Celtic Thunder Goes Traditional With Transitional Heritage

It’s been a little more than two years since I first listened to Celtic Thunder, the group of several Irishmen and one Scotsman that has been making such a splash on PBS. The first few albums are a solid mix of traditional and pop music, while the last couple of releases have focused mostly on pop. Heritage, the latest album, goes the other way, boasting a track list of folk tunes old and new. As someone who loves traditional Irish music, this is a particular treat for me.

This album also stands out because it is transitional, featuring both Paul Byrom, the “swanky tenor” who is taking his operatic voice solo now, and Emmet Cahill, his young replacement. On board as before are Scotsman George Donaldson and Irishmen Ryan Kelly, Neil Byrne, Keith Harkin and Damian McGinty, along with talented instrumentalists like Declan O’Donaghue, Brendan Monaghan, Seana Davey, Conor McCreanor, Ivan Gilliand, Dave Cooke and Phil Coulter, who has composed many of the group’s songs. Together, they create a rich tapestry of music to stir the spirit.

The Dutchman - Keith kicks off the album with a wistful, folksy rendition of Michael Peter Smith’s poignant song about an elderly man who has lost his mental faculties but not the love of his dear Margaret. The delicate guitar work and the understated percussion beautifully complement Keith’s sensitive performance of this gently meandering song that competes with Mountains of Mourne as my favorite of his Celtic Thunder solos. “He’s mad as he can be, but Margaret only sees that sometimes. Sometimes she sees her unborn children in his eyes.”

Buachaill on Eirne - Damian wowed the crowds on Celtic Thunder’s first release with his clear-voiced rendition of this classic ode to Ireland’s beauty. Back then, he was a mere 14 years old, so hearing the song again now, it almost seems as though someone else is singing. His voice has deepened immensely since then, and with the mellower arrangement and the fact that this time, he sings entirely in Gaelic, it hardly feels like a retread at all. His first pristine version felt like a glowing invitation to visit Ireland, while evidently the lyrics here are quite different and more amorous in nature. In any case, a lovely track.

Black is the Color - This electric guitar-heavy track has a western flair to it, hearkening back to Ride On. Ryan sounds like the Bad Boy here as he growls out the words, but the lyrics to this old folksong are really pretty straightforwardly romantic. The flute toward the end adds a touch of old-world quality to this song that has largely been given a contemporary feel. “Black is the color of my true love’s hair. Her lips are like some roses fair. She’s got the sweetest smile and the gentlest hands, and I love the ground whereon she stands.”

My Love Is Like a Red Red Rose - This sedate piano-driven air written by famed Scottish poet Robert Burns is a nice vehicle for Paul’s talent. It’s very quiet; while he utilizes his upper register quite a bit, he never goes into those loud power notes, instead keeping everything barely above a whisper. But it’s a lovely performance that feels like a coda after Christmas Morning Donegal, which felt to me like his grand finale with the group. “My love is like a red, red rose that’s newly sprung in June. My love is like a melody that’s sweetly played in tune.”

Home From the Sea - This first Phil Coulter original on the album is a wonderful Celtic-flavored seafaring ballad. Considering the fact that Heartland, the song that opened their first concert special, is a prayer by sailors to reach shore safely, this track feels particularly appropriate to the group. While Heartland feels ethereal, Home From the Sea is more robust and earthy, and the lads inject more of their personality into it. While they sing the chorus together, each takes half a verse solo; Damian and Neil get the first verse, Paul and Ryan the second and Keith and George the last. I was particularly impressed with Ryan’s heartfelt reading of the segment in which the sailors are spotted by their saviors and George’s triumphant recounting of the rescue itself. A definite favorite. “Then a flicker of light, and they knew they were right. There she was, on the crest of a wave. She’s an old fishing boat, and she’s barely afloat. Please God, there are souls we can save!”

Just a Song at Twilight - One nice thing about this album is that we have three duets. This track is the first, pairing Paul with Damian. This slow, old-fashioned romantic ode, accompanied by piano and strings, feels more like a Paul song than a Damian song, though it never reaches operatic heights. It’s a low-key little number with a sweet brotherly feel to it, as we get the sense that Paul and Damian are sitting together, recollecting the wonder of having been in love. “Even today, we hear love’s song of yore. Deep in our hearts, it dwells forevermore. Footsteps may falter; weary grows our way. Still we can hear it at the close of day.”

The Galway Girl - This is the most recent song on the album that Coulter didn’t write himself. A lively ballad by Steve Earle about love at first sight in Ireland, it feels like a typical rowdy Irish group song, particularly during the instrumental section, which includes whistles, accordion and plenty of whooping. When I first heard this, I thought for a moment that I’d wandered into an Irish Rovers album. This track is interesting because it’s the first group number to include Emmet – and exclude Paul. It sounds more raucous than melodious, but it’s a fun number. “Let me ask you, friend, what’s a fella to do? ‘Cause her hair was black and her eyes were blue…”

Gold and Silver Days - I’ve long hoped for a duet between George and Ryan, my two favorite members of the group, and had no doubt that any song pairing those two would tug at the heartstrings to some degree. This Coulter original certainly does, and it feels wonderfully fitting for both of them. Most of George’s songs with the group have been family-oriented, so this song reflecting on a happy childhood feels like a natural fit, while Ryan’s signature song outside of Celtic Thunder is The Village That They Call the Moy, a heartfelt ode to his hometown. Bringing the two of them together to wax nostalgic about “days filled with innocence and light” to the accompaniment of gentle harp and wistful whistle makes this an almost unbearably tender track and my favorite on the album. Each seems to truly feel the tug of those bygone days, and their harmonies are exquisite, particularly on the line “we were happy just the same.” Simply gorgeous. “Then we’d gather at the daisy field on Sunday after mass. I can hear the songs, the stories and the laughter. Through the years, we all were scattered, but the friends we made back then were the friends we could rely on ever after.”

Noreen - When I first heard this melancholy piano-driven ballad sung by Neil, it reminded me of the lamentable tale by the Irish mouse in An American Tail on the boat over to America whose true love fell victim to a cat. Neil gets to show off his mastery of the high end of the scale in this melancholy reflection about a love left far behind. In the song, there’s a note of hope that they might reunite, as it is distance rather than death than separates them. Still, there’s a definite depth of sadness to the song that reflects its inspiration. Coulter wrote the instrumental portion as a wedding gift for Liam Neeson and Natasha Richardson, and it was only after her death that he added lyrics, which he meant to convey a searing sense of loss at being kept apart from one who is loved dearly. “So I pray when my exile is over, with the pain and the heartache behind us, back in the peace of the valley you’ll find us, my Noirin, mo Stoirin, and me.”

Kindred Spirits - This is Emmet’s first solo as a part of Celtic Thunder, and it’s the third weepy Coulter original in a row. As a staunch fan of Anne of Green Gables, I love the term “kindred spirits” and often apply it to people in my life with whom I feel a deep sense of connection. The “kindred spirits” in question here are the speaker’s parents. Following the death of his mother, he reflects on his sense of profound loss mingled with contentment that his parents are together again and “kindred spirits” in the truest sense of the word. This song combines the depth of affection for one’s growing-up years found in Gold and Silver Days with the keenly mournful quality of Noreen, and Emmet sings it with great emotion. His voice seems to reflect a classical training, but unlike Paul’s, the Irish accent still seeps through, a nice complement to the harp being serenely plucked in the background. “They shared the load together. They were proud as proud could be. They were always kindred spirits, and they will forever be, for now those kindred spirits will share eternity.”

Whiskey in the Jar - After that somber side trip, we get the rowdiest song on the album to shake everyone out of a stupor. Neil and Keith tear it up on the electric guitars on this, one of the most widely known of Irish folksongs. It’s one of those songs that has slightly different lyrics every time I’ve heard it, which makes it a little hard to sing along with since I keep recalling a different set of words. It’s clear that both of them are having fun with this raucous narrative about outlaws, murder and unfaithfulness. The downside? Usually the speaker concludes the song in a pretty good place, or at least in anticipation of one, but this version ends with him in prison, and we’re given no reason to believe he’ll be getting out any time soon. Still, it’s a rollicking song that’s a great showcase for Neil and Keith’s livelier side. “As I was goin’ over Cork and Kerry Mountains, I saw Captain Farrell, and his money he was countin’…”

Red Rose Café - George’s solo has a tango flavor to it, particularly at the points when the violin is most prominent. Written by prolific Dutch singer-songwriter Pierre Kartner, its lyrics remind me of Billy Joel’s Piano Man as they mostly describe the patrons of the titular café. This is an upbeat sing-along type of song, and George seems to be having a blast with it; it’s easy to imagine him standing on stage throwing his arm out at the audience as he sings. Incidentally, aside from the songs involving Emmet, whose inclusion in the group was not announced until a couple of months after the concert was filmed, this is the only song that does not appear on the Heritage DVD.

A Place in the Choir - When I was a kid, this chipper ditty by Bill Staines was my favorite Sunday school song, so I was thrilled to hear it at the Celtic Thunder concert back in October. Of the ensemble songs on this album, this one is the most harmonious as well as the most fun. There’s a lot of personality injected into the performance that doesn’t quite come across just listening to it, but you still get a strong sense of camaraderie. The song is really quite appropriate for Celtic Thunder, as it’s about those who are different joining together to make a joyful noise. Just as great as the singing is the accompaniment, which incorporates fiddle and banjo and sounds like a good old-fashioned hoe-down. A great way to close the album. “All God’s creatures got a place in the choir. Some sing low and some sing higher. Some sing out loud on the telephone wire, and some just clap their hands or paws or anything they got now.”

With St. Patrick’s Day right around the corner, this is an ideal time to pick up Celtic Thunder’s latest album, which has a more distinctly Celtic flavor than any previous release. While the group looks and sounds a bit different now than it did in the beginning, these lads are still going strong, and I look forward to seeing what they come up with next.