Celtic Thunder: Heritage

"Heritage," the latest musical project from Celtic Thunder, explores this group of singers returning to their roots; to wit, contemporary performances of traditional Irish and Scottish songs. Such music made up much of the material on their debut release "The Show" and follow-up "Take Me Home," but "It's Entertainment!" (released early 2010) went in a very different direction, consisting almost entirely of covers of classic American pop and rock tunes. IE, while loved by many fans (myself included) and praised for its creativity, was looked upon by some as "not Celtic enough" and spurred a desire for the guys to get back to what put them on the map. Director (and legendary Irish singer/songwriter) Phil Coulter and producer Sharon Browne took note of this, and thus we have "Heritage."I had the pleasure of seeing these songs performed as part of the group's Fall 2010 tour, and I can confidently say it is their best material to date. Original vocalists Damian McGinty, Keith Harkin, Paul Byrom, George Donaldson, and Ryan Kelly deliver some truly beautiful and captivating performances here, as does band member and occasional vocalist Neil Byrne.Below is my track-by-track review of each performance.1) Heartland: The traditional opening piece for many of Celtic Thunder's performances. First introduced to us on "The Show." It was a great song then and nothing has changed, with the anthemic Gaelic chorus being as powerful as ever.2) Buachaill ón Eirne: Longtime fans of the group should instantly recognize the melody of this song. Young Damian (now 18 years of age and with a rich, deep voice) sang it as Come By The Hills during "The Show," with the first verse being in Gaelic and the rest of the song in English. This time around, however, Damian performs the entire song in Gaelic. Breathtaking is the only way to put it, and the harp accompaniment is gorgeous.3) The Dutchman: Keith is up this time with a moving rendition of the classic Michael Peter Smith song. The story of Margaret and her love known only as "the Dutchman," made famous by the late Liam Clancy, is told here by Keith with soft, emotive vocals that will surely bring you to tears.4) Black Is The Color: Ryan takes a traditional Scottish song about a lost love and turns it into something very dark and mysterious, as only our "Dark Destroyer" can do. Of particular note is during the last chorus, when the stage lights flicker to the motion of Ryan's fist.5) Working Man: First heard on "Take Me Home," this classic Rita McNeil song about the mining industry is performed again by George. He appears to be much more confident and expressive this time around, which serves to further benefit an already great performance.6) Home From The Sea: An original Phil Coulter piece performed by all six guys, with each one taking half of each of the song's three verses, then joining in together on the chorus. It's the first time we hear Neil's smooth vocals on this DVD, and he certainly shines. The camaraderie the guys have is clearly on display.7) Just A Song At Twilight: The first of three duets (not something Celtic Thunder are really known for) on this DVD, performed by Paul and Damian. "Love's Old Sweet Song" has never sounded sweeter with these two singing it. With Paul now having left the group, some fans have suggested that this tune may have some special meaning to Damian, as Paul was often referred to as Damian's "big brother" while on tour.8) Belfast Polka: An instrumental piece penned by Coulter and which first appeared on "Take Me Home." The CT band never fails to get the crowd on their feet with this one.9) Gold and Silver Days: The second duet, this time featuring Ryan and George. Another Coulter original, it is a story about a family living during poorer times yet still being content with the love they shared. Very beautiful vocals by these two men, with George playing the "fatherly" role and Ryan perhaps one of his "sons."10) Noreen: Neil's solo piece of the show, and if this doesn't bring a tear to your eye I don't know what will. The song started out as an instrumental piece written by Coulter as a wedding gift for two friends. However, when the man's wife (Natasha) unexpectedly passed away, Phil got the idea to write lyrics to accompany it so that anyone who has lost a loved one can relate. (The whole story behind the song can be found here: [...]) I honestly don't think any member of Celtic Thunder could have performed this as beautifully as Neil has, and once you hear it all the way through you will know what I mean.11) Steal Away: This song (another Coulter classic) was introduced to us as an a cappella piece on "The Show," with an acoustic guitar-based version following on "Take Me Home." The acoustic rendition appears again here. A superb job by the five guys as before.12) Skye Boat Song: This performance is all George. "Haunting" would be the best word to describe it. An old Scottish folk song and waltz, it tells the story of the escape of Bonnie Prince Charlie from Uist to the Isle of Skye. (A very interesting story; you can read more about it on Wikipedia.) If I had to choose one performance from this show as my favorite, this would be it, brief as it is. (The original song has four verses; George only sings two.) I seriously get goosebumps hearing George sing this one, and Brendan's bagpipe playing at the end is perfect.13) Whiskey In The Jar: The quintessential Irish drinking song, and the final duet of the show. Keith and Neil rock the house, both playing red electric guitars and alternating lead vocals. Note to Metallica: THIS is how you play a traditional Irish song! No silly growling necessary. (Yes, you read that right, Metallica of all bands has covered this. It's on their "Garage, Inc." album.) A show-stealing performance for sure.14) My Love Is Like A Red Red Rose: Paul's solo piece of the show. Not his most powerful performance to date (you don't get to hear just how powerful his tenor pipes can be, as on songs like "She" and "You Raise Me Up"), but a very beautiful one nonetheless. As usual, he hits all the right notes, and this poetic old Scottish song suits his vocals very well. Sadly, this was the last new song Paul has recorded with CT before leaving to further pursue his solo career.15) Ireland's Call: Not much can be said here. The famous Irish rugby anthem we all heard back on "The Show," and the guys perform it flawlessly as usual. Of particular note is the surprisingly high note Damian hits when he comes in. His range gets more and more impressive with every show.16) A Place In The Choir: The show's closing ensemble piece, and you can tell the lads had a lot of fun performing it. A very folksy, clap along tune that makes you want to dance, and the guys do just that. Or at least attempt to, with some humorous results. :-D Either way it's a great performance, with all the guys except Paul chiming in on the verses. (But his personality is certainly not lacking in the song.) Tommy Makem and Liam Clancy would be proud for sure.To sum up, Celtic Thunder have outdone themselves this time, thanks in very large part to the creative efforts of Sharon and Phil. There is not one moment of filler present, and not a single weak moment. The band is as tight as ever, and the vocalists continue to impress. I can only imagine what the future holds for these guys as they continue to perform and record. If you were one of the fans who didn't care for the decidedly non-Celtic sound of "It's Entertainment!," this show ought to put a smile back on your face.(Don't forget to purchase the accompanying "Heritage" CD, as well. It has all of the original songs you see on the DVD, with the exception of Skye Boat Song for some reason, plus two additional songs included to introduce fans to Paul Byrom's replacement Emmet Cahill. The Galway Girl is an ensemble piece with Emmet opening, and Kindred Spirits is Emmet by himself. If what I have heard from this young man thus far is any indication of his talent, he will surely go far as a part of Celtic Thunder.)

After the train wreck that was "It's Entertainment," we are finally back to the basics, what we loved about the boys in the first place -- the music. No cheesy outfits or sets, or "acting" or goofy songs, or "romances" or whatever. Not all of it Celtic, but all based in the heritage of folk music.Here are the pros of the dvd:-- It shows the show (with a few too many crowd shots, but whatever), which is now at times both serious and fun. The song "A Place in the Choir" (an American folk song) really shows the lads having a laugh with each other, and how good of friends they've become. The cute stepping they do to it fits, and isn't nearly as painful as the so-called dancing in "It's Entertainment." While the new solo ballads tug at the heartstrings.-- There are some cute photos included set to the song "A Place in the Choir" as a bonus feature of the dvd.-- Keith and Neil really rock "Whiskey in the Jar." I defy you to not sing it or smile while you're watching it.-- Production values are higher. "Take Me Home" dvd was painful to watch, with crappy editing, bizarre camera shots, and horrible audio. "It's Entertainment" was painful to watch for other reasons. The sets that looked like they were made by high school drama clubs (which may be unfair to HS Drama clubs) were only the beginning of that horror-fest. This new dvd at least gets the basics done right. Still not up to par with the first DVD "The Show" though.And that leads to the cons:-- The audio takes a nose dive about half way through during Noreen, and fluctuates in and out for the rest of the recording. There seemed to be some issues matching up audio as well. Also, the recording of "Ireland's Call" that they use here (whether the guys are lip synching for the show, or the dvd just overlays recorded audio over actual performances is irrelevant, this is how production works, and anyone who's heard them live KNOWS they can sing beautifully) is the exact same recording of it from the first cd -- Damian's high voice included. Which is a shock to hear after listening to Damian sing bass all evening.-- The dvd is too short. 16 songs compared to the first DVD's 28.-- Let's decide if Neil is in the group or in the band. This halfway-in/halfway-out feels awkward. Playing in the band, wearing different clothes, and coming out for a song or two is just strange. He deserves to be in the singing group. I'm sure they can find someone else to play in the band.-- Possibly last DVD with Paul in it, now that he's leaving. ;( The new guy has songs on the Heritage CD, but does not appear on the video.That's it in a nutshell. Not the equal of "The Show" so 4 stars. But still a heck of a lot better than everything else. Hope this helps.

This one of the best.

Positively spectacular music! Love everything about the Heritage DVD and plan on letting friends and familyknow about the same.Thank you so much.

Everytime some music or a dvd of the group Celtic Thunder comes out I get it. They take music to another level. I can't say enough about this group. They are absolutely fantastic! They all get along so well and mix up the music world. You never know what they are going to do next. Whether they are doing their own music or playing somebody else's like Neil Young or Garth Brooks or whoever, they put their own twist to it. I just love them!!!

I pezzi contenuti nel DVD sono splendidi e come sempre eseguiti magistralmente. Peccato il DVD sia difettoso, credo: vi sono spazi di interruzione tra una parte e l'altra del concerto.

I have everything put out by this group of lads from Ireland. Every DVD or CD is different and oh so special. I have managed to see them live when they tour Canada and hey and there music are worth the prices.

Love these guys. They’re awesome