lovely. Thanks Thomas, that meant a lot. We also did a few photos. I spent plenty of time at the pub promoting Celtic Woman and Olivia. I also met a gent named Ken Tucker who gave me some great leads I can use for Liv.
It had been rainy and windy most of the day but just cloudy as we made our way to the venue. We waited in the lobby for about a half hour and I picked up a new program. Very nice! I also picked up three Mairead CDs for future forum contests. Sadly, no individual photos were available of the artists. So, if you want photos of individual artists signed you better print up some of your own. We go in and take our front row center seats and wait. The set has a round disc at the back for projecting videos. There are white curtains and sashes around the edges and above the stage. A purple Mairead silhouette is projected on the side curtains as we wait. The disc says Isle of Hope on it as we wait. The announcement comes and the lights dim. we've seen the set list but be warned it is in alphabetical order and not order of performance. I found that out a bit late and so had to write down the order as best I could. The first act that follows in part two may not be quite in the right order as a result but it's close. The second act in part three of this review is in the right order. So, in part two we'll have act one.
Part two. Act one.
Well, for anyone who might doubt the wisdom of David Downes, don't! David wisely has left The Sky, The Dawn, and The Sun. There she was, standing in mist, bow raised in the air, and yes, again dressed in white. The other ladies come out and are dressed green for Chloe, blue for Alex, orange for Lisa, and red for Lynn. The choir is in black. Very nice. Great start and a relief for many who love that song. Hi to you too Mairead! Sigh.
Next up, Lisa comes out and sings a lovely cover called Fields of Gold. I've never heard this pop piece done better. Lisa looks just lovely. Oh, and David himself is behind the piano.
OK, what's this. There is Mairead. Oh, what is this? It's a bit of a Latin flavor and and very peppy. It's called The Coast of Galicia. At least that's the only title I can figure be process of elimination. She's back running around and just beaming. Oh, Mairead thanks so much for the looks. I love this new air. Very fun and perfect. Mairead forum standing ovation.
Lynn comes out and I really like the red dress with the ruffle wrap around. She performs a song from her album, Carolina Rua. Cool! She has fun with it and is so relaxed and smiling. Oh, Lynn, a piece of your own. I love it! Thanks David!
Ahhhh, Orinoco Flow!!!!! Do I need to say more? Only three guys and three gals in the choir though as Amy and Julian have gone on to solo work. Still so much fun.
Alex comes out and sings a cover called True Colors. She does this very well. Again, she does this better than the pop artist who made it popular.
Chloe comes out now and sings a just beautiful piece called When You Believe. This brought tears to my eyes. It's just beautiful and Chloe again makes some eye contact with me. I've never had her at a meet & greet but she sure seems to know me. Awww, thanks Chloe. Folks, you'll love this song.
Now here comes a group piece. Isle of Hope, Isle of Tears. Oh my, this is beautiful and again gets me teary eyed. Throughout this so far we get video images on the round disc behind the stage that fits the piece. Really lovely song. Keeper for sure.
Uh oh, here comes Lisa over to the piano. Yep, The Blessing. Sigh. Afterwards she gets David and gives him a kiss and they take a bow, just like on the Slane DVD. What a pretty song.
YES!!!!!!!!!!!!! Granuaile's Dance! Here comes that feisty fiddler in white! It's just as it always is with Mairead having so much fun with Eoghan, David, Ray, Nicky, Des, and all of us. Awww, could your smile and expressions be any more sweet! More looks to all of us. Yes, she knows there are Mairead forum folks in front. This air just never gets old. Sigh. Mairead forum standing ovation.
Now we have Lynn, Lisa, and Chloe singing a cover called Goodnight My Angel. My, that's a lovely song and very pretty harmony. It says this is a Billy Joel piece. I sure like these ladies better!
Danny Boy. Um, not your usual Danny Boy. This is four part harmony a capella. Wow, does that bring tears to your eyes! I'm not wild about that song usually, but I am now! WOW!
We wrap up act one with, yes, wait for it, Mo Ghile Mear!!!! BOOM!!!!!! All the elements to fire you up and get you on your feet to leave you pumped and ready for act two. Flying fiddler, dueling drummers, and lovely voices. YES!!!! Standing ovation.
I ask the guys to help me get the set in order, but again, some of the above may not be quite in the right order. Catch our breath and time for act two. Part three next.
Part three. Act two.
All the elements are in play as they start the second act with The Call. This is a great song to lead in the second act. Beautiful. I notice something though. No costume change. Cool, Mairead stays in white.
Oh, out come the drummers. Yep, Dulaman, and Lynn. She now owns this song as the sultry girl next door. This is just perfect for her and she has fun with it.
Next up is Alex and a cover from Phil Collins called You'll Be In My Heart. Very pretty and zippy at times. Nicky comes out and plays Conga drum. Good percussion and Alex has a great time with this.
Here comes Chloe and the strains are familiar. Last Rose of Summer. Lynn comes out and they renew the beautiful rendition from the last tour. They are just a lovely duet.
The answer to both Don's and my prayer is yes. Here comes Mairead and she does her stunningly beautiful and gut wrenching instrumental version of that which they call Last Rose Fantasia. . I am just flowing with tears. Thank you Mairead and CW for hearing our pleas. Now when the new DVD is done this beautiful air will be preserved forever. Praise God!!!!!
We insist on applauding at the above even after Mairead leaves and Chloe takes the stage for Nella Fantasia. This is a signature song for her and she does it beautifully as always.
Out come the other three girls dressed in wraps but frillier than previously for the fun piece At The Ceili! Mairead is still in her white. So much fun and a crowd favorite.
Mairead is back and yes it is Shenandoah. She just feels this piece and we know it is one of her favorites. No better honor could the state of Virginia have than her playing their state song. The guys come out and here we go with The Contradiction. Ray gets hoots and hollers from us and acknowledges it with a smile and a bow while he's playing. This just never gets old! BTW, this is not in the set list. Must be a typo. Standing ovation from the Mairead forum.
Out come the ladies now in a costume change. They are wearing dark, very full dresses with a lot of metallic fabric over parts of it. Stunning! I will say however that those might get very hot at outdoor venues late in the tour. The song is Have I Told You Lately. I think that is a Rod Stewart cover right? Very nice.
Lisa stays and out comes Mairead in her new change of costume similar to the other ladies for The Voice. Yep, Lisa and Mairead back for this powerful piece that brings the house down. Yep, standing ovation.
Here we go with that fun song, Sing Out! We just love this and so do the ladies. Yep clapping along.
All the ladies now do a new song called Oh America. Wow!!!! OK, tears flow again. What a lovely tribute to our country. This is just beautiful. What a great addition.
The ladies then move and go right into You Raise Me up complete with the extra verse and the extra Mairead bit. As usual Chloe says her "Thank you, You've been a lovely audience". The crowd stands and they take some bows.
This goes right into Mairead's smoking Mo Ghile Mear reprise (again not in the set list) and the ladies coming out and taking their bows as well as the other artists. Oh give me Mairead over Jimmy Hendrix any day! Squeallllllll.
The encore is Spanish Lady as before. Fun and the ladies are all smiles and the crowd clapping along. More bows and out then with a wave of her bow Mairead ends the show for another night.
Don't doubt for a minute the genius of Mr. Downes and the professionalism and hard work of all of these artists. This is a show that retains the best of what they've done and adds some really great new pieces. While I'm generally more a fan of original work than covers, the latter is done better than the pop artists who made them popular. Well, maybe I'm just biased about it. Next part, the meet and greet.
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