Best Song Version Part 10: May It Be

It’s been a while since I’ve done one of these!

Also, I haven’t been to any of their concerts yet, so I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s other versions, but if anyone has any others to share, I’ll add them to the poll as well!

Personally, my favourite is Éabha’s. I love Lisa K, but Éabha’s voice suits the song more and is also more emotive. I nearly teared up a bit listening to her rendition for the first time. Lisa does do an incredible rendition, though. I actually prefer both Lisa K and Éabha’s versions to Enya’s original!

Susan does well also, but I don’t think her voice is as suited to the song as Éabha’s or Lisa’s. She still sounds incredible, though, and maybe with more listens (I’ve only listened to it twice so far, but granted, that’s also the same amount of times I’ve listened to Éabha’s rendition) I’ll grow to appreciate it more.

Also, here’s Éabha singing it. The quality is surprisingly high for a phone capture from 2018!
https://youtu.be/5tVF-iDOEBE?si=pusM1Ik7H4pAWubj

EDIT: Thank you to CWazyTom for sharing options 3, 4, and 6! Also, Hayley has a lovely version of this song as well, and Caitríona sang a nice rendition at Éabha’s Celtic World Forum, and I highly encourage checking those out!

My pick would probably be the 3 part harmony on the Celebration tour, but that's in part due to it being unexpected and because I was feeling things really intensely at that particular time.

Lisa's May It Be is the first Celtic Woman song I listened to, so that one's also special.

My pick would probably be the 3 part harmony on the Celebration tour, but that's in part due to it being unexpected and because I was feeling things really intensely at that particular time.

3 part harmony?? That sounds lovely! Wasn’t Mairéad still there for the Celebration tour? I bet her singing it would be lovely! Do you have any clips of it?

During Celebration, it was Mairéad, Chloë, and Meg most of the time. Susan did a few shows too.

The video sucks on this one, but the sound is nice:
https://youtu.be/5tcgQ5eu8OA?si=MDAZSaYUuQwgIpeN

Here's part of the 2020 version with Susan, Meg, and Mairéad:
https://youtu.be/8anu8ZN4PdU?si=m3vvZzvzzLOh-csL

It was similar to the Celebration version here:
https://youtu.be/s4kUealPth0?si=28oy7AZ2_mDSjUAY

A lot of the audio is lost when recording at a concert on a phone. It sounded so much better live.

That double-soprano harmony backing was insane. I was crying.

During Celebration, it was Mairéad, Chloë, and Meg most of the time. Susan did a few shows too.

The video sucks on this one, but the sound is nice:
https://youtu.be/5tcgQ5eu8OA?si=MDAZSaYUuQwgIpeN

Here's part of the 2020 version with Susan, Meg, and Mairéad:
https://youtu.be/8anu8ZN4PdU?si=m3vvZzvzzLOh-csL

It was similar to the Celebration version here:
https://youtu.be/s4kUealPth0?si=28oy7AZ2_mDSjUAY

A lot of the audio is lost when recording at a concert on a phone. It sounded so much better live.

Thank you so much for sharing!!

I’m still in the middle of the second one, but they all sound majestic!!! I generally prefer solos, but them all singing it feels even more comforting, like three angelic goddesses have come to soothe me.

Chloë, Susan, and Megan all sound incredible, although Mairéad does seem a bit drowned out.

ETA: This is random, but I imagine that Hannah would sound incredible singing this. I haven’t heard much of her, but I saw a clip of her singing with ANÚNA in a CW tribute video, and she sounded rather heavenly, which would suit the song.

EDIT: Thank you to CWazyTom for sharing options 3, 4, and 6! Also, Hayley has a lovely version of this song as well, and Caitríona sang a nice rendition at Éabha’s Celtic World Forum, and I highly encourage checking those out!

Yes, Hayley's version is a classic.

Here's a rare one from Alex Sharpe. She even titled it "MAY IT BE - Celtic Woman (Rare performance)".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIHCCpevPz4

EDIT: Thank you to CWazyTom for sharing options 3, 4, and 6! Also, Hayley has a lovely version of this song as well, and Caitríona sang a nice rendition at Éabha’s Celtic World Forum, and I highly encourage checking those out!

Yes, Hayley's version is a classic.

Here's a rare one from Alex Sharpe. She even titled it "MAY IT BE - Celtic Woman (Rare performance)".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIHCCpevPz4

Thank you so much for sharing Alex’s version!!!! She sounds absolutely majestic! I’ll have to add hers to the poll. I swear, the more I hear of Alex, the more I love her!

EDIT: Thank you to CWazyTom for sharing options 3, 4, and 6! Also, Hayley has a lovely version of this song as well, and Caitríona sang a nice rendition at Éabha’s Celtic World Forum, and I highly encourage checking those out!

Yes, Hayley's version is a classic.

Here's a rare one from Alex Sharpe. She even titled it "MAY IT BE - Celtic Woman (Rare performance)".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIHCCpevPz4

Thank you so much for sharing Alex’s version!!!! She sounds absolutely majestic! I’ll have to add hers to the poll. I swear, the more I hear of Alex, the more I love her!

Hey Aine have you checked out the CW Quiz contest posted below some really great signed prizes check it out it's free to enter for all forum members

EDIT: Thank you to CWazyTom for sharing options 3, 4, and 6! Also, Hayley has a lovely version of this song as well, and Caitríona sang a nice rendition at Éabha’s Celtic World Forum, and I highly encourage checking those out!

Yes, Hayley's version is a classic.

Here's a rare one from Alex Sharpe. She even titled it "MAY IT BE - Celtic Woman (Rare performance)".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIHCCpevPz4

Thank you so much for sharing Alex’s version!!!! She sounds absolutely majestic! I’ll have to add hers to the poll. I swear, the more I hear of Alex, the more I love her!

Hey Aine have you checked out the CW Quiz contest posted below some really great signed prizes check it out it's free to enter for all forum members

I just entered! Thank you!

That double-soprano harmony backing was insane. I was crying.

Yes Indeed, why it was my vote, while I’m happy for Susan got a solo out of it, the trio one with Mairead C, Megan and Chloe is such a missed opportunity for a recording, such chills! The one with Susan is same but something about Chloe made it better more powerful. I tried then liking the one with Muirgen, it was good but not as Mairead C epic if you know what I mean and they switched up things but I preferred it first time first way how they did it in Celebration!

Catriona the new member really left me speechless..
Can you imagine if they revisited this with Mairead C, Muirgen and Catriona  !!!

That double-soprano harmony backing was insane. I was crying.

Catriona the new member really left me speechless..
Can you imagine if they revisited this with Mairead C, Muirgen and Catriona  !!!

That would be heavenly!!

I could see them remaking this for A New Era (which I am fairly certain will have an album released alongside or shortly after the tour). They might just have it be a Caitríona solo, though, as she’s probably most known for singing that at Éabha’s Celtic World Forum.

One change that could potentially be wonderful is if they divided the song equally between them rather than the one main singer and the other two vocalising, but still maintaining the harmony for the chorus.

The other two backing the main singer reminds me of Óró Sé Do Bheatha ‘Bhaile from Destiny. Maybe they could bring someone back for that song (Méav would sound heavenly!) and have the three others backing it, but I doubt they’d do that as they just had Susan return for her solo rendition.