Product Description
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2011 release celebrating the musical culture of Ireland.
The program features 12 new s including 'An Irish
Blessing', 'A Place In The Choir' and 'Whiskey In The Jar'. Over
the past three years, Celtic Thunder has been one of the most
successful PBS music programs. Celtic Thunder have sold over
100,000 tickets in concert during the last year
About the Artist
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Keith Harkin From the age of four, Keith has been wowing
audiences with his beautiful voice and musical virtuosity. As
well as possessing a voice spun from gold, he is also an
accomplished songwriter and guitarist. Now 22, Keith has played
at the Tavistock Festival in the UK and was the lead in BBC's
"Dha Theanga" in 2006 - also composing and songs for
the show. Keith has shared his talents by opening for acts such
as John Martyn and David Kitt in 2007. It was a serendipitous day
when Keith returned from London one afternoon (where he is
currently a solo album) and heard about the auditions
for Celtic Thunder, as they were already in progress! He called
into the auditions on spec just as they were finishing,
auditioned and was very happy to be asked then and there to
attend the final auditions in Dublin, and was ultimately selected
as one of the five soloists for the Celtic Thunder show.
Ryan Kelly Ryan has been singing since the age of seven in
various choirs but most enjoys singing Irish Traditional and Folk
Music - and became singing champion at the SCOR competition in
March 2007. Ryan, now 29, finished second in the BBC television
"Country Cool" competition in 2003, and 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. Ryan is actively involved in Amateur
Dramatics and has played the lead in "Blood Brothers" and the
role of "Judas Iiot" in "Jesus Christ Superstar."Auditioning
for Celtic Thunder and being chosen as one of the five successful
vocalists has taken Ryan's passion for Traditional Irish Music to
a professional level.
George Donaldson As a self-taught and accomplished musician,
George plays guitar, flute, mandolin, bodhran, and banjo.
George's love of Celtic music stems from his childhood in
Glasgow, where his main influence was his late her Bernard,
who had a love and appreciation of all kinds of live music played
from the heart. Nothing pleased his her more than seeing
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. Now at 40 years of age, George is a
well-established singer in the vibrant Glasgow and West of
Scotland Folk scene. He has recorded folk sessions for BBC
Scotland and made appearances at Glasgow's own Celtic Connections
and the Glasgow West End Festival. To date, George has toured in
America, Canada and Europe, and has developed a fondness for
Germany, where he has a great following. He is looking forward to
his travels with Celtic Thunder - marking his most exciting
musical adventure to date.
Damian McGinty Rounding out the group as the youngest member,
Damian was only 14 years old at the time of filming, and is in
his third year of middle school in Derry, Northern Ireland. He
lives with his parents, and his brother and sister, and when he's
not singing he loves playing football. Damian began singing at a
young age, winning his first music competition at the age of six.
Currently, Damian is in a drama society and the City of Derry
Choir. After winning a singing competition in 2006, Damian's
public profile was significantly boosted and he made appearances
at various concerts: the Millennium Forum for Derry City football
team, and for the Red Cross. Damian recorded a solo CD and sent a
copy of it to Phil Coulter, who passed it to Sharon Browne. As a
result, Damian was invited to audition as a singer for Celtic
Thunder. Damian's excitement and enthusiasm for Celtic Thunder is
infectious, and after seeing him sing, there was no way he would
not be part of this stellar group of young men.
Paul Byrom Dublin born, Paul 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 a renowned vocal teacher. A
professional singer by his early teens, Paul recorded his first
album as a boy soprano when he was 14. He released his album
VELVET in Ireland in 2005 to great critical accl, placing him
firmly at number two in the music charts. Since then, Paul has
gone on to sell out concerts at the prestigious National Concert
Hall in Dublin in 2006 and again in 2007, while also performing
at major sporting events in Ireland and abroad. When the
auditions for Celtic Thunder were announced, Phil Coulter
contacted Paul and invited him to audition for Sharon Browne, and
he was naturally selected as one of the five brilliant members of
Celtic Thunder. "I am thrilled to be part of the Celtic Thunder
project and to work with Sharon and Phil," says Paul. "We had so
much fun making the show, and it is very exciting to think about
bringing it to US audiences."
