Celtic Thunder

Celtic Thunder is the name of a traditional Irish band formed in 1977 and popular in Irish and Irish-American circles to the present.^{[citation needed]} The band recorded three albums―1981’s Celtic Thunder; The Light of Other Days (1988), INDIE winner for Best Celtic Album that features the hit single “When New York Was Irish,” written by band member Terence Winch; and Hard New York Days in 1996. The original Celtic Thunder should not be confused with the 2008 production out of Ireland, a stage show of commercial Irish and non-Irish music centered on five male singers.

The Celtic Thunder band is centered in the Washington-Baltimore area, though with strong connections to New York, where Jesse and Terry Winch, whose parents were Irish immigrants, grew up. In addition to two White House performances, the band has played concerts, ceilis, festivals, and pubs in Ireland and the U.S., focusing on giving musical expression to the Irish-American experience.

Celtic Thunder Current Band Members:

Linda Hickman: one of the most highly regarded flute and whistle players in Irish music, with several solo recordings to her credit

Laura Murphy: lead vocalist and originator of many of Celtic Thunder’s best-known songs

Regan Wick: former North American step-dancing champion, piano-player, and current director of the Wick School of Irish Dance - www.WickSchool.com

Jesse Winch: current chairman of the Washington chapter of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, the international traditional Irish music society, and one of the premier percussionists in Irish music

Terry Winch: poet, songwriter, and button-accordionist, named one of the "Top 100 Irish Americans" by Irish America magazine

Celtic Thunder's Other Band Members Over The Years:

Dominick Murray: singer, songwriter, and guitar player, he is a mainstay of the Baltimore Irish music scene, and also a member of the band Irish Fire

Tony DeMarco: one of Irish music’s all-time fiddle greats, as his new solo CD, The Sligo Indians, on the Smithsonian/Folkways label, clearly demonstrates

Patrick Ourceau: whose remarkable interpretations of Clare fiddle styles have earned him international regard

Rob Thornburgh: fiddler and multi-instrumentalist, now living in Mayo

Nita Conley: gifted master of Irish and Scottish traditional singing

Steve Hickman: known for his deft playing of Irish, Scottish, and old-timey fiddle music

Marty Somberg: accomplished exponent of contemporary Irish fiddle music

"Celtic Thunder" group from Ireland

Celtic Thunder is a Celtic music group, encompassing powerful ballads, popular hits, and heartwarming songs of love and loss from across the Celtic music spectrum—Irish, Scottish, traditional and contemporary. Celtic Thunder was created by and is produced by Sharon Browne in conjunction with Music Director, Phil Coulter. Their DVD "Celtic Thunder: The Show" was an immediate chart-topper on the Billboard Top World Albums chart, and has been listed in the number one slot for eleven weeks as of May 31, 2008. The DVD is currently being shown nationwide in the US on the Public Broadcasting Network, and members of the group are appearing on local PBS stations promoting their fall / winter US Tour.

Group Members:

Damian McGinty

Damian is 15 years old, in his third year at a grammar school. He lives with his parents, brother and sister in County Derry, Northern Ireland.

He loves playing football and supports Manchester United along with his local city team.

He has loved singing from a young age and won his first singing competition at the age of 6. Damian is in a drama society and the City of Derry Choir.

He has entertained teachers and pupils alike in school with his star performances. He is also in his local church choir and has recently recorded a gospel C.D.

In 2006 Damian won a competition where the prize was to record 2 tracks on C.D. This was his true beginning. After singing in the Millennium Forum at a concert for Derry City football team, Damian recorded a CD of 14 tracks, profits going to the local Foyle Hospice, he has raised a £1,000.

His participation in this project had greatly increased Damian’s profile and songs from his CD have been aired on radio. He also performs at concerts for the Red Cross.

Damian sent a copy of his CD to Phil Coulter, who passed it to Sharon Browne. From this Damian was invited to Audition as a singer for Celtic Thunder. It is a dream come true for him to have been successful.^[1]

Keith Harkin

Keith is 21 years old and comes from County Londonderry. Keith has been singing and winning the Derry Feis on numerous occassions since the age of 4.

Keith is a talented Songwriter and excellent Guitar player as well as an amazing singer. He played at the Tavistock Festival in the UK in September ’05 and then played the Lead in BBC’s “Dha Theanga” in 2006 and also composed and recorded songs for the show.

Keith was the support act in Concerts for both John Martyn and David Kitt in 2007.

His only ambition is to be a full time singer/songwriter and musician, an ambition he is dedicated to, having worked for the past year and a half just to make trips over and back to Metropolis Studios in London to begin recording tracks for his own album. He has done many of his own gigs and has been interviewed many times on Radio Foyle in Derry about his adventures in London recording songs and gigging.

Keith only heard about the auditions for Celtic Thunder late on the day of the Auditons in Derry as he was just back from another trip to London. He called into the Auditions on spec just as they were finishing, he auditioned and was very happy to be asked there and then to attend the final Auditions in Dublin.

Which brings Keith up to now….. He has become a Soloist in this new CELTIC THUNDER Show.^[2]

Ryan Kelly

Ryan is 28 years old and comes from The Moy in County Tyrone. A qualified Chartered Accountant, he has a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Queen’s University, Belfast and a Graduate Diploma in Advanced Accounting.

Ryan has been singing since the age of 7 in Choirs but most enjoys singing Irish Traditional and Folk Music. He finished second in the BBC television “Country Cool” competition in 2003. Ryan has performed alongside Westlife, Girls Aloud and Simply Red in the televised “Children in Need Live Charity Concert” at the Odyssey in Belfast to an audience of over 8,000.

Throughout this time Ryan continued performing Traditional Irish Music and became Tyrone’s Singing Champion at the SCOR competition in March 2007.

Ryan is actively involved in Amateur Dramatics and has played the lead in “Blood Brothers” and played “Judas Iscariot” in “Jesus Christ Superstar”

Auditioning for CELTIC THUNDER seemed an ideal way to take Ryan’s passion for Traditional Irish Music to a professional level and now having been successfully chosen as one of the 5 vocal soloists Ryan is delighted to be on the path to a career as a professional singer.^[3]

Paul Byrom

Dublin born Paul Byron has been hailed as Ireland’s premier young tenor and it is easy to see why. Singled out at an early age as having a special vocal talent, Paul was encouraged to pursue his dream and began voice study and training at the tender age of seven.

He studied under Dr Veronica Dunne, Ireland’s leading lady of Opera and renowned vocal teacher. A professional singer by his early teens, Paul recorded his first album as a boy soprano when he was fourteen.

From this illustrious debut, Paul Byrom’s star has continued to rise. He released his album VELVET in Ireland in 2005 to great critical acclaim and sales of this album placed him firmly at number #2 in the music charts. VELVET also made Paul Byrom a household name in his native country. Since then Paul has gone on to sell out concerts at the prestigious National Concert Hall in Dublin in 2006 and again in 2007.

Being also an avid sports fan, Paul has taken great pleasure in performing at major sporting events in Ireland and abroad. His appearances at such events include singing at the All Ireland Finals in Croke Park in Dublin, the Six Nations Rugby tournament in Lansdowne Road, Dublin and at Heinz Field for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the USA.

Paul’s talent has taken him far, and the highlights of his career to date include performing for many dignitaries such as Irish President Mary McAleese and Emperor Akihito of Japan. His vocal style and range have brought him to the attention of illustrious fellow Irish musicians, composers and singers such as Bono, Phil Coulter and Shay Healy.

Indeed, Phil Coulter contacted Paul when the auditions for CELTIC THUNDER were announced. Paul auditioned for the show’s producer Sharon Browne, the original producer of Celtic Woman, and for the show’s musical director Phil Coulter. He was cast as one the five solo leads in the show and is the sole tenor in the international production. The show, Celtic Thunder was filmed in the Helix in Dublin in August 2007 to phenomenal audience reaction. The DVD and CD of the show will go on release in the US on February 2008, and a 50 city tour is set for fall of 2008. The Show, CELTIC THUNDER will also be aired on local Public Broadcasting Stations across the USA in March 2008.

2008 is shaping up to be another momentous year for Paul, with the next step in his music career firmly underway. “I am thrilled to be part of the Celtic Thunder project and to work with Sharon and Phil” says Byrom. “We had so much fun making the show, and it is very exciting to think about bringing it to US audiences.”^[4]

George Donaldson

At forty years of age, George Donaldson is a long and well established singer in the vibrant Glasgow and West of Scotland Folk scene.

His attributes include folk sessions for BBC Scotland and appearances at Glasgow’s own Celtic Connections and the Glasgow West End Festival.

George has played alongside many folk musicians and singers, including Jim McCann and others from the Dubliners and has performed at the famous Glasgow Barrowlands.

As a self taught, accomplished musician, George plays the Guitar, Flute, Mandolin, bodhran, and Banjo, and has recently become the proud owner of a Violin…. in a bid to help his six year old daughter as she learns to play. Georges’ love of traditional Celtic music stems from his childhood in Glasgow, his main influence being his late father Bernard who had a love and appreciation of all kinds of live music played from the heart. Nothing more pleased his father than George becoming a successful musician and Playing at his beloved Celtic Park in front of 65,000 fans at the opening match of the 2000/01 Season.

One of his main attributes is his charm and personality. He loves meeting new people and has many friends from all over the world. He is first to admit his first love is his Family, and knows how lucky he is to have Carolyn, his lovely wife and Sarah, his beautiful daughter, who are his inspiration…. this along with his mother Helen and eight brothers and sisters who all share in his love of the Folk scene keeps George focused and never short of an audience.

To date, George has toured in America, Canada and Europe, and has developed a fondness for Germany, where he has a great following. His love of the country, its people and its culture has encouraged him, as an eternal student, to attempt to master the language….!

George loves being a part of and a performer in CELTIC THUNDER, it is a new direction for him and the most exciting of his career to date.

George can be found at his favourite gig in Jinty McGintys in the west end of Glasgow, where he is renowned for his ballad singing. He has been resident singer at Jintys for the last 15 years and has established a fond following of support, people are known to come here from all areas of the world to hear him sing.….!^[5]

Song List

1.) Heartland – Ensemble
2.) The Mountains Of Mourne – Harkin
3.) The Voyage – Donaldson
4.) Come By The Hills (Buachaill On Eirne) – McGinty
5.) Remember Me (Recuerdame) – Byrom
6.) Desperado – Kelly
7.) Steal Away – Ensemble
8.) The Island – Harkin
9.) The Old Man – Donaldson
10.) Brothers In Arms – Kelly
11.) Cal/Local Hero – Orchestral
12.) Lauren & I – Harkin
13.) She – Byrom
14.) Ireland's Call – Ensemble
15.) Puppy Love - McGinty

Track List for Celtic Thunder The Show (DVD):

1.) Heartland – Ensemble
2.) The Mountains Of Mourne – Harkin
3.) Raggle Taggle Gypsy – Ensemble
4.) Ride On - Kelly
5.) Come By The Hills (Buachaill On Eirne) – McGinty
6.) The Old Man – Donaldson
7.) Love Thee Dearest – Byrom
8.) Heartbreaker – Kelly
9.) Nights In White Satin – Byrom
10.) A Bird Without Wings – McGinty, Donaldson
11.) The Voyage – Donaldson
12.) The Island – Harkin
13.) Brothers In Arms – Kelly
14.) Mull Of Kintyre - Ensemble
15.) Puppy Love - McGinty
16.) Lauren & I – Harkin
17.) Steal Away – Ensemble
18.) Remember Me (Recuerdame) – Byrom
19.) My Boy - Donaldson
20.) Desperado – Kelly
21.) Ireland’s Call – Ensemble
22.) That’s A Woman – Byrom, Kelly
23.) She – Byrom
24.) Young Love – McGinty
25.) I Want To Know What Love Is - Harkin
26.) Cal/Local Hero – Orchestral
27.) Caledonia – Ensemble
28.) Yesterday’s Men - Donaldson
29.) Christmas 1915 - Ensemble (PBS Version Only)