Celtic Thunder
Encyclopedia
Celtic Thunder is a singing group composed of male soloists who perform both solo and ensemble numbers. Celtic Thunder debuted in August 2007 at The Helix
in Dublin, Ireland
. They are accompanied by the Celtic Concert Orchestra under the direction of Phil Coulter
, the musical director of the group.
Since the group's formation, Celtic Thunder has released seven albums: Celtic Thunder, Act Two, Take Me Home, It's Entertainment, Christmas, Heritage, Storm as well as six live performances on DVD
entitled Celtic Thunder: The Show, Take Me Home, It's Entertainment!, Christmas, Heritage and Storm
.
In December 2009, Billboard magazine named Celtic Thunder Top World Album Artist. Their first three albums also placed in the Top 10 for World Albums.
Celtic Thunder is known for its eclectic style with songs ranging from a soloist to an ensemble focus. The group is backed by the Celtic Thunder Band on their concert tours, and their live shows are known for the use of dramatic effects via lighting and choreography as well as a stage set resembling an ancient stone pathway suggestive of those referenced in Celtic lore.
In March 2009, Celtic Thunder opened the Saint Patrick's Day Parade in New York City, and later that day performed for President Obama
, Mrs. Obama
and the then Taoiseach
, Brian Cowen
, at the White House
.
On November 28, 2010, Celtic Thunder member Paul Byrom announced his resignation from the group to begin a solo career. He will leave the group when the 2010 concert tour is over. Byrom will begin his solo career in the United States, where he has the strongest fan base. Byrom hopes his fan base from Celtic Thunder would carry on into his solo career.
On May 12, 2011, Celtic Thunder member Ryan Kelly announced that he "decided to take a step back from Celtic Thunder and the public life that goes along with being part of it." On August 22, 2011, Sharon Brown announced that Ryan Kelly will be rejoining Celtic Thunder on tour.
On August 21, 2011, Damian McGinty announced on The Glee Project
s Live Viewing Party, that he would be stepping down due to his new role on Glee
.
tour of fifty cities. They also toured the United States extensively in the fall of 2009, and plan to perform across the US in the fall of 2010. For spring 2009 they focused on touring Canada
, while also playing some concerts in the north-eastern US.
During their 2008 fall tour, Celtic Thunder sold over 125,000 tickets in forty-nine shows and placed twentieth in the poll Star Tour Poll.
Celtic Thunder's first studio album and first concert special DVD were released on March 18, 2008. The album was titled Celtic Thunder and the concert special was titled The Show. It was filmed at The Helix in Dublin, Ireland, on August 2007.
The second studio album was released on September 16, 2008, titled Act Two. It included the rest of the songs from The Show.
The third studio album and second concert special DVD, both titled Take Me Home, were released July 14, 2009. Take Me Home was filmed at Casino Rama
, Orillia (north of Toronto) while the group was on tour in 2009. It is considered a live concert DVD rather than a studio production.
The fourth studio album and third concert special DVD, both titled It's Entertainment!, were released on February 9, 2010. It was filmed alongside Storm at the Toronto International Centre Hall 5 (aka Arrow Hall), Toronto, Ontario, on October 1, 2009, and October 2, 2009.
After It's Entertainment!, Celtic Thunder fans sent many requests to Sharon Browne for a Christmas-themed album and an album containing more Irish music. Through these efforts, Christmas and Heritage came to be, postponing the release of Storm.
The fifth studio album, titled Christmas, was released on October 12, 2010, and the concert special DVD, also titled Christmas, was released on November 22, 2010. Christmas was filmed alongside Heritage at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie, New York, on September 17, 2010.
The sixth studio album and fifth concert special DVD titled Heritage was released on February 22, 2011. Heritage was filmed alongside Christmas at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie, New York, on September 17, 2010.
The seventh studio album and sixth DVD, titled Storm
, was released on September 20, 2011. Storm, unlike Celtic Thunder's other DVDs, is not just a filmed concert but has a storyline, an elaborate set establishing a location, and costumes which help to define the singers' and dancers' characters within the story. It makes use of the It's Entertainment cast which is Celtic Thunder's largest to date (25) and adds singer Dierdre Shannon.
The eight studio album and seventh concert special DVD are currently titled Voyage, and will be released in the spring of 2012. It was originally set to be filmed on September 27, 2011, but due to changes, this filming was cancelled. Searching for a new venue on October 3, 2011 has begun for the Celtic Thunder crew.
The original Celtic Thunder was able to retain rights to the name after submitting to a non-competition agreement with the Celtic Thunder Production.
The Helix
The Helix is a building on the Dublin City University campus between Glasnevinand Whitehall on Dublin's Northside, originally planned to be called the Aula Maxima. It was completed in 2002, and it is described as a "performance space" and holds concerts, university conferring ceremonies and...
in Dublin, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. They are accompanied by the Celtic Concert Orchestra under the direction of Phil Coulter
Phil Coulter
Phil Coulter is an artist with an international reputation as a successful songwriter, pianist, music producer, arranger and director. His success has spanned four decades and he is one of the biggest record sellers in Ireland...
, the musical director of the group.
Since the group's formation, Celtic Thunder has released seven albums: Celtic Thunder, Act Two, Take Me Home, It's Entertainment, Christmas, Heritage, Storm as well as six live performances on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
entitled Celtic Thunder: The Show, Take Me Home, It's Entertainment!, Christmas, Heritage and Storm
Celtic Thunder: Storm (DVD)
Celtic Thunder: Storm is the title of both a CD album and DVD which was released on September 20, 2011, by the musical group Celtic Thunder. This article relates mostly to the DVD, which is worthy of mention because unlike Celtic Thunder's other DVDs, which are filmed versions of their touring...
.
In December 2009, Billboard magazine named Celtic Thunder Top World Album Artist. Their first three albums also placed in the Top 10 for World Albums.
Celtic Thunder is known for its eclectic style with songs ranging from a soloist to an ensemble focus. The group is backed by the Celtic Thunder Band on their concert tours, and their live shows are known for the use of dramatic effects via lighting and choreography as well as a stage set resembling an ancient stone pathway suggestive of those referenced in Celtic lore.
In March 2009, Celtic Thunder opened the Saint Patrick's Day Parade in New York City, and later that day performed for President Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
, Mrs. Obama
Michelle Obama
Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama is the wife of the 44th and incumbent President of the United States, Barack Obama, and is the first African-American First Lady of the United States...
and the then Taoiseach
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...
, Brian Cowen
Brian Cowen
Brian Cowen is a former Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 7 May 2008 to 9 March 2011. He was head of a coalition government led by Fianna Fáil which until 23 January 2011 had the support of the Green Party and independent TDs.Cowen was also leader of Fianna Fáil from 7 May...
, at the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
.
On November 28, 2010, Celtic Thunder member Paul Byrom announced his resignation from the group to begin a solo career. He will leave the group when the 2010 concert tour is over. Byrom will begin his solo career in the United States, where he has the strongest fan base. Byrom hopes his fan base from Celtic Thunder would carry on into his solo career.
On May 12, 2011, Celtic Thunder member Ryan Kelly announced that he "decided to take a step back from Celtic Thunder and the public life that goes along with being part of it." On August 22, 2011, Sharon Brown announced that Ryan Kelly will be rejoining Celtic Thunder on tour.
On August 21, 2011, Damian McGinty announced on The Glee Project
The Glee Project
The Glee Project is an American reality television series from Oxygen. It serves as an audition for the FOX TV series Glee. Although originally planned to begin broadcasting in late May 2011, The Glee Project premiered on June 12, 2011...
s Live Viewing Party, that he would be stepping down due to his new role on Glee
Glee (TV series)
Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
.
Current members
The current members of Celtic Thunder are (in alphabetical order of family name):- Neil Byrne, (Born November 16, 1977) after playing guitar and singing backup on the previous albums, sang in ensemble pieces and had a solo performance of Noreen on Heritage. He is now 34.
- Emmet Cahill (born October 18, 1990) auditioned for Celtic Thunder in June 2010 and was asked to join after Paul Byrom announced his resignation. He is now 21.
- George Donaldson (born February 1, 1969), is the oldest member of the group and is a well-known balladeer, guitarist and flautist from GlasgowGlasgowGlasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, ScotlandScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. At Scotland's Celtic ParkCeltic ParkCeltic Park is a football stadium in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which is the home ground of Celtic FC. Celtic Park, an all-seater stadium with a capacity of 60,832, is the largest football stadium in Scotland and the sixth-largest stadium in the United Kingdom, after Murrayfield, Old Trafford,...
, Donaldson played to 65,000 fans at the opening match of the 2000-2001 season. Now he is 42. - Keith HarkinKeith HarkinKeith R. Harkin was born June 10, 1986 in Derry, Northern Ireland. He is currently a member of Celtic Thunder. He plays the guitar and piano and has written one of the songs for Celtic Thunder: "Lauren and I". Keith has now recorded more original songs apart from Celtic Thunder, some titles...
(born June 10, 1986), is from DerryDerryDerry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
, Northern IrelandNorthern IrelandNorthern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. He plays the guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
and has written one of the songs for Celtic Thunder: "Lauren and I". Keith has now recorded more original songs apart from Celtic Thunder, some titles include: "September Sessions" and All Day Long Now he is 25 and recording a solo album in November 2011. - Ryan Kelly (born November 6, 1978), is from The Moy, County TyroneCounty TyroneHistorically Tyrone stretched as far north as Lough Foyle, and comprised part of modern day County Londonderry east of the River Foyle. The majority of County Londonderry was carved out of Tyrone between 1610-1620 when that land went to the Guilds of London to set up profit making schemes based on...
, Northern IrelandNorthern IrelandNorthern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. He holds two degrees from the Queen's University Belfast, having earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and also a Graduate Diploma in Advanced Accounting, qualifying Ryan to be a chartered accountant. In the fall of 2010 Ryan released his solo album "In Time". Now he is 33. ref name="Celtic Thunder Biographies">
Past members
The past members of Celtic Thunder are (in alphabetical order of family name):- Paul Byrom (born April 11, 1979) is from Dublin, IrelandIrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. In addition to Celtic Thunder, he has also performed at major sporting events in Ireland and abroad, including singing at the All Ireland Finals in Dublin's Croke ParkCroke ParkCroke Park in Dublin is the principal stadium and headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association , Ireland's biggest sporting organisation...
and at Heinz FieldHeinz FieldHeinz Field is a stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It primarily serves as the home to the Pittsburgh Steelers and University of Pittsburgh Panthers American football teams, members of the National Football League and National Collegiate Athletic Association respectively...
for a Pittsburgh SteelersPittsburgh SteelersThe Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
game in the USA. He has also performed for Ireland's President, Mary McAleeseMary McAleeseMary Patricia McAleese served as the eighth President of Ireland from 1997 to 2011. She was the second female president and was first elected in 1997 succeeding Mary Robinson, making McAleese the world's first woman to succeed another as president. She was re-elected unopposed for a second term in...
, and for Emperor Akihito of JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Paul has released two albums: Velvet and I'll Be Home For Christmas. Paul resigned to pursue a solo career in the US and left the group after the 2010 Celtic Thunder tour was over. He was replaced by Emmet Cahill. Now he is 32. - Damian McGintyDamian McGintyDamian McGinty, Jr. is a Northern Irish singer and actor from Derry, Northern Ireland, and was a member of the group Celtic Thunder. He has been performing for the past thirteen years, winning his first music competition before the age of six...
(born September 9, 1992), is the youngest member of the group and is from DerryDerryDerry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
, Northern IrelandNorthern IrelandNorthern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. He won his first singing contest at the age of five. He recorded the first Celtic Thunder album when he was fourteen years old. McGinty lists Michael Buble, Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra among his inspirations. On April 29, 2011 it was announced that Damian was chosen as one of 12 contenders for The Glee ProjectThe Glee ProjectThe Glee Project is an American reality television series from Oxygen. It serves as an audition for the FOX TV series Glee. Although originally planned to begin broadcasting in late May 2011, The Glee Project premiered on June 12, 2011...
, a reality seriesReality televisionReality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
on the Oxygen NetworkOxygen (TV channel)Oxygen is an American cable television specialty channel with television programming marketed towards women, with a format similar to Lifetime.- History :...
. He tied for first and will have a 7 episode arc in the third seasonGlee (season 3)A third season of the Fox musical comedy-drama television series Glee was commissioned on May 23, 2010 while the first season aired. It premiered on September 20, 2011, and is being produced by 20th Century Fox Television and Ryan Murphy Television, with executive producers Dante Di Loreto and...
of the FoxFox Broadcasting CompanyFox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
hit TV showTelevision programA television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
GleeGlee (TV series)Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
. He debuted on Glee season 3 episode 4 Pot o' Gold. He was replaced by Daniel FurlongDaniel FurlongDaniel Furlong is a boy soprano. He is most notable for winning the third series of The All Ireland Talent Show. He was also the first wildcard to win the show and the first to win for The East...
. Damian is now 19.
Concerts, tours, and discography
On December 17, 2008, Celtic Thunder completed their 2008 USUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
tour of fifty cities. They also toured the United States extensively in the fall of 2009, and plan to perform across the US in the fall of 2010. For spring 2009 they focused on touring Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, while also playing some concerts in the north-eastern US.
During their 2008 fall tour, Celtic Thunder sold over 125,000 tickets in forty-nine shows and placed twentieth in the poll Star Tour Poll.
Celtic Thunder's first studio album and first concert special DVD were released on March 18, 2008. The album was titled Celtic Thunder and the concert special was titled The Show. It was filmed at The Helix in Dublin, Ireland, on August 2007.
The second studio album was released on September 16, 2008, titled Act Two. It included the rest of the songs from The Show.
The third studio album and second concert special DVD, both titled Take Me Home, were released July 14, 2009. Take Me Home was filmed at Casino Rama
Casino Rama
Casino Rama is a large casino, hotel and entertainment complex located on the reserve land of Chippewas of Rama First Nation, in the town of Rama, Ontario, Canada...
, Orillia (north of Toronto) while the group was on tour in 2009. It is considered a live concert DVD rather than a studio production.
The fourth studio album and third concert special DVD, both titled It's Entertainment!, were released on February 9, 2010. It was filmed alongside Storm at the Toronto International Centre Hall 5 (aka Arrow Hall), Toronto, Ontario, on October 1, 2009, and October 2, 2009.
After It's Entertainment!, Celtic Thunder fans sent many requests to Sharon Browne for a Christmas-themed album and an album containing more Irish music. Through these efforts, Christmas and Heritage came to be, postponing the release of Storm.
The fifth studio album, titled Christmas, was released on October 12, 2010, and the concert special DVD, also titled Christmas, was released on November 22, 2010. Christmas was filmed alongside Heritage at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie, New York, on September 17, 2010.
The sixth studio album and fifth concert special DVD titled Heritage was released on February 22, 2011. Heritage was filmed alongside Christmas at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie, New York, on September 17, 2010.
The seventh studio album and sixth DVD, titled Storm
Celtic Thunder: Storm (DVD)
Celtic Thunder: Storm is the title of both a CD album and DVD which was released on September 20, 2011, by the musical group Celtic Thunder. This article relates mostly to the DVD, which is worthy of mention because unlike Celtic Thunder's other DVDs, which are filmed versions of their touring...
, was released on September 20, 2011. Storm, unlike Celtic Thunder's other DVDs, is not just a filmed concert but has a storyline, an elaborate set establishing a location, and costumes which help to define the singers' and dancers' characters within the story. It makes use of the It's Entertainment cast which is Celtic Thunder's largest to date (25) and adds singer Dierdre Shannon.
The eight studio album and seventh concert special DVD are currently titled Voyage, and will be released in the spring of 2012. It was originally set to be filmed on September 27, 2011, but due to changes, this filming was cancelled. Searching for a new venue on October 3, 2011 has begun for the Celtic Thunder crew.
Other bands by the same name
Before the appearance of the current commercial production called "Celtic Thunder" a traditional New World Irish band called Celtic Thunder first performed in 1977.The original Celtic Thunder was able to retain rights to the name after submitting to a non-competition agreement with the Celtic Thunder Production.
Discography
- Celtic Thunder, the first album, was released on March 18, 2008.
- Act Two, the second album, was released on September 16, 2008.
- Take Me Home, the third album, was released on July 14, 2009.
- It's Entertainment!, the fourth album, was released on February 9, 2010.
- Christmas, the fifth album, was released on October 12, 2010.
- Heritage, the sixth album, was released on February 22, 2011.
- StormCeltic Thunder: Storm (DVD)Celtic Thunder: Storm is the title of both a CD album and DVD which was released on September 20, 2011, by the musical group Celtic Thunder. This article relates mostly to the DVD, which is worthy of mention because unlike Celtic Thunder's other DVDs, which are filmed versions of their touring...
, the seventh album, was released September 20, 2011. - Voyage, the eighth album, will be released in the spring of 2012.