You might remember when Celtic Woman held a competition for singers from Ireland to appear as a guest at the Homecoming show in Dublin, as well as one for those from across the UK to join them on that leg of the Voices of Angels tour, back in 2017.

What you may not remember is that for the Homecoming competition, they gave you three official (yes) instrumental versions of songs from Voices of Angels to use if you desired to sing one of them as your entry for the competition 

If you'd like to listen to them, go to this link - https://celticwoman.myauditionstage.com/#/guest/item/1 - then click on one of the three songs (My Heart Will Go On, Danny Boy and Time to Say Goodbye) to have a listen to them. These could be useful if you plan to sing one of the group's arrangements for such competitions/events if you have any coming up 

(Please make sure your device or computer is able to play the track before you listen to it)

If you have heard the rearrangement of Dúlaman for the Emerald – Musical Gems album then you'll know that there was a small acapella prelude to it. The song that was being sung is called An Chailín Álainn (The Lovely Girl), written (and made famous) by Irish sean-nós singer, actor, singer, songwriter and poet, Tomás "Jimmy" Mac Eoin (born 1937), who hails from An Bóthar Buí in An Cheathrú Rua, Conamara, Galway.

Here are the lyrics to the verse sung in the rearrangement:
Irish:
Tá chailín álainn, a dtug mé grá dhi
Sí ‘s deis’ is áille, ná bláth 's ná rós
Gan í ar láimh liom, is cloíte atá mé
Ó a chailín álainn, 's tú fáth mo bhróin
English:
There's a beautiful girl whom I gave my love
She is kinder and lovelier than a flower or rose
Without her hand in mine, I'm weak
O beautiful girl, you're the cause of my grief

I just watched A New Journey in its entirety today and I thought I'd share a little review of it with you all.

To start, here is a little overview: this concert was recorded live in the grounds of Slane Castle, County Meath, Ireland on August 13 and 14, 2006 (just a year prior to the actual album being released). It was Celtic Woman's first to be filmed and performed outdoors and their second on-stage production overall. The line-up of performers were the exact same as the original Celtic Woman concert: vocalists Chloë Agnew, Órla Fallon, Lisa Kelly, Méav Ní Mhaolchatha and fiddler Máiréad Nesbitt; but with the addition of New Zealand-born vocalist Hayley Westenra, who would be alternating with Ní Mhaolchatha as one of the five performers appearing in shows which were part of the first of two North American legs of the accompanying tour a year later. As was the case with the original concert, A New Journey featured the Aontas Choir and a full live orchestra which consisted of Celtic Woman's live band and members of the Irish Film Orchestra – known in the album personnel as the Garden Symphony Orchestra – conducted by musical director and composer David Downes. Unlike the original concert, there were outfit changes for each act. It is also worth noting that some songs were restricted for the DVD and VHS releases of the concert, while only one did not appear on either those or the PBS broadcast.

The songs, with their respective performers, that appeared in the concert setlist were as follows:
Act 1 (outfits: white evening gowns):
1. The Sky and the Dawn and the Sun (Agnew, Fallon, Kelly, Ní Mhaolchatha, Nesbitt, Westenra)
2. The Prayer (Agnew)
3. Caledonia (Kelly)
4. Newgrange (Fallon)
5. Orinoco Flow (Fallon, Kelly, Ní Mhaolchatha)
6. Dúlamán (Ní Mhaolchatha)
7. The Blessing (Kelly, accompanied by Downes on piano) [only featured on DVD and VHS releases]
8. Scarborough Fair (Westenra)
9. Granuaile's Dance (Nesbitt)
10. Over the Rainbow (Agnew, Fallon, Ní Mhaolchatha, Westenra, performed acapella)
11. Beyond the Sea (Agnew, Fallon, Kelly, Ní Mhaolchatha, Nesbitt, Westenra)
12. O Holy Night (Agnew, Fallon, Kelly, Ní Mhaolchatha, Nesbitt) [not featured on PBS broadcast or DVD and VHS releases]
Act 2 (outfits: céilí dresses for At the Céilí and ballgowns for all other songs):
1. At the Céilí (Fallon, Kelly, Ní Mhaolchatha, Nesbitt)
2. Lascia Chi'o Pianga (Nesbitt, Westenra)
3. Carrickfergus (Fallon)
4. Sing Out! (Agnew, Fallon, Kelly, Ní Mhaolchatha, Nesbitt)
5. Panis Angelicus (Agnew) [only featured on DVD and VHS releases]
6. The Last Rose of Summer (Ní Mhaolchatha, Westenra)
7. Spanish Lady (Agnew, Fallon, Kelly, Ní Mhaolchatha, Westenra)
8. Shenandoah / The Pacific Slope (Nesbitt)
9. The Voice (Kelly, Nesbitt)
10. Danny Boy (Ní Mhaolchatha, performed acapella with choir)
11. Somewhere (Agnew, Fallon, Kelly, Ní Mhaolchatha, performed acapella)
12. Mo Ghile Mear (Agnew, Fallon, Kelly, Ní Mhaolchatha, Nesbitt, Westenra)
13. You Raise Me Up (Agnew, Fallon, Kelly, Ní Mhaolchatha, Nesbitt, Westenra) [only featured on DVD and VHS releases]
14. At the Céilí (playoff; Nesbitt) [only featured on DVD and VHS releases]

A New Journey is easily one of my favourite concerts by Celtic Woman which only falls short to the greatness of Songs from the Heart, but nevertheless still enchants. The concept of it is exquisite and the songs performed are very fitting. One of the best things about it is that you may never know what kind of song comes next, whether it's upbeat, mellow or sombre. But the visual effects, like the castle's colour per act and the fountains for Orinoco Flow and Beyond the Sea, are by far some of the most creative parts of the entire show which don't get mentioned too often. The performers deliver gorgeous renditions of their chosen songs be it Fallon singing and playing the harp for Carrickfergus, the beautiful interactions between Kelly and Downes during The Blessing, Agnew's heart-warming take on The Prayer, Nesbitt's world-class fiddling skills that soundtrack Granuaile's Dance, or Ní Mhaolchatha and Westenra's gorgeous duet of The Last Rose of Summer, A New Journey shows all six performers at a hugely professional level one could be extremely jealous of. Once again, Downes' arrangements are stunning, the orchestra is a testament of accompaniment to the performers, and overall, there is something everyone, familiar with Celtic Woman or not, will fall in love with time and time again.

For each member of Celtic Woman so far (no Muirgen as we don't know much about her yet), what vine would you think represents them best?

Here's my list (they aren't such amazing representations but I tried):
• Chloë: https://youtu.be/GZyQkido454 (joke: she gets sombre solos whereas others get a mix of sad and happy)
• Lisa K.: https://youtu.be/OrOEHFa_408 (joke: "...when Méav goes to wash her hands but the water's too hot")
• Máiréad N.: https://youtu.be/cugv8hYr7v8 (no joke for this because we know what she does best  )
• Órla: https://youtu.be/CZgGSxYq_ww (joke: she can sing and play an instrument at the same time but others can't)
• Méav: https://youtu.be/RePvIsMOhDU (joke: you commonly come across her singing traditional Irish "jams")
• Deirdre: https://youtu.be/5mKrlRWOQvs (joke: she stood in for Méav for so long she might've failed to get a rest  )
• Hayley: https://youtu.be/8SU0gFPMwP8 (joke: whereas everyone else is Irish, she's actually a Kiwi)
• Lynn: https://youtu.be/GS6NKwbabZw (joke: "Does this sound like Méav?" as the songs she covered basically made her Méav 2.0)
• Alex: https://youtu.be/AnVzPhnqeN0 (joke: she didn't stay as part of the Songs from the Heart tour lineup for that long...)
• Lisa L.: https://youtu.be/ECtsSdtIOy0 (joke: A Spaceman Came Travelling was first performed BEFORE Christmas came)
• Susan: https://youtu.be/-tkJRkjDn_8 (joke: she wore a red gown for the second act of the Homecoming PBS special)
• Mairéad C.: https://youtu.be/MB1W_pBCyB8 (joke: such high notes feel like someone's screaming so she's certainly no exception)
• Éabha: https://youtu.be/O5WbFb_Hi3E (joke: she's a contralto and therefore her presence and vocals can make her Órla 2.0)
• Tara: https://youtu.be/SBm3CNASM2U (joke: she's not really at the level of playing and dancing at the same time like Máiréad N.)
• Megan: https://youtu.be/XGPsNoq89qk (joke: singing a huge solo must've made her a bit nervous when she first joined the group)

I've seen plenty unpopular opinions circling around these days but none related to Celtic Woman, so I thought I'd make my own:

• I prefer the uilleann pipes over the Scottish bagpipes. The latter is something that makes my eardrums bleed (particularly since they were made to be a weapon in battle), and I wasn't too sure what the uilleann pipes would do, but they actually sounded more beautiful than I thought – and I knew straight away that their mellow feel would make them a thousand times better (BIG apologies to any Amazing Grace and The Parting Glass stans around here  ).
• There was a missed opportunity to give Homecoming a Blu-ray release. No, I don't have the DVD, but the concept of this special was SO Blu-ray-worthy, and I feel that it would have been amazing to experience it all in high-definition (especially with surround sound). But I do know that most Celtic Woman releases nowadays are DVDs, so I fully respect their decision with Homecoming 
• My favourite album would be A New Journey for the David Downes era and Destiny for the Gavin Murphy era. No reasons why; I understand that they're considered to be some of the best of all of Celtic Woman's albums 
• I don't think Celtic Woman may make studio versions of songs like Water Under the Bridge and I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For unless they have permission from the bosses of their original labels to do so. They were able to record Water Under the Bridge for Homecoming, but I'm assuming that unauthorised permission meant that they could only put it on the live album and not the actual DVD.
• As much as I ADORE the original version of Mo Ghile Mear, I also really like the Voices of Angels version as it's more accessible to those unable to understand Irish even due to the fact that the chorus of the original version was entirely in that language (and PLEASE don't half-nelson me for saying this...)
• One of the only things I wasn't too happy with about Ancient Land was You Raise Me Up not being included. Like, honestly, Megan had a chance to sing it for the first time with the group, but they just completely forgot about it?! Makes me sad. But I understand the concept of the album and the fact they tried to go for more songs that would fit it 
• If you've watched Ancient Land, you may remember that there was a shot of a crescent moon in the night sky during the start of Amazing Grace and going straight into Long Journey Home. That is one of the most beautiful shots I've seen in a Celtic Woman concert in a while, so I'm REALLY hoping that such footage in Postcards from Ireland can improve on that.

Agree or disagree, don't forget to let me know your unpopular opinions too! 

An Irish Journey was released on October 3, 2011 exclusively in France. This fifteen-track compilation album contains previous recordings from the original Celtic Woman album up to Songs from the Heart, as well as one new song.

Track listing:
1. The Water is Wide (featuring Bagad de Lann-Bihoué) – Chloë Agnew, Lisa Kelly, Máiréad Nesbitt, Lisa Lambe
2. The Coast of Galiçia – Máiréad Nesbitt
3. Harry's Game – Órla Fallon
4. Dúlamán – Méav Ní Mhaolchatha
5. Amazing Grace – Chloë Agnew, Lisa Kelly, Lynn Hilary, Alex Sharpe
6. Danny Boy – Méav Ní Mhaolchatha
7. Níl Sé'n Lá – Chloë Agnew, Lisa Kelly, Máiréad Nesbitt, Lynn Hilary, Alex Sharpe
8. Isle of Innisfree – Órla Fallon
9. Granuaile's Dance – Máiréad Nesbitt
10. Galway Bay – Chloë Agnew
11. Mo Ghile Mear – Chloë Agnew, Lisa Kelly, Órla Fallon, Máiréad Nesbitt, Méav Ní Mhaolchatha, Hayley Westenra
12. The Voice – Lisa Kelly, Máiréad Nesbitt
13. At the Céilí (Live from Slane Castle) – Lisa Kelly, Órla Fallon, Máiréad Nesbitt, Méav Ní Mhaolchatha
14. You Raise Me Up – Chloë Agnew, Lisa Kelly, Órla Fallon, Máiréad Nesbitt, Lynn Hilary
15. Spanish Lady (Live from Slane Castle) – Chloë Agnew, Lisa Kelly, Órla Fallon, Méav Ní Mhaolchatha, Hayley Westenra

Lisa Kelly gave an interview about the album, saying "The songs are very specific to this album, and it definitely reflects the name of it. When you throw in songs, like Isle of Innisfree and Galway Bay, you give people a glimpse of where you come from, and how beautiful Ireland actually is. And then we've got the more modern Irish songs with You Raise Me Up and The Voice, and then you've got the reliable and the beautiful Danny Boy, which I think people really expect to hear from you. So it was definitely in the heading of the album, called An Irish Journey. I think this really does reflect what it is."

David Downes also gave an interview about the album, saying "We've recorded The Water is Wide with the fabulous Bagad de Lann-Bihoué, and it's an interesting collaboration because when I was nineteen I toured with Alan Stivell, a famous Breton musician, and I worked with Dan Ar Braz, an also kind of famous Breton musician, and a lot of Celtic Woman musicians and our engineer, Andrew Boland, have worked in the past with the Bagad de Lann-Bihoué and with many musicians over there. So it seemed like a very natural collaboration. We're kind of brothers-in-arms, I suppose, so we all really just thought this would be a great idea. The bagad (bagpipes) is so fantastic, and the opportunity is great for us to get to work with them."

From the self-titled debut through to Ancient Land, here's my ranking of all the Celtic Woman member line-ups there has been so far:
(Please note that I do not hate any of these line-ups – in fact, I love them all – I just found some to be better over others. Also, these line-ups only count if they're part of an original studio album or concert special that has been officially released by the group.)

1. Chloë Agnew, Lisa Kelly, Máiréad Nesbitt, Alex Sharpe, Lynn Hilary (Songs from the Heart)
2. Chloë Agnew, Máiréad Nesbitt, Lisa Lambe, Susan McFadden (Emerald)
3. Chloë Agnew, Lisa Kelly, Órla Fallon, Máiréad Nesbitt, Méav Ní Mhaolchatha, Hayley Westenra (A New Journey)
4. Chloë Agnew, Lisa Kelly, Órla Fallon, Máiréad Nesbitt, Méav Ní Mhaolchatha (Celtic Woman / A Christmas Celebration)
5. Chloë Agnew, Lisa Kelly, Máiréad Nesbitt, Lisa Lambe (Believe)
6. Máiréad Nesbitt, Susan McFadden, Mairéad Carlin, Éabha McMahon (Destiny)
7. Susan McFadden, Mairéad Carlin, Éabha McMahon, Tara McNeill (Voices of Angels / Homecoming)
8. Mairéad Carlin, Éabha McMahon, Tara McNeill, Megan Walsh (Ancient Land)