Celtic Thunder: Odyssey

Description

In 2007 producer Sharon Browne filmed the first ever Celtic Thunder show at the Helix in Dublin, Ireland. The concept was to feature a group of men from Ireland and Scotland, who range in age from 21 to 42, and feature songs that celebrate a common Celtic heritage.

The resulting show included an eclectic mix of songs ranging from the traditional to international hits and some original pieces along the way. The current cast of Celtic Thunder is made up of diverse performers, Emmet Cahill, Neil Byrne, Damian McGinty and Ronan Scolard.

The members of Celtic Thunder are each a powerhouse in both their solo and ensemble songs. Ably backed by the dynamic Celtic Thunder Band, their shows are known for the use of dramatic effects of lighting and choreography as well as a stage set resembling an ancient stone pathway suggestive of those referenced in Celtic lore.

The first Celtic Thunder CD/DVD was released in March 2008 and was simply called Celtic Thunder – The Show. A full US and Canada tour followed in the fall of that year, along with a second CD from the Show called “Act II”. In 2009 Celtic Thunder released their second DVD third CD “Take Me Home.” This was followed by “It’s Entertainment” in 2010, which paid homage to US pop culture. 3 subsequent releases “Heritage”, “Voyage” and “New Voyage” firmly returned the show to its Celtic roots, stocked full of Irish and Scottish traditional and contemporary songs. The first Celtic Thunder Christmas CD and DVD were also released in October 2010.

Two more releases followed in 2011 for Celtic Thunder, Heritage in Feb ’11 and Storm, their first theatrical production in August 2011. Celtic Thunder also took the Heritage show on tour in the US that year. February 2013 saw the show return to the Helix in Dublin to film their 9th DVD and 10th CD entitled “Mythology” which presented a perfect blend of entertainment, ideology, and Gaelic spirituality, providing a modern twist on the old Celtic storytelling tradition.

In Fall 2014 Celtic Thunder released their 11th CD “Holiday Symphony” an eclecic selection of Christmas standards from around the world and delivered with Celtic Thunder’s signature big production sound and backed by a 90-piece orchestra. 2015 saw the Very Best Of Celtic Thunder release on CD and DVD, offering a compilation of their best loved songs and fan favorites and followed up with a North America “Very Best of Tour” which took place from February to April 2015 covering 45 cities over a 9-week spell.

In 2014 Celtic Thunder transitioned to their new home at Sony Records’ Legacy label and their first release on Legacy was Holiday Symphony, followed by The Very Best of Celtic Thunder. The entire back catalog moved to Sony and was re-released in October 2015.

In March 2015 Celtic Thunder filmed their “Legacy” show at the Casino Rama in Canada. Released in 2 Volumes on CD, DVD, Blu-Ray, and limited-edition Vinyl. On the back of the Legacy release Celtic Thunder brought the show on a 16-city tour of Australia in May 2016. A 75-city North American tour followed later that same year.

Just before embarking on their 2017 Symphony Tour in the U.S. in late 2017, Celtic Thunder returned to the Helix in Dublin to film their 10th Anniversary Show Celtic Thunder X, featuring a wide mix of both traditional and contemporary Irish Songs, Classic Hits, Love Songs, Nostalgic Songs and Fun Retro Songs from the soundtracks of viewers lives. Celtic Thunder X was released on CD/DVD in March 2018 and toured the U.S. and Canada later that year playing to sold out audiences in 75 cities over a 4-month period.

In 2019 Celtic Thunder returned to studio in Ireland to prepare for their 2020 release Celtic Thunder Ireland and prep for the tour of the same name. Unfortunately, the global pandemic put paid to any touring plans and CT postponed their scheduled shows to 2022.

In 2020 Celtic Thunder pivoted to online events, building and creating a total of 12 Stageit Concert Series, (a series comprises of a block 5 shows over the course of a week) and streamed to fans every other month throughout 2020 and 2021. Each series had a theme; days 1-4 were dedicated to a Celtic Thunder principal artist, with all 4 coming together on the final show of the series. The themes varied from Ancestry, Customs and Traditions, Places to see in Ireland, the artists talking about their childhood, their careers with Celtic Thunder and of course live concerts. In total Celtic Thunder sold over 60,000 tickets to their online shows on the Stageit platform.

Two years later than originally planned, Celtic Thunder finally brought their Ireland tour on the road to live audiences across the United States and Canada. The Celtic Thunder Ireland tour kicked off in Orlando, FL on February 22nd, 2022.

By the end of 2022 Celtic Thunder had toured the US and Canada, coast to coast, fourteen times, Australia four times performing over 1000 shows to date to millions of fans. Celtic Thunder has also undertaken 4 Entertainment Cruises in the Caribbean, each one transporting over 4,000 fans on a 4-day musical extravaganza.

Now in Fall of 2023, Celtic Thunder is gearing up for its 15th tour of the USA and Canada. Their new show is called Odyssey and is a fascinating exploration of Irish music and culture, a sweeping voyage through the heartlands of traditional Irish music, the rhythmic pulse of contemporary Irish music, and the innovative original arrangements that are emblematic of the ensemble’s unique sound. The shared musical chemistry of Celtic Thunder’s lead vocalists gives the show its compelling power, while each singer adds their distinctive voice and charm to this musical journey, creating a harmonious blend that appeals to a broad spectrum of tastes. Odyssey will play in 32 cities across North America opening in Minneapolis on October 5th 2023.

Celtic Thunder has been hailed as BILLBOARD’s Top World Music Artist 5 times, along with Top World Music Imprint and Top World Album (2008, 2009, 2011, 2015 and 2016). The Celtic Thunder official YouTube channel, “Thunder Tube” has received over 350 million views since its inception in 2008 and has 415,000 active subscribers. Celtic Thunder also has over 1.1 million followers on its official Facebook page.