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Congratulations, Lisa and Scott! |
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The Irish name Cheallaigh conjures images of Old Éire: the narrow shopping streets of Galway; the Hill of Tara in Meath; the domed granite heights, deep glens and wooded valleys of the Wicklow mountains; of beautiful Dublin and Samuel Beckett. But this lovely Dubliner is 100% twenty-first century.
We caught our first glimpse of Lisa during a PBS airing of the Celtic Woman concert, recorded in the Helix Theatre, Dublin in September 2004. Naturally, it was shown during one of the network's frequent "begathons", so it was interrupted frequently for requests for donations. But we've always loved Irish music, so we stuck it out. And we're eternally thankful that we did. The show is absolutely magical. If you've never seen it, you don't know what you've missed. The featured performers of Celtic Woman comprise four vocalists and one extraordinary fiddler. The fiddler, vivacious Máiréad Nesbitt is from Tipperary. Three of the four original singers - Lisa, Chloë Agnew and Méav Ní Mhaolchatha - are from Dublin, while Órlagh Fallon hails from Wicklow. Méav recently announced that she will be taking a long-term break from Celtic Woman to concentrate on her family and her solo career. Her replacement, youthful Riverdance and Anúna veteran Lynn Hilary, also hails from Dublin. (The photo shows Lisa, Chloë, Órla, Méav, and Máiréad in the foreground). 
A great deal of credit for the success of the show must be given to David Downes, the youthful Irish composer, pianist, and musical director. Although this is an ensemble show, he has highlighted the unique individuality of each performer. Each of these ladies is a singular soloist; yet their voices blend perfectly when they sing together.
But this site is about Lisa. To say that she stands out among this group is a disservice to the others. Each is a wonderful talent in her own right. But Lisa's background in musical theater shows in her every move and expression. She simply has a presence about her; she is so comfortable performing. You feel that she is singing for you alone. Her renditions of Downes' Send Me a Song and The Blessing are beautiful and incredibly touching. She puts a wonderful feminine slant on Dougie MacLean's anthem Caledonia, and when she plants her feet and belts out the last few lines of Brendan Graham's The Voice - well, the effect is electrifying. We're not going to go into a lengthy biographical sketch here. That ground has been covered very well elsewhere (see the links page). Suffice to say that she is a classically trained pianist as well as singer, has been performing since the tender age of 7, has appeared as Velma in Chicago, Florence in Chess, Laurie in Oklahoma and Sandy in Grease, and was cast in 2000 as the lead female vocalist in Riverdance – The Show. The Celtic Woman CDs and DVDs are available right here. In addition, Lisa has recorded a self-titled CD, featuring songs as diverse as the traditional "Siúil A Rún", "The Deer's Cry" from The Pilgrim, "May It Be" from Lord of the Rings, and the heartrending "Send Me a Song". We first got to see her live when Celtic Woman played here in Jacksonville, and we were captivated. She has the voice (and the face) of an angel, and we're certain that you will fall in love with her as we have. In Dublin, it is now
Watch Lisa sing Green the Whole Year Round from the Christmas Celebration concert!
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