Feel free to use them!

Hayley avatar


Sized for the forum


Órlagh signature banner


A New Journey signature banner


Ancient Land signature banner

...my name is Chiara but I am also known as ShiningBright in the old forum, and this one. I have been CWazy for quite some time, and used to make a whole bunch of graphics in the old forums. I should do that again.

I love all CWuties equally, but I am particularly fond of Méav. My favourite album is A New Journey, my favourite song is The Soft Goodbye.

I've found these two so far:

O Holy Night
Carol of the Bells

The crisp, loud sound of the four drummers from the pipe band during the DVD recording was really awesome, but unfortunately that sound isn't really there in the album (those notes are softer and maybe made by a synthesizer).

Thought an dhoped so! The dvds are always more lively than the cds.

I like it very much, but I still have some mixed feelings about it. I actually liked it more when just listening to bits of the songs, rather than the whole album. Not that I don't like it - it's one of their best albums of the last years. Some of the songs are exceptionally beautiful, especially Women of Ireland and Ae Fond Kiss. The songs are very traditional, very little pop, which is a great plus in my opinion, and the line up fits together very, very well. Megan sounds as though she'd been with the group for years, and all performers have very equal positions, nobody taking over the "leading" role. The album is very balanced, almost too balanced, as the arrangements blend with each other beautifully, but a little bit too smoothly. There is no real highlight, no real vibrance or power or joy throughout the entire album. That's my only complaint and that's been my complaint ever since David Downes left. Gavin Murphy is very skilled and I don't want to talk badly about him, but he doesn't have, well, whatever it is that Downes has. The music of Celtic Woman has matured, it is sleeker, smoother, and more controlled than its ever been. It's not very characteristic anymore, which is mentioned often by other fans, and usually - sadly, and incorrectly! - blamed on the new women. I've always been open to changes in the group, and I day say, it's usually much easier for a fan to deal with the change of a man behind the scenes, rather than the women on stage, but while I admire Murphy's arrangements and compositions for Celtic Woman as beautiful pieces of music, they never really clicked with me the way Celtic Woman usually did and should do. This album is a big improvement from Destiny, which was very good, but also unelegant (I'm not really counting Voices of Angels and Homecoming, since those are basically best ofs with a few new songs) but it still has its, for the lack of a better word, exhaustion. It's not as intense or powerful as Celtic Woman used to be, and I would like to mention, that I don't mean this in regards to the speed or volume of the songs. Its something beyond the actual music that I can't really describe. The instruments are very well-arranged, and the choir is beautiful. I also like how Megan's voice filled a sort of gap between Éabha and Mairéad's voices, in terms of range and volume, which gave the vocals on the group songs a lot of body and depth. Doing new versions of fiddle solos as vocal songs was a very nice idea, which already worked very well with In the Bleak Midwinter. I already mentioned Women of Ireland, but I would like to say again that I really love that song, always wanted them to sing it, and very much like their version - the arrangement is lovely, and surprisingly unusual, considering my complaint about Murphy's style just a few lines above. It's definitely his best arrangement in my opinion so far. That, and Moonlough Shore, which also had very good instrumentals. My favourite solos, respectively, were Ae Fond Kiss,, Moonlough Shore, Shenandoah and Love & Honor, my favourite group songs, aside from the one I've mentioned twice, were Going Home, Long Journey Home, and Be Still. The weakest song, in my opinion, was Homeland. Aside from the Christmas albums, which are very dear to me, I'd say this is my third favourite album, after A New Journey and Celtic Woman. It's a very calming album, a very - a funny word for music - elegant. And the group sounds incredible together!


Ancient Land
A very good, ethereal, dark opening. I feel like Tara's began to fiddle in a different style, lower and darker. A very nice sound with original quality. The vocals are a bit monotonous, but that does have a nice effect. Good way to start the album.

Homeland
I suppose they wanted to include it, since it was an important part of the last tour, and because it is a very nice original. However, I do think it doesn't fit well into this album. I don't mind it in the least.

Moorlough Shore
Very good arrangement, and a very good way for Éabha to show off her unusual voice! This could also have been a song for Órlagh in the original show, dark, and blue, and deep. A very good mystical song, and a very good first solo. Most of the album has a light, warm feel to it, this one if the opposite.

Follow Me
Méav co-wrote this, and it's really unusual! It sounds very modern, but at the same time very Celtic. A nice crossover, stylistically, and a refreshing original. It could have been written for a movie or video game, by the sound of it, which is very cool. The only low point is that it doesn't have enough intensity for its speed.

County Down
A very pleasant, sweet song, very well done by Mairéad. Nothing outstanding, but surely a lovely, easy little song.

Love & Honor
A beautiful, bittersweet violin solo for Tara. As mentioned before, I think Tara's style changed with this album - or for this album - to a darker, fuller tone. It's very interesting and original. I wonder what else she's got upher sleeve.

Mná Na hÉireann (Women Of Ireland)
My favourite song from this album, and one of my favourite Celtic songs in general. An unusual, beautiful arrangements, and gorgeous vocals of our girls!

Sive
As fun as always, very nice, I like it! No, seriously, it's always great and I love the instrumental intro!

Shenandoah
I love Megan's voice, and I love this song! The arrangement is perfect, delightfully simple and natural, showcasing Megan's voice without pushing it. A very good version of a classic.

Long Journey Home
This song very much showcases the group harmony, and Megan Walsh's quality and wide range. The way she used her voice in her first line in this song reminded me a little of, I don't know, Joan Baez, maybe? That lovely sound she made when she sang "ascend the ladder" was just a little thing, but somehow my highlight of the song. It's a gorgeous song, besides, and probably my second favourite on the album.

Tara's Tunes
Tara's the first CWutie to have her own Tunes, and her name in the title! That's something, to say the least. Delightful as always.

Ae Fond Kiss
My favourite solo song. It's absolutely beautiful, and my favourite Mairéad Carlin solo - aside from Scarlet Ribbons, which have a personal meaning for me. I love the way she, well, told the song. I know this is a strange way to put this, but I often feel she has a very compassionated and tender way of singing the lyrics of her songs.

Faith's Song
An unusually contemporary song for this album, and a very good one too, even though I dare say it isn't really my taste. Megan did a very good job though.

Garden of Eden
Éabha wrote this! And she did so amazingly well, as well as performing it. As with Faith's Song, this one just doesn't fit my taste too well, at least not upon hearing it only a few times. It's very nice still.

Be Still
Very lovely, very original, very short. A little gem, that song.

Going Home
Probably the highlight of the last tour, finally on an album. Beautiful as always.

It is on German spotify! I'm sure iTunes and Amazon will add it later, Americans shouldn't need to worry at all. It's incredibly beautiful. Very much like the early albums, but very modern at the same time. Megan fits in perfectly!