Richmond, VA –
Greetings my dearest, darling, friend,
I hope this Postcard finds you well. I thought, rather than tagging pictures of me having fun on social media, I would send you this personal message, reminiscent of a time long before the internet. Please sit back and enjoy, while I try to paint a tapestry of words to help you, my dear friend, picture my journey, in the form of a Postcard From Ireland.
This journey to Ireland started at the Altria Theater in Richmond, VA of all places. The date was March 22, 2022. Myself, and a near capacity crowd, was guided on the tour by Celtic Woman‘s sopranos Chloë Agnew, Megan Walsh, and, Muirgen O’Mahony. Of course, the tour would not have been complete without fiddle and Irish harp provided by Tara McNeill.
We awoke to the “Dawning of the Day” which came to us as a gift from our guides. The gift was ironically named Postcards From Ireland. Every member on the adventure heard the angelic script sung aloud, ‘Dear Dave’ (and the Altria), “One early Morn, as I walked forth…” putting to words and verse of an awakening to a new day. From the start, the choreography, instrumentals, and vocals, sent chills of joy down my spine. Sitting amongst others on the journey, it was obvious they too shared the same feeling.
Our guides told us of a “Mo Ghile Mear” that they knew of before they took us “Down by the Salley Gardens”. The guides, along with their band of bagpipes, flute, Irish drums, and Irish dancers, told many a folk tale of the ways of Ireland. In “May it Be”, we were told to believe, to a thunderous applause by the visitors at the Altria. As they reminisced the making of “Beeswing” we were told how much fun it was to make, especially after two years of being missing.
What was amazing about this postcard is how we learned that postcards are much more than just words. The images we saw told so much about the story being told. The visuals provided by our guides, along with musicians and dancers, gave meaning beyond the words and tones.
My dearest friend, you may have heard stories of the great battle that took place on my journey, fear not, because it was not a battle of weapons, but a battle of drums and percussion. It was a joy to watch. We also learned that certain shoes, worn by Irish dancers, make one hell of a percussion instrument. The first act concluded as the bagpipes and fiddle brought the other tourists to their feet before the curtain came down and we all took a short 20-minute nap to regain needed energy for the second half of the night.
The second half, like the first, was very much of the Ireland I had envisioned in my mind. Bagpipes, flute, violin and other instruments accompanied (and often soloed) Celtic Woman as they continued to share their Celtic voice.
Throughout the second act more tales were told, including the story of “The Lakes Of Pontchartrain” along with a beautiful rendition of “Amazing Grace“. I am pretty sure there was not a dry eye in the audience as their power over music and verse overwhelmed our emotions.
Of course, we heard all about “Danny Boy” after another Irish drum and dance battle. During the battle one did not have to look too close to notice all the heads bobbing to the beat while their hands came together and clapped along. It was a blast, I wish you were there to share the night with me, my dear friend.
Before wrapping up our journey, our senior tour guide, Chloë Agnew, told us a fun story. For those who have followed Celtic Woman to some degree, we know that Chloë was one of the first members of the group, joining them when she was a las of 15 (telling us that she was the ‘baby’ of the group). When she rejoined them for this tour, she realized she had now become the ‘grandma’.
The last 2 legs of the night were Celtic Woman traditional songs. “You Raise Me Up” is so powerful, you could sense it taking control of the audience. “The Parting Glass“, for lack of a better way to put it, was the perfect send off to any journey to Ireland. Even though we all knew we did not want the night to come to an end, we all would raise a glass to the memories… and the story… to the postcard… we would all have as we departed on this short trip to Ireland. With that, my dearest friend, until we have the good fortune of meeting again, slán liom tú.
Check out “Beeswing” from Celtic Woman’s newest album!
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Celtic Woman Setlist
The Dawning Of The Day
Mo ghile mear
Down By The Salley Gardens
Skyrim Theme (Dragonborn)
Bonny Portmore
Sometimes a Prayer Will Do
May It Be
Beeswing
The Calm Of The Day / The Banshee
Ballroom of Romance
Wild Mountain Thyme
Téir abhaile riú
The Enchanted Way
The Lakes Of Pontchartrain
Dúlamán
The Voice
Angel
Amazing Grace
Drum Tap/Irish Dance Break
Danny Boy
Orinoco Flow
You Raise Me Up
The Parting Glass
