Song:Ireland's Call
Album:The Very Best of Celtic Thunder
Celtic Thunder is more stage show than vocal group. They are very popular at home. In the US their Christmas albums are popular and they are a staple of PBS pledge drives. So they appeal to an older audience who don't listen to today's music. If Celtic Thunder reminds you of Celtic Woman, that's not a coincidence. Sharon Browne is one of the creators of Celtic Woman. Based on that success, she created Celtic Thunder in 2007. The concept is the same and both acts have been internationally successful. Phil Coulter is the musical director. He's been around since the 60s as a songwriter, producer and arranger. With his partner Bill Martin, Coulter wrote the 1975 Bay City Rollers chart topper Saturday Night. There's no question that Coulter is a big reason Celtic Thunder has been successful. The group membership is constantly changing and Coulter is responsible for keeping the music consistent. Celtic Thunder released their debut CD in 2008 on Decca. And of course they are constantly touring and releasing DVDs. Ireland's Call is from the 2012 CD Voyage II. While watching audience reaction during the video, you might think Ireland's Call is a traditional patriotic anthem. But no, Coulter wrote the song. So clearly, he knows what he's doing. At the time there were eight singers in Celtic Thunder led by Neil Byrne who started out as a guitarist in the band and made a singer in 2009. The one in the video who looks younger than the others is Damian McGinty. He was an original member at age 15. He left when he joined the cast of Glee in 2011 and he returned when that show ended. Ryan Kelly has been a member for their entire run. Other guys seem to come and go. Obviously the concept is bigger than the individual members. Celtic Thunder left Decca for Sony in 2013 which was when this comp CD was released. They are always on tour and releasing new CDs and DVDs. Here's Celtic Thunder performing Ireland's Call 2014.
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