Warning: This is a lot longer than my SFTH review!
December 16th, 2011: One of the most Beautiful and Indescribable Nights Ever
There can never be enough words to describe how perfect one night can be, especially when seeing your favorite Irish musical group in the front row at a place you’ve been going to for years and you love said place. Oh, and it’s a Christmas show, which is one of your favorite times of year. (Well, actually, it’s your favorite time of year.) If you haven’t exactly caught what I’m talking about, this is my experience of the Celtic Woman Christmas Symphony show on December 16th, 2011 at Orchestra Hall.
Before the Show:
Yesterday, I wasn’t as, well, hyper as I was when I first saw Celtic Woman back in April. (Please read my other review of the April 23rd concert if you have no idea what I mean by this.) I had school; it went OK. I did go to Starbucks and enjoy a soy LKS (I forgot the triple grande part; I always forget one thing when trying to order one!!!) during lunch. Of course, it was really good.
Then, at the end of my yoga elective class, that’s really when it started kicking in that the Celtic Woman concert was that night. I was just like, “Come on already!!!! I want it to be tonight!!!” (I’m soooo sorry if I annoyed anyone with my tweets asking if it could be that night already!) I went home, and was too excited to do anything but sit on the couch and wait for my dad to pick me up.
About half an hour before I left my house, I decided, “Why not curl my hair with my flat iron?” Well…. Before my first Celtic Woman concert in April, I was too excited to notice that my finger had been on the plate of the iron before I burned myself straightening my hair. I hoped that wouldn’t happen again. I curled my hair; it was really pretty, although the curls on top were gone by intermission.
When my dad and I left, we left later than we thought because I had wanted to fix my hair. (Some of the curls didn’t look too great on one side…) Then, I noticed traffic was pretty good…. Up until we hit the exit we were supposed to go on. At the time, I didn’t know that the traffic was due to the Holidaze Parade going on, but that’s why there was a lot of traffic. I was kinda happy about this, because it meant I wouldn’t be the first one at the restaurant.
*ten minutes of driving later* My dad drops me off near the Barnes & Nobles in Minneapolis and I try to find the restaurant that we were going to, which was called The Local. I, however, thought it was on the right side, so when I got to the corner of 10th St, I didn’t think of looking to the left. (That’s where the restaurant was at.) I was super confused, so I decided to call my dad and then go into the Target. After having my dad yell at me, I call Sarah B and ask her what to do. Turns out, they were lost as well. I decide to wait at Target until I know where to go.
Then, Sarah V calls me and tells me to go straight on Nicollet Mall, and it would be on my left when I reach the corner. I do that, and I see The Local. I say to myself, “I am such an idiot!” I didn’t even know it was across the street from where I had been standing earlier! I decide to go in; it’s packed (I hate being in huge crowds), so I decide to wait outside. That didn’t turn out to be the best idea, either, because it was super cold as well. Then, the parade starts, and I decide to go back inside because a ton of people went outside from the restaurant.
After waiting for about 20 minutes, Sarah B, Sarah V, and Destiny finally arrive at the restaurant! I think I told them, “Oh thank God!!!” when they arrived at the door, and Destiny hugged me. I had been so nervous that they weren’t going to get there because of the parade; did I mention this was the first CW show I was without one of my parents? We go into the (still) crowded restaurant, and we go to a table in the back. We see the Hazens, and Laura gets up and hugs everyone. She then introduces us to Paul; Paul told me when he shook my hand, “I know you from Facebook!” I said, “Yes, you do.”
After sitting around for another 10 (or so) minutes, we decide to order. While both Sarahs and Paul got something to eat, Destiny and I both didn’t get anything to eat. Then, we had to wait for about 20 minutes for the food that Paul, Sarah B, and Sarah V got. Destiny commented at some point that I was super quiet. I just told her I had issues with the noise levels in the restaurant. She agreed with me that it was really loud. After they get their food, Sarah B and Paul both ask me if I wanted to have a hamburger off their plates. I decided to eat the hamburgers they offered me so I would at least have something to eat. I also had fries off Sarah B’s plate.
When everyone was done with their plates, we all stand up and get ready to leave. I had had my jacket on the entire time; partly because I didn’t know where to put it, and also because I hate being cold. As we’re leaving, I ask Laura if I had to pay them for dinner. She said, “No.” I was just like, “Oh. Thank you!”
A ten minute super cold walk later, we get to Orchestra Hall. When standing in the lobby and waiting for Sarah B and Laura to come out of the bathroom, Destiny gives me my ticket. I look at it, and notice I’m in seat 107. I thought, “No idea why I have this seat, but cool!” After trying to find the merchandise table, we find it straight ahead of us. When we get to the merchandise table, I look at the prices because I wanted a DVD and program. Well, turns out the price for the DVDs were $30. I was just like, “That’s ridiculous! I’m getting this somewhere else; I don’t want to get it here if it’s $30.” I then get a program using the money I had gotten for tonight as well as the money my dad had given me. Looking through the program, I fall in love with the pictures of the girls from Believe! (I haven’t read the written descriptions yet) I also notice the songs in the program are in order; I note it would make writing my review a lot easier. (Thank you to whoever decided to put the songs in order!)
After Sarah B gets back from the bathroom, we head in the auditorium. This is really where the “Oh my god, I’m seeing Celtic Woman in the front row” nerves and excitement really started kicking in for me. I had been dying to sit in the front row for an Orchestra Hall concert for years; I finally got the chance on Monday when I saw Tonic Sol-Fa with Sarah B. I was excited to be able to be in the front row center. Sitting down, I didn’t even realize that I was in the center of the row until Paul said, “You’re in front of the center of the stage! Wow, wish I had gotten that!”
The Show:
This will be a song-by-song review again; I don’t want to miss any songs that they did, nor do I want to forget what happened during said songs.
First Act:
Polar Express: I was so “wired up” about seeing CW again that I didn’t really pay attention to this song. I must say, I absolutely adore the Minnesota Orchestra! I know people who are in it right now, and people who used to be in the MN Orchestra. When I see Máiréad backstage, that’s when the tears started welling up in my eyes. I really hoped that I could see during the show; I hadn’t been able to see at all in April when I first saw them.
After the Polar Express ends, David Downes comes out onto the stage and says his welcome. I couldn’t believe that David Downes was right in front of me. (Well, he wasn’t exactly in front of me; he was by the piano.) After introducing the conductor, who was an old friend of his, he says, “And let’s give a huge warm welcome to the incredible Máiréad Nesbitt, Chloë Agnew, Lisa Kelly, and Lisa Lambe!” (I may have the order of girls totally wrong, so correct me if I did get it wrong.) We immediately cheered as the girls came out. This is where some of my tears started coming out of my eyes.
Carol of the Bells: I was very much in “Oh my god Celtic Woman’s in front of me” mode when this song began. I couldn’t believe that this group of incredible women were standing right in front of me! I get a smile from Lisa Kelly at one point during the song; I believe (har, har) she recognized me from my Facebook wall post to her last night. The song ends, and I immediately stand up to cheer.
Lisa K and Lisa L leave the stage, leaving Chloë and Máiréad alone on the stage with the orchestra behind them.
Silent Night: Beautiful. All I can say is beautiful. Chloë’s voice has grown so much within the past year, and I just loved being able to hear her sing this song.
Chloë then says her introduction. She asks us if we were having fun; after we cheered very loudly, she said that was the best response she’s gotten from an audience so far. I was like, “Yay!!!” After more talking from Chloë, where she mentions how she loves our weather because it reminded her of home (can someone give me a quote, please?), Lisa K and Lisa L then come back out onstage, and Chloë says, “This is the beautiful White Christmas.”
White Christmas: Loved this song! I was excited to hear this song sung live, and it was done beautifully.
Away in a Manger: I’m still blown away by this performance! I had no idea Lil’ Lambe had such a strong voice! I loved the acapella beginning, and when David Downes came in with the piano. This was gorgeous; I think it beat out Órla’s version of it on the ACC CD/DVD. (I do love Órla’s version, though)
Ding Dong Merrily On High: Love this song! It was, again, beautifully done.
Shenandoah/The Butterfly: Oh my God, I loved this performance! Máiréad performed this beautifully! I had wanted to hear her do Shenandoah live ever since I first heard it on the ANJ CD, and it was well done. I immediately recognized The Butterfly when she started playing it. It was hard to get other people to clap with the people in the front row; I think eventually people got the idea and clapped.
Christmas Pipes: I really liked this song! I couldn’t help, however, thinking of the choir parts during the song. (Teaches me not to listen to the CD of the concert I’m going to the day of said concert!) This was very much well done, although I couldn’t hear the orchestra very well. (I think it was due to sound issues) I did love being able to hear the beautiful voices of the girls, so that’s always a plus!
When Lisa K stayed out on the stage and started her introduction, I was just like, “Oh my god, it’s Lisa Kelly in front of me!” I was just stunned by how gorgeous she looked! I loved when she said, “When I was 18 years old, I was still the first one up. And I’m still the same way.” (I’m pretty sure I got the quote wrong, again.)
The Christmas Song: *melts* I absolutely LOVE this song on the ACC CD, so I was ecstatic when I first heard that this song was going to be on the tour. Needless to say, it was beautifully done. Still can’t get over how amazing it was to see Lisa Kelly live again before her maternity leave next year, and how incredible it was to see David Downes playing the piano with Lisa Kelly during this song. One thing I didn’t like, however, and this may have been another sound issue, was that I couldn’t hear the first part of the cello solo during the song.
Danny Boy: Beautiful. I noticed they started this song in D major, when on the SFTH tour this song started in E-flat major. (The joys of knowing key signatures and scales to the point where you can recognize when a song starts lower/higher than it normally would.) I loved hearing the orchestra with the girls as they sang this song!
O Holy Night: *melts again* Beautiful! I still can’t get over how much Chloë’s voice has changed from when this song was first done on the ACC CD/DVD. I also loved hearing Lil’ Lambe singing this song! The high note… *melts, again* I give this song a standing ovation.
Intermission: I just sit there, staring at the stage, and then turn to Destiny and say, “I think my heart’s melted into a puddle.” She just smiles at me. Then, as we’re sitting there, I hear, “How did you guys get front row?” I look to my right, and it’s Mike from the April show!!! I immediately jump up and say, “Hiiiii! How are you?!” as I hugged him. It turns out he was in the 7th row during the first act, and he wanted to be up front. It turns out there was an open seat next to the Hazens. After using the restroom (I’m still not used to the stalls being on both sides of the mirror), I tweet using my phone after having turned it on a few minutes before. I notice the lights went down faster than I had thought they would.
Second Act:
Sleigh Ride: Best part of the night. The guy doing the whip was hilarious; he kept missing when to go. When he finally got his whip to work at the right time, we all cheered for him. It was just awesome.
In The Bleak Midwinter/The First Noel: Oh my God, I love Máiréad so much! This was beautiful, and I loved being able to see her wedding ring on her right hand! I also couldn’t get over how beautiful her dress looked! I absolutely loved how it went right into The First Noel; it was very beautiful. And I loved The First Noel, of course.
Lisa Kelly then stays out on the stage to introduce the next song. She asks us if we have been singing along with the songs. I hadn’t been singing along; I was too busy taking in being in the front row at a Celtic Woman concert to sing along! Lisa then says, “Well, since there is no choir with us tonight, I guess you guys will have to do. Will you do it?” We all clap. Then, Lisa teaches us the words. After teaching us the words, she says, “If you get lost, just sing ‘green the whole year round.’ It’ll still sound good.” Then she motions to David to play with her as she teaches us the tune of the song. She says, “There is a key change at the end of this song. If you don’t watch out for the key change, it will sound horrible!” This part was so hilarious!!! (Still can’t remember the quotes she said)
Green The Whole Year Round: Oh. My. God. It was one of the most beautiful performances I had ever seen Lisa Kelly do. The audience did sound very nice when singing the chorus, and we got the key change. (Woohoo!)
Granuaile’s Dance: I must say this; I love watching Máiréad performing on stage. Although there wasn’t a ton of room to move around, she still made it work. I also loved being able to see her perform this song again, since it was a favorite of mine back in April.
Auld Lang Syne: Oh my God. Lil’ Lambe’s voice (and accent) is so beautiful!!! She stole the show for me with this song! She told us to sway and hold hands during the song, so that’s what I did with Destiny. I admit I wasn’t paying attention to when to start swaying, so I just went along with Destiny. (Well, actually, she had to pull me in order to help me start swaying!)
Ave Maria: *melts* New favorite Chloë solo. This was…. I can’t even describe the feeling I felt when Chloë was singing this song; it’s just too indescribable to talk about. The power in Chloë’s voice is just unbelievable! I had chills the entire time she was singing.
You Raise Me Up: When it was starting, I was trying really hard to hold back the tears and sobbing… Lisa K just looked at me and smiled after I swallowed in order to not cry. (It didn’t work) I was CRYING during this song; I couldn’t believe it was almost over! I kept thinking, “No, this amazing night can’t be over yet!” I cheered after this song was over.
At some point during the end of the show (I think it was between YRMU and O Come All Ye Faithful), I got a wink and smile from Chloë, and I think I got a kiss from Lil’ Lambe, although it looked like the guy next to me got it.
O Come All Ye Faithful: Unbelievable. I can’t get over how powerful Lil Lambe’s voice is, and I can’t get over how much Chloë’s voice has changed! Absolutely loved it!
Let It Snow: SO. Much. FUN. I loved watching every single minute of them singing this song! It was like At The Céilí for me; I didn’t know who to watch!
After The Show:
After the show, my viola teacher Richard Marshall came to the front of the stage to talk to me. He just wanted to know how I liked the show. (Well, I loved it!!!) Then, we all took group photos using people’s cameras. I wasn’t able to get one on my camera because the guy accidentally turned it off instead of taking the photo. (I’ll leave it to Sarah V or Destiny or someone to get the group photos on here.)
After leaving the auditorium, I wailed, “I’m in the 18th row for Believe!” (That’s the row of the ticket I got through the pre-sale)
Then, we all decided to go to the stage door to see if we could see the girls… Yes, this may have been a bad idea… After leading the way to the stage door, I look inside, and on the sign that says who’ll be performing that month, I see Baltic Woman on December 16th. I say, “Guys, this sign says ‘Baltic Woman.”” They were all like, “No.” I was like, “Yes.” That is honestly one of the most RIDICULOUS spellings I’ve ever seen. And, seriously!!!
After waiting for about ten minutes, David Downes shows up! We’re all like, “Hi David!” I was very surprised I could actually talk to him without shivering! Then, we all took photos with him, even though he had to go.
Me and Sarah B with David Downes:
David's Signature on my Program (I don't even care that he spelled my name wrong):
Then, after we met David, and after waiting another 20 minutes, someone else comes out and says the girls went out the other door… We didn’t even know there was another door. After waiting another 10-ish minutes, we decide why not try the other door? So, we do, and then the first tour bus leaves. We all waved bye to the bus. (I still feel weird about waving to the bus…) After waiting for the other bus to leave, and it not leaving, we all decided we needed to get going. I had orchestra in the morning, and Destiny was getting tired. So, we all went our separate ways. Mike stayed to watch the other tour bus go.
All in all, best. Night. EVER. It honestly beat out April 23rd for me!!! I am sooo grateful for the chance to see CW in the front row. Thank you sooo much Destiny for getting me the ticket!!!! Can’t wait until I see the girls (minus, sadly, Lisa K) on April 1st 2012!
