Saturday, November 25, 2017
As a courtesy to the artists and for the uninterrupted enjoyment of your fellow patrons, please turn off all electronic devices. No portion of this performance may be photographed, recorded, filmed, taped, broadcast or mechanically reproduced without the written consent of the Artist and/or the Presenter. Mayo Performing Arts Center is not responsible for lost or stolen items. Program subject to change.
CELTIC THUNDER SYMPHONY TOUR 2017 In 2007 producer Sharon Browne filmed the first ever Celtic Thunder show at the Helix in Dublin, Ireland. The concept was to feature a group of men from Ireland and Scotland, who range in age from 21 to 42, and feature songs that celebrate a common Celtic heritage. The resulting show included an eclectic mix of songs ranging from the traditional to international hits and some original pieces along the way. The current cast of Celtic Thunder is made up of diverse performers, Damian McGinty, Ryan Kelly, Neil Byrne and Emmet Cahill and Michael O’Dwyer. Damian was one of the original members of Celtic Thunder who left the show in 2011 to compete in the first season of the hit show “The Glee Project”, which he subsequently won. He then joined the cast of the hit show Glee and has returned to Celtic Thunder along with pursuing his solo career. The members of Celtic Thunder are each a powerhouse in both their solo and ensemble songs. Ably backed by the dynamic 8 piece live Celtic Thunder Band, their shows are known for the use of dramatic effects of lighting and choreography as well as being energetic, dynamic and lots of fun too. The first Celtic Thunder CD/DVD was released in March 2008 and was simply called Celtic Thunder – The Show. A full US and Canada tour followed in the fall of that year, along with a second CD from the Show called “Act II”. In 2009 Celtic Thunder released their second DVD third CD “Take Me Home.” This was followed by “It’s Entertainment” in 2010, which paid homage to US pop culture. 3 subsequent releases “Heritage”, “Voyage” and “New Voyage” firmly returned the show to its Celtic roots, stocked full of Irish and Scottish traditional and contemporary songs. The first Celtic Thunder Christmas CD and DVD were also released in October 2010. Two more releases followed in 2011 for Celtic Thunder, Heritage in Feb ’11 and Storm, their first theatrical production in August 2011. Celtic Thunder also took the Heritage show on tour in the US that year. February 2013 saw the show return to the Helix in Dublin to film their 9th DVD and 10th CD entitled “Mythology” which presented a perfect blend of entertainment, ideology and Gaelic spirituality, providing a modern twist on the old Celtic storytelling tradition. In Fall 2014 Celtic Thunder released their 11th CD “Holiday Symphony” an eclectic selection of Christmas standards from around the world and delivered with Celtic Thunder’s signature big production sound and backed by a 90-piece orchestra. 2015 saw the Very Best Of Celtic Thunder release on CD and DVD, offering a compilation of their best loved songs and fan favorites and followed up with a North America “Very Best of Tour” which took place from February to April 2015 covering 45 cities over a 9 week spell. In 2014 Celtic Thunder transitioned to their new home at Sony Records’ Legacy label and their first release on Legacy was Holiday Symphony, followed by The Very Best of Celtic Thunder. The entire back catalog moved to Sony and was re-released in October 2015. In March 2015 Celtic Thunder filmed their latest show entitled “Legacy” at the Casino Rama in Canada. Legacy Volume was released on CD, DVD, Blu-Ray and limited edition Vinyl on February 26th 2016, with volume II following August 2016. On the back of the Legacy release Celtic Thunder completed another 16-city tour of Australia in May 2016. August to December 2016 saw a 75-city North American Tour. By the end of 2016 Celtic Thunder had toured the US and Canada, coast to coast, eleven times, Australia four times performing nearly 800 shows to date to well over a million fans. Celtic Thunder has also undertaken two Entertainment Cruises in the Caribbean, each one transporting over 4,000 fans on a 4-day musical extravaganza. Celtic Thunder has also been hailed as BILLBOARD’s Top World Music Artist, along with Top World Music Imprint and Top World Album of in 2008, 2009, 2011 and again in 2015. The Celtic Thunder official YouTube channel, “Thunder Tube” has received over seventy seven million views since its inception in 2008 and has over 100,000 subscribers. Their monthly newsletter The Celtic Times has a readership of 1.2 million and they over 350,000 followers on Facebook.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2017 Sharon Browne – Producer
producer Sharon Browne was looking for someone who could “sing like they had a mean As a 30 year veteran of the music industry Sharon streak” and when Ryan sang as Judas from Jesus Browne needs very little introduction. Her career Christ Superstar, it all came together. Although to date has focused on promoting established he’s been singing since he was a child and artists as well as breaking new acts and always dreamt of a musical career, it was one launching them on the world stage. In addition he never thought would happen. Now he can’t to being Celtic Thunder’s creator and producer, imagine anything else. “It’s clichéd, but music she is the original producer of Celtic Woman is my life. It’s what makes me happy and I feel and has worked with top Celtic acts Riverdance, blessed to be able to call this my job,” he admits. Phil Coulter, The Wolfetones, Clannad and many Ryan has toured the US, Canada and Australia more over the past 3 decades. with Celtic Thunder since 2008. In 2016 he In Celtic Thunder Sharon has channeled undertakes his fourth tour “Down Under” with her years of music industry experience, her Celtic Thunder and later in the same year he production expertise and her unique vision will undertake his tenth North American Tour into sculpting new and exciting shows each with the show. In his solo career, Ryan has time. Under Sharon’s guidance Celtic Thunder released two World Billboard chart-topping has been named Billboard’s Top World Music self-penned solo albums, “In Time” in October Artist in 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2015. Her belief 2011 and “Life” in December 2013 to great in the magic of Celtic Thunder is infectious. critical acclaim and has won several Irish Her inexhaustible energy along with her Music Awards – including “Top Solo Performer determination and inability to accept ‘no’ for in a Concert” in 2011 and 2014. an answer has created the incredibly successful show that is now on its 11th North American Neil Byrne Tour and 4th Australia tour since 2008. Neil Byrne fell in love with music as a kid when David Munro – Musical Director
he dragged some suitcases down from the attic and started drumming on them. His destiny A graduate of Glasgow University, David started was sealed when he was six and watched his his musical life as a concert pianist then turned father’s three-piece band play at a wedding. his attentions to ballet and opera. Over the “The sound just completely blew me away,” years David has worked with The Royal Ballet, he recalls. ”I didn’t really understand what I Scottish Ballet, Miami City Ballet, Singapore was listening to but I just understood it was Ballet, Mark Morris Dance Company, Jiri Kylian absolutely wonderful.” Soon after he started (NDT), Random Dance and L.C.T.D amongst playing professionally with his father’s band others. A prolific composer, his commissions before branching out into jazz and then “The Musical Story Book” for B.B.C. Radio 4 were forming a retro funk band called Hipple Street. nominated for a Sony Award in the UK. Neil was approached and asked to record David joined Celtic Thunder in 2011 as Musical backing vocals for the first Celtic Thunder DVD Director and has toured with the show ever in 2007, then moved to lead guitar and in 2011 since. He has composed several original songs became one of the lead vocalists in the show. for Celtic Thunder and is responsible for all Since joining Celtic Thunder Neil has toured musical and vocal arrangements on the recent America, Canada and Australia extensively with tours of Voyage, Mythology, Celtic Thunder the show, he has also performed on both Celtic Symphony, Very Best of Celtic Thunder and now Thunder Cruises in 2013 and again in 2014. Legacy. “One word sums up the prevailing mood behind every note in Celtic Thunder. In 2015 Neil partnered with animator Aidan That word is collaboration. The creativity that McAteer and composed the musical score to involved in making a Celtic Thunder show is a new Irish short film “Deadly”. Collaborating immense. From the moment the first note with Celtic Thunder musical director David is struck in rehearsal to the final gloss put on Munro, Neil and David won "Best Film Score" each track in the studio, I search for the best out of a field of 110 films at the Underground possible arrangement for each song. We have Cinema Awards for Short Film. Neil has also the finest singers, musicians and engineers on released several albums as a solo artist (Pale every project that we can find, and they have all Blue Jak) and in collaboration with Celtic Thunder cast mate Ryan Kelly (Acoustically Irish, contributed greatly to what you hear.” Live in Australia and Echoes). Ryan Kelly Emmet Cahill One of the original members of Celtic Thunder, Ryan was between banking jobs when his Emmet Cahill is 25 years old and hails from brother told him about the audition for “an Mullingar in County Westmeath in Ireland. He Irish touring band of America”. Celtic Thunder’s attended high school in Mullingar, on a music
CELTIC THUNDER SYMPHONY TOUR 2017 scholarship, where he furthered his studies in piano, organ, violin and vocal training. He went on to graduate from the prestigious Royal Irish Academy of Music with a university degree in Music Performance.
and Sullivan’s The Mikado; Jesus in Godspell; Danny Zuko in Grease. He was named by AIMS (Association of Irish Musical Societies) as ‘someone to watch for the future’ for his portrayal of Riff in West Side Story. He has also Emmet has been awarded The John been cast in the role of Curly in a Limerick McCormack Bursary for the most Promising Musical Society production of Oklahoma!. Young Tenor; named the most promising Michael came to the attention of Celtic young singer at the Royal Irish Academy of Thunder’s producer Sharon Browne and Music and been a multiple prizewinner at the Musical Director David Munro in 2016. National Feis Ceoil singing competition. All They invited him to audition for them, and of this brought him to the attention of Celtic subsequently asked him to join Celtic Thunder Thunder Producer Sharon Browne and Emmet as a cast member in the North American started his Celtic Thunder journey on the and Canada Legacy Tour in fall 2016, which Heritage tour. The baritone of Celtic Thunder was Michael’s first ever tour in the USA and shows, Emmet performs belting solo numbers Canada. Michael is very much enjoying being showcasing the richness of his voice. While part of the Celtic Thunder family. Emmet has carved out his own unique identity as a solo artist over the past number of years, Damian McGinty he is still an integral member or Celtic Thunder In less than a decade, Damian McGinty has and continues to tour with the show. gone from a virtually unknown singer in his In addition to his role with Celtic Thunder, local church choir, to an internationally adored Emmet has also had his debut solo album singer and actor with a fan base almost ten “Emmet Cahill’s Ireland” released by Sony in times the size of his hometown population. February 2017. During his professional career 23-year-old Damian was born in Derry, Northern to date, Emmet has immersed in a variety of distinct musical genres, awakening his passion Ireland. His career began at the age of 13 when for Irish music as well as other styles. Indeed a CD he had recorded for charity brought him the Irish Music Association named him “Tenor to the attention of Celtic Thunder Producer Sharon Browne and then Musical Director Phil Of The Year” in 2013. Coulter. He was invited to join the inaugural Michael O Dwyer cast of Celtic Thunder. In the time he was with Michael O Dwyer is an Irish singer, songwriter, the show, Damian performed in six specials for composer, multi-faceted instrumentalist Public Television and completed four coastand actor from Carrick on Suir Co Tipperary. to-coast tours of the U.S. and Canada. In 2011 He is currently studying for a BA in Popular Damian auditioned for TV’s “The Glee Project” Music at the prestigious Cork School of Music, and was one of 12 successful applicants out of majoring in Keyboards. Michael first discovered 40,000 and was ultimately chosen as one of two music when he started playing the Cornet winners. As a winner of the project, Damian in the Carrick on Suir Brass band at the age landed a guest star role in Fox’s hit television of seven, graduating to guitar by the time he series “Glee”. turned twelve. He quickly fell in love with the In 2013, Damian returned to Public Television instrument and has been studying and honing performing on specials first with former Celtic his guitar skills ever since; he has also learned to Thunder cast-mate Paul Byrom and later with play Saxophone, Drums, Bass guitar and Piano. child prodigy Ethan Bortnick in “The Power of Michael has a wealth of musical theater behind Music”. He returned as a Guest Artist on the him. In his brief career to date he has played Very Best of Celtic Thunder Tour, stayed to record the roles of Joseph in Joseph and The Amazing their Legacy Show, and continues to perform Technicolor Dreamcoat; Pish Tush in Gilbert with Celtic Thunder.