What began as a one-time performance has become a cultural phenomenon.

When Irish singers Chloe Agnew, Órla Fallon, Lisa Kelly, Méav Ní Mhaolchatha, and fiddler Máiréad Nesbitt were assembled to perform a show of Celtic and modern songs for a PBS special, that was supposed to be the end of it. 

Instead, the response was so strong that the group known as Celtic Woman released a self-titled album that shot to No. 1 on the World Music chart, where it stayed for a record 81 weeks, only being dethroned by the group’s second album, A Christmas Celebration.

Since forming for that 2004 special, Celtic Woman have released 14 albums, their latest being 20, marking their 20th anniversary. 

In celebration of the album and anniversary, they’ve embarked on a tour that stops at Honeywell Center on Thursday, April 11.

What to expect

Although the lineup has changed, now consisting of Mairéad Carlin, Muirgen O’Mahony, Emma Warren, and fiddler Tara McNeill, the group is still going strong.

Mixing Celtic folk with modern songs, the group captivates audiences not only with their voices, but also with Irish dancers, bagpipers, and a variety of Irish instruments. 

“Celtic Woman really is a mixture of Irish traditional music, so we have those old songs everyone knows like ‘Danny Boy,’ ” McNeill told Fox 17 in Grand Rapids ahead of a 2022 show at DeVos Performance Hall. 

“But we also incorporate elements of musical theater and classical music, and I think that’s what makes Celtic Woman so unique. If you come to the show, you’re going to see myself on fiddle and three incredible vocalists.”

Train keeps rolling

Celtic Woman came around on the heels of another worldwide phenomena out of Ireland — Riverdance. 

Actually, the music director of that aforementioned PBS special was David Downes, who had also worked in the same capacity with Riverdance.

In an interview with Classical Crossover Magazine, founding member Lisa Kelly recalled a conversation she had with Downes while they were in The States doing a show.

“He was like, ‘We’re doing a little show in Ireland. Would you be interested? I was like, ‘Yeah, I’m not going to be doing anything. I’ll be at home. No problem,’ ” she said. “I honestly agreed on the basis that it would be one night.”

Instead, Celtic Woman became a part of her life through 2013.

While she departed and returned and departed again, as so many have, the music goes on.

Over the course of 20 years, the group have had 12 albums reach No. 1 on the World Music chart and had 13 chart-topping DVDs and 10 million album sales. 

They also received a Best World Music Album Grammy nomination for 2016’s Destiny. 

Named the top World Music Artist by Billboard six times, Celtic Woman are also the most successful all-female group in Irish history.

While it’s hard to see this train stopping anytime soon, the shows are ever-changing. So, you’re bound to see something regardless of how many times you’ve seen Celtic Woman on stage.