This is the new board for next year toured 2023

I too have some concerns about the future of CW.  That's one reason I'm traveling about 800 miles to see the Christmas Show.  Will it be the last show?  No idea.  I hope not, but just in case....

The fact that we have officially heard nothing from CW gives me concern, especially since there were some Spring concert dates leaking out.  Are they having trouble booking venues?  Sure, booking is an issue, but look what happened this year.  While I didn't look at every date, I think they did a pretty good job of keeping the various Cities in some kind of logical order.

I'm not sure I buy the story about it taking a year to "get the band back together again" unless the various members have gone on to other things.  They announced Hannah as the new member.  What is the contract status of the other girls? 

I don't want it to end, but if it does, I have a lot of good memories (and photos!)

I honestly don't think CW is going to end because of a cancalled tour. Who knows why that is? Anyhow, even if they are not constantly as successful as they usually are, then that's still more than many others who are going strong. Perhaps they will take things slower — so many tours and albums close together aren't necessary for a band. That doesn't mean they'll break up or close down.

I think it's exactly what the PBS stations have said it is - the tour is canceled because they are taking the year to prep for a 20th anniversary tour in 2024. That doesn't mean CW is shutting down. That means we'll get an epic anniversary tour and probably also a new album and DVD.

As far as CW official being quiet about it - they are always the last to say anything. The vast majority of the time we know about shows and tours from the venues and the PBS stations long before any official announcement gets made. We usually have tickets to several shows before a tour officially gets announced. So it doesn't concern me all that much that nothing official has been said because that's the norm.

Gregg and I are seeing this as an opportunity to focus on solo shows next year. We very much want to see Mairéad C and Éabha and are hoping there will be plenty of opportunities to see them performing!

I think it's exactly what the PBS stations have said it is - the tour is canceled because they are taking the year to prep for a 20th anniversary tour in 2024. That doesn't mean CW is shutting down. That means we'll get an epic anniversary tour and probably also a new album and DVD.

As far as CW official being quiet about it - they are always the last to say anything. The vast majority of the time we know about shows and tours from the venues and the PBS stations long before any official announcement gets made. We usually have tickets to several shows before a tour officially gets announced. So it doesn't concern me all that much that nothing official has been said because that's the norm.

Gregg and I are seeing this as an opportunity to focus on solo shows next year. We very much want to see Mairéad C and Éabha and are hoping there will be plenty of opportunities to see them performing!

Sometimes dates for the next year start coming out before the current tour is done.

I honestly don't think CW is going to end because of a cancalled tour. Who knows why that is? Anyhow, even if they are not constantly as successful as they usually are, then that's still more than many others who are going strong. Perhaps they will take things slower — so many tours and albums close together aren't necessary for a band. That doesn't mean they'll break up or close down.

What tends to happen (particularly in the last 10 years) is they often flip flop if an album is “all new material” or a mix of old and new or all old.
Destiny was the first album in 4 years to be entirely new songs since Believe (but Home for Christmas and Emerald were in the intervening years).
Ancient Land was the first album in 3 years to be entirely new songs since Destiny (but Voices of angels and Homecoming were in the years between)
Postcards from Ireland was labeled the first album since Ancient Land (not true — The Magic of Christmas was in between)
Celtic Thunder will be back with a new album for the first time since X so we can all go to those shows — even those guys have gotten slower album wise. X was the first album of all new material in a few years when it  was released.

We'll have to wait and see what happens guys, there's no other way....
We don't know what may have happened for CW Ltd to make this decision. It could be a lack of space to reserve Venues, it could be a lack of money for tour logistics, it could just be that they are wanting to hold back the investment a little for something bigger like the 2024 20th anniversary tour as PBS already said that It is the case.
Let's have confidence that one day everything will be resolved. Celtic Woman is a legacy that won't go away so easily. 🙏🙏

You know what would make a great special for the 20th anniversary.
Perform the setlist for the aborted 15th anniversary tour.
Susan, Megan, Hannah, Muirgen, Tara could be the lineup
Act 1
Homecoming Lament/Mo Ghile Mear (Homecoming version).
Follow Me
Isle of Hope, Isle of Tears (Hannah solo)
Dulaman (Muirgen solo)
I See Fire (Megan solo)
Across The World (Tara solo)
Isle Of Innisfree (Muirgen & Tara duet with Tara on harp)
Amazing Grace
Over The Rainbow (Muirgen & Megan duet)
Three's Company (dancers & drums)
The Kesh Inn (Tara & band)
Teir Abhaile Riu (Voices of Angels version)
Act 2:
Orinoco Flow (Ancient Land version)
Sometimes A Prayer Will Do (Susan solo).
Nella Fantasia (Hannah solo)
The Voice (Megan solo)
Skyrim (Tara solo)
May It Be -- change from group to Susan solo (similar to how it was when Lisa K sang it in the very first show)
Sive
Danny Boy
The Enchanted Way (Tara & dancers)
You Raise Me Up
The Parting Glass
Piper Finale (Credit roll as the girls run back out on stage and bow).

Yes Yes I would love !! And it would be even better if it was filmed in a place like Ashford Castle or Luttrellstown Castle. It's MUCH better if I'm there in person🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩
However I don't know if they would use this setlist as it's mostly Gavin's music, they usually don't use songs from past directors much 🤔. Unless the new music director makes new arrangements for Orinoco Flow, Nella Fantasia, The Voice, Isle of Hope, Isle of Tears, instead of Teir Abhaile Riu we could have a new version of Níl Sé'n Lá (better than VoA please🙏). We could have something like Caledonia too, Megan said she loves this song and really wants to sing it one day...let's see
 

We don't know why they aren't touring in spring 2023 (although lack of venue availability in an order that is practical for touring is most plausible). I think there will be a DVD / album recording next year and that they plan to tour in the spring of 2024. But the story that they're "taking the year off to prepare for a big tour in 2024" sounds like rubbish: they don't need to take a tour off to prepare or to save money. The people who would be planning a 2024 show aren't on the tour and the tours make them money (if they didn't expect to make money on a tour, they wouldn't be planning a 2024 tour).

We're entering into the territory of wild speculation here, but from some off-thread discussion, the only explanation I can think of why they would need to cancel partially booked tour to "prepare for a 2024 tour" (if that's indeed the reason) is that they suddenly lost the rights to use arrangements / songs they were planning to run in the 2023 tour.

For example, if they suddenly could no longer use Gavin's arrangements (similar to what happened when David Downes left), they might not have enough time to scramble enough together new material for a 2023 tour. It seems odd that they could have used some of Gavin's arrangements on Celebration and the Postcards tour though.

Either that or O'Toole has gone over so badly (between the Postcards album and the Christmas Cards EP) that they've decided to sack him and need time to find a new musical director.

I don't know, can anyone else think of a valid explanation why they would actually need to sacrifice a year of touring revenue (after not touring for 2 years prior) and an extra year to prepare for a tour rather than just running a cleverly branded highlights tour?

I'm not the biggest fan of the current music director. At first I associated my feelings of not liking the new music as much with how much I love and miss Mairéad C and Éabha. That's definitely still a factor, but there's more to it then that.  It's also the feeling of the music from the current director.  His music is fine, but it feels heavy and somber, which is not what Celtic Woman used to be or should be. Gavin Murphy's music fills my heart with joy and constantly makes me think my goodness this is the most epic phenomenal music in existence. That is the music I love so very much. So my hope is that maybe they're looking for a new music director and then will put together a new album, dvd, and tour. Or hey, can they bring back Gavin Murphy please!?

Ok everyone lets put this to rest this is the email I got today from CW LTD and this is all they are saying so lets all stop going off the deep end in speculation's ok. I have heard it several times they are doing this to prep for the 20 year anniversary special and thats really all they need to say but here is what I got from CW office

Hi Glen

Thank you for your email and greetings from Ireland.

In reply to your query, Celtic Woman will not be touring in 2023, but we look forward to seeing our fans again on our 2024 tour.

Kind Regards

 Celtic Woman Team

We're entering into the territory of wild speculation here, but from some off-thread discussion, the only explanation I can think of why they would need to cancel partially booked tour to "prepare for a 2024 tour" (if that's indeed the reason) is that they suddenly lost the rights to use arrangements / songs they were planning to run in the 2023 tour.

For example, if they suddenly could no longer use Gavin's arrangements (similar to what happened when David Downes left), they might not have enough time to scramble enough together new material for a 2023 tour. It seems odd that they could have used some of Gavin's arrangements on Celebration and the Postcards tour though.

Either that or O'Toole has gone over so badly (between the Postcards album and the Christmas Cards EP) that they've decided to sack him and need time to find a new musical director.

I don't know, can anyone else think of a valid explanation why they would actually need to sacrifice a year of touring revenue (after not touring for 2 years prior) and an extra year to prepare for a tour rather than just running a cleverly branded highlights tour?

Personally I think it's hard for The CW Ltd to lose the rights to Gavin's songs because I think they learned from David's lesson. I believe that since David sued the CW in 2016 they have written into Gavin's contract that all music he composed for the group is free to use even if he is no longer a member. But that's what I THINK, nothing concrete...
But if the CW really loses Gavin's songs it will be a tragedy in my opinion, they are excellent after all.

O'Toole arrived in 2020 for the celebration tour, how long will he stay? I don't know. It would be pretty crazy if he left so soon, but I don't doubt anything else. I think it's hard but let's see... I believe that O'Toole just needs time to learn the CW way and keep improving, he did an interview earlier this year talking about how hard it is to be a Music Director, so let's take a break, after all it's not an easy task to make better music that David's and Gavin's 

We're entering into the territory of wild speculation here, but from some off-thread discussion, the only explanation I can think of why they would need to cancel partially booked tour to "prepare for a 2024 tour" (if that's indeed the reason) is that they suddenly lost the rights to use arrangements / songs they were planning to run in the 2023 tour.

For example, if they suddenly could no longer use Gavin's arrangements (similar to what happened when David Downes left), they might not have enough time to scramble enough together new material for a 2023 tour. It seems odd that they could have used some of Gavin's arrangements on Celebration and the Postcards tour though.

Either that or O'Toole has gone over so badly (between the Postcards album and the Christmas Cards EP) that they've decided to sack him and need time to find a new musical director.

I don't know, can anyone else think of a valid explanation why they would actually need to sacrifice a year of touring revenue (after not touring for 2 years prior) and an extra year to prepare for a tour rather than just running a cleverly branded highlights tour?

Personally I think it's hard for The CW Ltd to lose the rights to Gavin's songs because I think they learned from David's lesson. I believe that since David sued the CW in 2016 they have written into Gavin's contract that all music he composed for the group is free to use even if he is no longer a member. But that's what I THINK, nothing concrete...
But if the CW really loses Gavin's songs it will be a tragedy in my opinion, they are excellent after all.

O'Toole arrived in 2020 for the celebration tour, how long will he stay? I don't know. It would be pretty crazy if he left so soon, but I don't doubt anything else. I think it's hard but let's see... I believe that O'Toole just needs time to learn the CW way and keep improving, he did an interview earlier this year talking about how hard it is to be a Music Director, so let's take a break, after all it's not an easy task to make better music that David's and Gavin's 

They were able to resolve things with David though right? During the 2019 Christmas tour, it sounded like they brought back some of his arrangements, unless I'm wrong and they were just similar.

So I was torn at the beginning of this board days ago when it was posted about CW not touring.

After some time to reflect and think, I believe it's possible for all the reasons presented in this board, (losing music rights, changing music directors, spending time to prepare for 20th, etc.)

But think about this. If they are taking a year off, this gives them plenty of time to produce and bring us fans a huge 20th anniversary concert. It takes a lot of planning to scout out venues, prepare songs, and work on production for a PBS special. I can see them spending this spring practicing, learning songs, and then filming in the fall like they are known for.

After having time to reflect and all of this coming to mind, I started to get excited! The 15th Celebration tour was my last tour going to see. That was after missing the Ancient Land tour. I think the 20th is a great time for me to jump back on the tour wagon and start seeing them live again.

Besides, who knows. Maybe taking the year to plan helps previous artist prepare their own schedules to come and perform for the 20th PBS special and/or tour. Just imagine Meav, Alex, Susan, and Lynn joining in like they did for the 10th anniversary tour. Hey, Lisa Lamb may come back for short term. What about Ebha and Mairead C or Mairead N. There's infinite opportunities that can be brought to the 20th anniversary tour.

Stay positive, yes the year of suspense will make us all insane, but just keep thinking how amazing the special will be when released.